What does 1 mean on a tire?
Beginning with 1 and ending with 150, numbers in the load index represent carrying capacities of 99 to 7385 lbs. There are two types of load types for passenger tires though, Standard Load and Extra Load.
Let's Recap: If your tires' tread depth will be within 4/32” of each other, you can get away with replacing just one or two tires. If you drive an AWD vehicle, the tires must be within 2/32” of each other. But you should always check the vehicle owner's manual to see what the manufacturer recommends.
Perform the penny test by placing a penny into the tread groove with President Lincoln's head upside down. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tires are completely worn out and need to be replaced stat. If Honest Abe's head is covered, then your tires still have more than 2/32nds of tread.
It recommends "staying within 3% of the diameter of the original tire. Any more and you face the risk of brake failure." Also, if your vehicle is an all wheel drive or 4WD you really do NOT want different sized tires on any different wheels, that can damage the AWD/4WD, follow the manual for those cases.
Reasons to Avoid Replacing Only One Tire
Replacing one tire at a time can present challenges down the road since the one tire will have a different tread depth and thus different accelerating, braking, and cornering abilities than all of the others.
PLUS ONE. If the wheel size is increased by one inch it is “Plus One.” This sizing mounts tires with an increased section width and a lower aspect ratio on wheels of a larger diameter.
Replacing just one tire is generally not recommended, however in some situations, you can get by with it. It depends on the other 3 tires, the type of tires on our vehicle and the type of vehicle you have.
Mismatched tires are often a primary factor in drivetrain damage. To minimize variances, ensure they all match (same brand, size and type). The tread depth difference between front, rear, left and right tires should be minimal. Check your owner's manual for specifics.
If two of your tires wear out faster, it may only be necessary to replace those two instead of replacing all four. If you do, it's important to have the two new tires installed on the back and the partially worn tires moved to the front – even on front-wheel-drive vehicles.
Insert a penny–with Lincoln's head face-first–into a tire tread groove. Check if Lincoln's head is covered and no longer visible between the grooves. If you can see all of Lincoln's face sticking out of the tread groove, then your tire treads are 2/32 inches deep or less.
What is the penny tire tread trick?
But the easiest way is to do a penny test. Take a penny and place it with Lincoln's head upside down between two ribs on your tire. If part of the head is covered, your tires are still in good shape. If you can see his entire head, your tread is worn to 2⁄32 inch or less and it's time for new tires.
For optimal safety and performance, Continental recommends fitting the same tires to every wheel position on your car, so drivers should have the same brand, size, tread pattern, load index, and speed rating on the front and rear tires.
Changing to larger tires with an improper sidewall height can cause damage to your vehicle's suspension system, wheels, and the tires themselves, and can run the risk of incorrect speedometer readings.
A matched tire set is best
Generally speaking, you shouldn't use a mixed or mismatched set of tires on your vehicle, unless the tire and/or vehicle manufacturer specifies that this is acceptable. (Some vehicles have what is known as a “staggered fitment" -- different-sized tires on the front and rear axles.)
Inexpensive tires will generally be in the range of $50 - $150 each. Moderately priced tires will usually be in the range of $100 - $300 each. High-end tires (ultra-high performance or specialty off-road tires) can be $300 - $1000 each.
Some automakers suggest that tires be replaced as soon as they turn six years old. Some tire experts contend that tires can last anywhere from six to ten years if they're stored and cared for properly. We recommend replacing tires aged 6-10 years, no matter how much tread remains.
Rear tires provide the vehicle stability, and if they have little tread, then stability is lost. Although new front tires will spread water and maintain traction, worn tires in the back will hydroplane and may cause the vehicle to spin out, says Tire Review.
Similarly, we can usually go even lower in profile with a Plus 2 (for example, going from 16- to 18-inch wheels) or Plus 3 (16- to 19-inch) upgrade on most vehicles without running into a problem.
The larger the wheel, the shorter the tire's sidewall and the wider its tread must be to maintain the same outside tire diameter and prevent reducing the tire's load-carrying capacity. The shorter and wider the tire, the better the handling and cornering grip. Some plus-size wheels and tires live up to their image.
One of the most significant benefits of larger wheel size is increasing the vehicle's stability because the wheels cover a wider surface area and increase vehicle stability. Larger wheels significantly reduce the braking distance, while smaller wheels require a greater stopping distance.
How often should tires be replaced?
How long do tires last on average? On average, tires last about six years or between 36,000-75,000 miles. But the actual lifespan of tires varies with factors like climate, maintenance and driving habits. No matter how they look, tires should never be used longer than 10 years.
From this extensive test program, we found that high-scoring all-season tires last about 55,000 to 85,000 miles; performance all-season tires, between 50,000 and 85,000 miles.
It's ideal to replace in at least pairs – tires on the same axle. While 2WD vehicles won't necessarily be damaged by differing tread depths, you'll still get much more even tread wear and more predictable handling and traction if each axle has matching tires.
Also, you don't want to change the brand for the same reasons, as they are likely to perform differently, creating an unbalance and adversely affect your car's handling. There are some cases where it makes sense to replace one tire, says Pszczolkowski.
You may wonder if mixing different brands and tread patterns on your car is okay. The answer is yes; you can mix tire brands and tread patterns as long as they are the same size. Mixing different brands and tread patterns can help improve traction and handling, but it's essential to ensure the tires are compatible.
