How To Identify Tire Tread Wear From Home

Tire care is something that is not given the most attention to on our vehicles. However, when trying to diagnose your Cadillac's tire life, there are simple things you can do to improve the safety and life of your vehicles tires. It is important that you understand tire thread and how we can identify tread wear.

Many of us use a shiny Penny to quickly discern tired tread, isn't that right? Mr. Lincoln's head has more value then we think. It is able to assist us in identifying if we need to replace a tire or not. There are two simple tests you can perform with coins that indicate different levels of tread depth.

1. The Lincoln Penny Test: Place the penny with Lincoln's head facing toward the tire. If you can't see Lincoln's entire head of hair then you have more than approximately 2/32" of tread depth remaining.
2. Quarter Test: Mr. Washington is a fine substitute. By performing the same test with the quarter and the top of Mr. Washington's wig is covered by the tire, there is more than 4/32" of tread remaining.

The standard of a worn tired is down to 2/32" of tread depth remaining. In addition, the "wear bar," which is a small raised piece of rubber that connects the raised part of a tire's tread is also a great indicator of tire tread. If the tread has worn down to the wear bars, the tires must be replaced.

Of course, once we self-diagnose with Mr. Lincoln or Washington's help, then it is time to involve the professionals. A Cadillac Service Advisor can easily determine if other basic tire maintenance is needed. From tread, tire pressure, tire alignment and if a rotation is needed are all important in extending the life of your tires and vehicle. Learn more by reading some of our tire tips on our web site here.