One of the main questions you should be asking yourself before looking at truck tires for sale is if your tires are even ready for replacement. Of course some tires you can tell just by simply glancing at them that they have had it and are not safe to be driving on. But other tires may appear to be in good condition and have several thousand miles left on them when in fact they are already too dangerous to be driving on. But how do you know for sure? Are there some positive signs or ways that you can detect that your truck tires have had it?
Before spending money on truck tires for sale first use your money to see if you need them. By using a penny or a quarter you can tell in a short amount of time how much life you have left on your truck tires.
- The Abraham Lincoln Test:
Take a penny and place it into the grooves of your tire with Lincoln’s head facing downward into the grooves. Be sure to push the penny as far down as it will go. This may be more difficult if you have rock service tires as the grooves are smaller and in some cases this will not even fit. Once the penny is inside the grooves, take note of how much of Abe Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread. If his head is covered up then your tires have minimal to no wear. However, if his entire head is showing or if it’s just at the top of his head then it means that you have 2/32” of the tread left on the tire.
- George Washington Quarter Test:
Similar to the penny test you will take a quarter and insert it into the tread of the tire with George Washington’s head facing downward into the tire. If you see that a portion of the head of the president is above the tread then it shows that you have 4/32” of the tread left on the tire.
- The Lincoln memorial Test:
Take the penny that you used on the first test and turn it around and look at the side that has the Lincoln Memorial on it. Be sure that the memorial is upside down when you place it into the tire tread. When it’s in the tire tread if you see that the top of the memorial is touching the top of the tire tread it means that you have 6/32” left on the tire that you are measuring.
Most tires have an indicator that allows you to see when the truck tire has been worn down to below what is legally able to be driven on streets. However, the actual measurement used for the majority of states is 2/32” which means if you are to this measurement then you must have your tires replaced or you are in violation of the law. It’s important to not only measure one part of the tire tread but multiple parts of it as some areas may be worn more than others; although in most cases the tread tire wear would be the same throughout the entire truck tire.
It also depends on what type of climate that you drive your truck tires on. If you are in a snowy area then you should have your tires replaced at 6/32” in order to be sure that you are removing snow from your tires as you drive. It’s best to use your common sense and see how the tires feel as your driving. Regardless of what Abraham or George tell you, if your car is hydroplaning or having difficulty remaining stable on tight turns then you should get your truck tires replaced.