It's perfectly safe to drive four completely separate tires as long as tires on the same axle are the same size. It's probably a good idea to get tires with the same tread life so that they wear evenly.
So, if in the interest of safety, you decide to keep the better tires on the back, you will probaly only rotate them if you're buying two tires. Since most vehicles wear their front tires faster, within a few thousand miles, the front tires will be more worn than the backs so you won't want to rotate them then.
Front tire wear is further advanced because the front tires handle the bulk of the steering and braking forces. Tire rotation is the solution to even tire wear in a front-wheel drive vehicle. Most front-wheel drive passenger cars have a square tire setup, which allows for front to rear tire rotations.
No matter what type of vehicle you have, having mismatched tires front to back can sometimes cause handling problems. Granted, this really doesn't happen that often, and it is usually no problem to have different tires on a car.
Some sources state that the penny test may not be an accurate method of testing out the depth of a tire tread. They suggest using a quarter instead. If you see that the depth is 4/32 inches, it may be a good idea to start tire shopping and not wait until it worsens.
What do bald tires look like?
What Does a Bald Tire Look Like? It's not hard to spot a bald tire. Many new tires come with what are known as indicator bars, also called parallel wear bars. If the tread is flush with the wear bars, you've got a bald tire.
The tire tread depth gauge measures in 32nds of an inch. Good tire tread depth will be 6/32 or deeper. If the depth is 4/32, you should start thinking of replacing your tires and getting new ones. 2/32 or less means that you should change your tires ASAP.
A penny test (also called smoke testing or small value testing or penny drop testing) is a simple way to test the validity of a bank account by depositing a small amount of money—usually a penny as the name suggests—into the bank account.
- Don't take the jack's quality for granted. Not all jack's are created equal. ...
- Don't wait until you have a flat to check the spare tire. ...
- Don't use your bare hands. ...
- Don't tighten the wheel nuts too much. ...
- Don't drive on your spare tire for longer than necessary.
On a quarter, it's about 4/32nds of an inch but on a penny, it's 2/32nds, which happens to be the minimum legal tread depth in most states. If you're doing a tread depth penny test, you're basically finding out when your tires are already illegal.
Insert a quarter into your tread groove. If the tread touches Washington's head, you have at least 4/32 inch of tread remaining. You can also use the tire tread wear indicator as another method for how to check your tire tread.
Ideal Tire Pressure
Tire pressure between 32 to 35 PSI is most suitable for most vehicles. However, one can go as low as 20 PSI (although that is not recommended). Anything below 20 PSI is considered a flat tire. PSI stands for Pounds per Square Inch.
Once your tire tread is below 1/8th of an inch of rubber, most industry experts suggest preparing to replace. If you are down to 1/16th of an inch, your tires are considered worn out, and most states require immediate replacement.
Is it Safe to Drive? If your tire pressure is only slightly low, you should be able to drive safely for a few more miles until you can add air. Tire pressure that is extremely low can lead to tire failure. This can result in a blowout, which can be extremely dangerous.
Example tire number: P215/65R15 95H
The number 215 indicates the tire width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall, so 215 millimeters in this case. 65 is the aspect ratio code, which means the ratio of its height to width. This tire has a height equal to 65% of its width. R indicates radial construction.
Is it OK to drive on low tire pressure?
If you drive a car with low tire pressure, you can expect lowered fuel efficiency, compromised tire performance and lifespan, and elevated risk to the driver's safety and the safety of others on the road. When a tire's air pressure is low, the handling is compromised and there is an increased risk of tire failure.
For most vehicles driving at 28 psi is not a problem. For most 30–32 psi is recommended so 28 is not big problem. Fuel economy and handling will suffer some. It depends entirely on the car, the tires, and the load.
Running your tires at the correct pressure is important because it keeps you safe, cuts down your gas bill, and makes your tires last longer. Each vehicle has its own specifications for tire pressure, but most fall between 28 and 36 PSI (pounds per square inch).
1/32” • Performance and traction are. satisfactory. • Wet traction diminishes and. hydroplaning increases.
Low Tire Pressure Can Impact Your Safety
While driving with slightly low tire pressure is not urgent, don't delay adding air to your tires. Tires severely low on pressure can lead to blowouts that put your safety and others at risk.
If too low, continue to add air in short bursts and recheck. If you add too much, let out some air by pressing the pin in the center of the tire valve with the back of the air hose nozzle or your tire gauge. Generally, the tire will let out approximately one psi for every three seconds the pin is depressed.
Spongy Drive. If you've been driving and slowly begin to notice that driving the vehicle seems softer, almost sponge-like, this is a sign of low tire pressure. As the tire pressure decreases, the tire begins to flatten out. This more of tire's service area is making contact with the road, creating the spongy feel.
This is indicated in percentage of the tire width. “R” stands for the construction method of the tire indicating the tire is a radial tire. The following two numbers (16) indicate the diameter of the wheel rim in inches.
Most commuters and consumers will want either an H, S or T tire. Light trucks may need a tire between the N and T ratings. Sports cars may get better handling with a ZR tire. H-Rated Tires: This is a perfect, average tire for most sedans and commuter vehicles.
Tire Size. Larger tires decrease your fuel economy because they are heavier, while smaller tires increase fuel efficiency. Bigger tires also have a higher rolling resistance than smaller tires which means they require more resistance and effort to get them rolling.
