Not a lot of people are tire experts, most don’t actually know that much about tires. If this is also the case for you, you can thus rest assured that you are far from being the only one! However, it’s a good idea to become more familiar with your vehicle’s tires so that you’ll know if they are still good to go! But how do you determine the condition of your tires? A few small checks will tell you whether you can last another season or whether you need to shop for new tires!
First Step: a visual inspection is a must
If, just by looking at them, you see that your tires are cracked or, even worse, that the tread is almost as smooth as an F1 tire, you’ll know it’s time to replace them! However, if the tires look fine at first glance, how do you know if a they’re still good? There are different techniques to figure this out!
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Check the thickness of the tread
We all know someone who has checked the tread thickness of a tire with a coin; this trick really works! To measure the wear of your tires this way, take a quarter and insert it between 2 grooves, with the caribou’s nose oriented downward. If the snout disappears completely, your tires are still good to drive on; otherwise, if the caribou’s nose is visible, you’ll have to change your tires because the tread is too thin!
Various measuring tools to calculate tire wear are also available in stores, for a few dollars. For your information, note that the tread of a new tire is 13/32nd of an inch deep and that it is recommended to change tires when it is at 6/32″. Finally, it is illegal in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada to drive with tires less than 2/32″ thick.
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Check the date of manufacture of your tire.
As a general rule, a tire that is more than 6 years old should not be put on sale since the materials it is made of are beginning to deteriorate, even if the tire does not have many kilometres on the odometer.
To find out the age of a tire, simply look for the DOT (Department of Transportation) code on the sidewall of the tire and check the last 4 digits of this code, which indicate the date of manufacture (2 digits for the week, 2 digits for the year). This way, you will know right away if your tire is too old to be used or if it has many years to go!
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Do the tires wear evenly?
Another thing to keep in mind when checking the condition of your tires is the way they are worn, which not only tells you if you need to replace them, but also that your vehicle may have other mechanical problems. Hence:
- If there is wear on the outside edges of the tread, this usually means you have under-inflated tires.
- If the tread wear indicators are exposed, it’s high time to change your tires!
- If there’s irregular wear, your vehicle probably has a problem related to its alignment, shock absorbers or steering. You will need to change your tires… and have your vehicle inspected!
If your vehicle is equipped with winter tires, it’s even more important to know how worn they are! Because weather conditions can quickly worsen, it is important to have quality tires to be prepared for any eventuality! And when it comes to the lifespan of winter tires, it depends on several factors. However, remember that they are not designed for summer driving; they will deteriorate much more quickly in the heat, and you will need to replace them sooner!
but also for the safety of other road users! And if you need to replace your tires, at blackcircles Canada, you’ll find the model that meets your needs and your budget!
