need some help determining the amount or percentage of the tire thread left on a couple of the tires i bought with a set of oem rims.

i don't really have any tools, so can someone suggest a way to measure it?
i have heard the penny test but don't fully understand how to judge the result.

can someone offer some expertise.

best
Thanks

 

1. Insert a penny into a number of grooves across the tire. If you see that a part of Lincoln’s head is lower than the higher part of the thread it means that you still have 2/32” of the thread depth.

2. Insert a quarter into several grooves across the tire. If you see that part of Washington’s hear is lower than the higher part of the thread, you still have 4/32” of the thread depth.

 

Thanks for the information.
so...if i have something close to 2/32" but less than 4/32", does that mean i need new tires already or i can still drive for few thousand miles on it?

thanks
best

 

Close to 2/32" means its time to start shopping for tires and slow down in the rain.

 

huh never knew of the quarter test haha; I always just used a mini ruler

 

once you buy new tires do the penny test again and see if he has a head lol

 

A solid wear bar across the tread surface also indicates 2/32's and time for shoppin'. But I've never actually seen one of those.

 

pretty sure two of the tires i got is pretty close to 2/32, what should i (can i) do with it?
is there any place allows recycle or even trade in for some discount on new tires?

thanks for all the information provided.

best

 

On the contrary most places will charge you a fee to dispose of worn out tires. You can use one for a full size spare if you got an extra rim or do some burnouts with them.

 

When you buy new tires and therefore turn in your old (no trade/discount on worn tires, only pro-rate on defective) they'll get shred and recycled into new road surfaces - so you're helping our highway system.

 

What's this 2/32"? Surely that's 1/16". Surely you don't talk in 32nds of an inch if you can talk in 16ths. Of course you could make it simple and call it 1.6mm.

 

^ It takes awhile to wear down tread in normal operating conditions and therefore 32's of an inch have been the historical norm for measurement, at least in this hemisphere.

 

My summers are at the wear bars. I'm putting on my winters, so will be getting them replaced whenever I see a sale or something on the tires I want. Figure they are likely to drop in price over the winter pre-spring.

Gotta find somewhere to burn them down to 0/32nd

No penny depth ftw!

 

No in all hemispheres...

It's a tire manufacture thing, or should I have written, tyre?

 

measure be turning sharp down shifting and giving it alot of gas that how i no my back tire are shot as of now haha

 

Interesting - why not 37th of an inch? Why not use a nice round figure, like 100ths of an inch, or 50ths.

 

When I was working construction a 32nd of an inch was referred to as a gnat's **** (something else too which I can't mention in polite company: c*** hair). It's a popular increment.

 

I'll let you guys keep that one for yourselves. I can't imagine how you use it - visualizing an inch, then mentally dividing it into 32 pieces - too awesome to contemplate.

 

I can't visualize a centimeter (2.54 inches) and then dividing it into 100 pieces.