Tire Wear Explained: How to Know When to Replace Your Tires
About this video
An ASE certified mechanic breaks down everything about tire wear: how to measure tread depth, how to read every wear pattern and what it tells you about your alignment, suspension, and tire pressure, how to read the DOT date code so you know how old your tires really are, and exactly when a tire needs to be replaced. This is a complete guide that applies to any car, truck, or SUV.
WHAT WE COVER Measuring tread depth with a gauge, and the penny and quarter test Wear bars and the legal minimum tread depth Reading the sidewall: tire size, load index, speed rating, and the DOT date code Why tires age out even with plenty of tread left Center wear from overinflation Both shoulders wearing from underinflation Inner or outer edge wear from camber and alignment problems Feathering and saw tooth wear from toe misalignment Cupping and scalloped wear from worn shocks, struts, or bad wheel bearings Patch or flat spot wear from hard braking and locked wheels Dry rot, sidewall cracking, bulges, and when a tire is not repairable Replacing in pairs or all four, and why it matters on all wheel drive Rotation intervals and how they prevent uneven wear
SYMPTOMS YOU MAY NOTICE Vibration through the steering wheel or seat at highway speed Steering pulling to one side Road noise, humming, or growling that changes with speed Hydroplaning or losing grip in rain Longer stopping distances TPMS low tire pressure light coming on repeatedly Visible cords, bulges, cracks, or chunks missing from the tread
RELATED WARNINGS AND CODES TPMS low tire pressure warning light, Service Tire Pressure Monitor System message, and TPMS sensor codes such as C2200 series or B tire pressure sensor codes when a sensor battery dies or a sensor is not relearned after a tire change. Uneven wear can also trigger ABS or traction control complaints on all wheel drive vehicles.
Demonstrated using tires from a 2015-2023 Jeep Renegade (first generation BU, including the 2019 facelift) and its platform sister the Fiat 500X, but everything here applies to every vehicle on the road, including the Jeep Compass, Cherokee, Wrangler, and Grand Cherokee, and any Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz.
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