Minneapolis European Auto Repair

Your vehicle's tires are super important to the overall handling of your vehicle. They help you keep control and steer where you want to go while making traction with the road to get the proper grip. When your tire's tread wears down, it puts you at more risk of hydroplaning and being able to accurately steer your vehicle. They are the only thing between you and the street - you definitely want them to be in their best condition! 

How can you check your tire tread at home, and when do you know if its time to get new tires? 

A great way that anyone can check on their tire tread at home is by using the penny test. All you need is a penny (go figure)! You'll want to repeat this test at least once a month. Here's how to do it:

1. Place a penny down into the tread of your tire headfirst. You'll want to test several different treads across the tire.
    
2. If you can still see the very top of Lincoln’s head, your tread is way too worn out. In this case, you definitely need new tires. 
    
3. If the top part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, this indicates that you have more than 2/32 of an inch of tread depth which is ok. However, if it's just barely making this mark, you may want to consider getting new tires soon.

One thing to remember is that your tires may not have even tread all throughout. If you're noticing some patterns, such as excessive or uneven tread on certain areas of your tire, this can indicate a specific issue. Issues this can indicate include bad wheel alignment, worn shocks or struts, or unbalanced tires. If you do notice uneven tire wear, you'll want to get this checked out by one of the experts here at Eurotech Auto Service. 

Stay on top of your vehicle's tire maintenance and perform your tread test at least once a month. If you find that you're due for new tires or suspect an issue with a connecting component that is causing damage to your tires, we invite you into the professionals here at Eurotech Auto Service today!