Tires are one of the most important parts of any car, as they’re the only part of the car that actually touches the ground. A burst tire can be a massive pain, and that’s why proper tire maintenance is so important. But how does one check their tires? And how do you know when it’s time to replace them? This article will explain.
How To Check Tires
There are 3 key things you’ll want to check when you commit to looking over your tires: Tread depth, tire pressure, and general condition. Each of which has a quick test you can do to check.
Testing tread depth is the simplest, you can do what’s known as a penny test. Simply take a toonie and insert it into the treads of the tires, if the coin goes as far as the bear’s paws then you’re good, if it doesn’t then that’s a sign that the treads have significantly worn down and may need to be replaced.
To check tire pressure you’ll need a pressure gauge, however it’s worthwhile as tire pressure may be the most important. Tires that aren’t properly pressurised will degrade significantly faster and possibly even burst if you’re not careful. The test is quite easy, simply remove the cap and insert the gauge, wait until the gap is properly sealed and take a reading. Compare that reading to the recommended standard for the car and then fill to match. Just make sure you don’t do this right after the tires have been in use.
The final test is a little more open ended, simply give the tires a once over and look for any suspicious bumps, scrapes or cracks. They may look minor, and they probably are, but it only takes one hole to burst a tire, if you see anything that looks suspicious you should have a professional take a look.
When to Change
It’s recommended that you replace your tires every six years, however there’s a lot of factors that could make that number more or less accurate, especially in Canada where you likely already change your tires every 6 months.
A better indicator is mileage, different cars and tires wear at different rates, but your car’s owner manual likely has recommended specifications with them. If you’re not exactly sure if it’s time to replace them, then run the checks above, tread depth especially will give you a good indication of when it’s time to get new tires.