How to determine tire wear

The safety of the driver and passengers on the road, the maneuverability of the car, grip on the road surface, cornering, and comfortable driving on a snow-covered road largely depend on the condition of the tires. Any tire has a service life of the order of 5-7 years, but much depends on the characteristics of vehicle operation. Aggressive driving, improper seasonal storage of tires, suspension problems not fixed in time and other errors will shorten the life of the tires. How do I know about tire wear? Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Pattern erasure index

Each tire manufacturer is obliged to apply special markings to its products. Tire wear is determined by the Treadwear indicator - this is the allowable wear of the rubber tread. It means that the wear has reached a critical level and the wheels need to be replaced. Treadwear is a two- or three-digit number printed on the side of the standard name. The base index is considered to be 100 units. It means that the tire can be used for 48 thousand kilometers. The larger the number, the longer the distance that can be traveled on this rubber. The most durable products are considered to be with a coefficient of 340 and more.

Permissible wear

In our country, there is a regulation that obliges car owners to replace tires depending on the season. Drivers must switch to winter tires before December 1, and summer tires after February 28.

The tread depth, which will allow the vehicle to confidently keep on slippery and snowy roads, must be more than 4 millimeters. This will ensure safe movement in subzero temperatures. Comfortable travel on a summer track will allow a tread height of over 1,6 millimeters.

The parameters of permissible wear are fixed in the traffic rules of the Russian Federation. If the wheels do not meet these requirements, then driving the car is strictly prohibited.

How to correctly measure the tread height of your tires

To measure, you can use a caliper or a ruler with a depth gauge. A regular coin will work as well, but measurement accuracy will suffer greatly.

The height is measured at at least 6 different points: in the center, along the edges of the tread, in different places of the tire circumference. Measurement results should be the same everywhere. But there are different situations:

1. The tread is higher at the edges of the wheel than in the center. This indicates that the tire has been pumped for a long time. The tire frame was heavily loaded, which affected the overall tire life.
2. The tread is higher in the center than at the edges. The tire was periodically under-inflated. The wear is calculated by the minimum value of the tread height.
3. The tread is unevenly worn across the width (one of the edges of the tire is worn out). This indicates a breakdown in the suspension of the car.
4. The tread is worn unevenly around the circumference of the wheel. This speaks of extreme driving when heavy braking or acceleration occurred. This tire needs to be changed urgently.
5. Blurred pattern on the top of the tire sidewall. This effect appears after a long drive on a very flat tire. This rubber also needs to be replaced urgently.
6. Different tread wear on two tires from a pair (from one axle). A difference in tread height of more than 1 millimeter is already a serious threat of skidding if such a pair of wheels is placed on the front axle of the car. Better to change tires.

Why you need to control wear

Tire health monitoring is part of the machine's routine maintenance. The tread depth is inextricably linked to such factors:

• vehicle handling. The lower the height of the pattern, the less dirt and water are removed, which increases the risk of losing control of the machine when driving through puddles;
• braking distances. The worn out tread reduces the adhesion of the tires, even with dry asphalt, due to which the braking distance increases under the same operating conditions;
• uneven wear indicates some vehicle malfunctions (imbalance in the wheels or the need to adjust the camber-toe-in).

In addition, it is necessary to monitor the condition of tires in order to avoid penalties. The driver faces a fine of 500 rubles for driving a vehicle that does not meet the established requirements.