Unless your tires are completely bald or in multiple pieces along the side of the highway, it\u2019s not always easy knowing how to tell if you need new tires or not. Tires slowly wear down with age and identifying potential problem areas can be tricky if you don\u2019t know exactly what you\u2019re looking for. As long as they get you from point A to point B safely, tires are kind of an afterthought for a lot of drivers.<\/p>\n
By comparison, if your vehicle\u2019s air conditioner or stereo are on the fritz, chances are you\u2019re going to notice right away and make the\u00a0necessary repairs<\/a>. Unfortunately, the same can rarely be said about tires. It\u2019s safe to say that most drivers probably don\u2019t pay that much close attention to their tires until something goes awry. However, if you\u2019re wondering if your tires are on their last legs, there are a few signs that can help you know for sure.<\/p>\n The most common sign you need new tires is that the tread has simply worn too thin. This is completely normal of all tires and nothing more than a product of miles driven. Keep in mind, a tire doesn\u2019t need to be completely \u201cbald\u201d to be considered low on tread. A handy trick to measure the tread of your tires is to take a penny and insert it into the tread with Abraham Lincoln\u2019s head facing inward. If you can see Lincoln\u2019s entire head, it\u2019s time for new tires. If his head and\/or hair are obstructed by the tire tread, your tires are good to go.<\/p>\n Unless your tire has a railroad spike or other jagged piece of metal sticking out of the side of it, identifying tire damage can be tricky. If your\u00a0tire is no longer holding air<\/a>, look closely for cracks, bubbles, nail heads or other inconsistencies that might be causing the problem. While certain issues can be patched or fixed by your preferred tire technician, other more serious issues may mean replacing one or more tires.<\/p>\n Tires that wear unevenly can be the result of an improper alignment, a\u00a0variance in tire pressures<\/a>, or a failure to get regular tire rotations. If tires are worn unevenly, you may notice that the outside of a tire looks completely fine while the inside tread is completely shot or vice versa. It is important that you do everything in your power (proper inflation, regular rotations, etc.) to get the most life out of your tires.<\/p>\n If you notice your car begins to vibrate or shake as you travel down the road, it could be a good sign that something has gone wrong with your tires (or a sign that it\u2019s about to). This may be a result of a previously mentioned condition like uneven wear or tire damage, but you\u2019ll want to have your mechanic take a look just to be sure. If caught early enough, you might be able to rectify the issue relatively inexpensively and without a new set of tires. Of course, if the condition is already too far gone, then a new set may be in your future.<\/p>\n Even if your vehicle is rarely driven and tire wear isn\u2019t a major concern, it\u2019s still suggested to replace your tires every ten years or so regardless of the tread. Old tires\u2014even those with excellent tread still intact\u2014are prone to deterioration and can be extremely dangerous on the road. (NOTE: Though new is always preferred, if you must buy a used tire, make sure it is from a reputable seller who can verify the tire\u2019s age and assure you that it is safe.)<\/p>\n While proper care and maintenance can help you get the most mileage out of your tires, even top-of-the-line\u00a0tires are not going to last forever<\/a>. It\u2019s important that you always keep an eye out for potential problem areas and consult with a\u00a0professional tire service<\/a>\u00a0should you have any questions. By knowing how to tell if you need new tires, you\u2019re doing your part to keep your vehicle in safe working order.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Unless your tires are completely bald or in multiple pieces along the side of the highway, it\u2019s not always easy knowing how to tell if you need new tires or not. Tires slowly wear down with age and identifying potential problem areas can be tricky if you don\u2019t know exactly what you\u2019re looking for. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4678,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911\/revisions\/4678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.telletire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Tread wear and \u201cThe Penny Test\u201d<\/h3>\n
Damage<\/h3>\n
Uneven Wear<\/h3>\n
Vibrations<\/h3>\n
Age<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h4>\n