Why Are New Tires Important?
Tires are made up of treads, which provide traction. Tires have the most contact with the road, so it’s essential to have traction to count on in adverse weather conditions. Traction keeps your vehicle from sliding on the wet ground when it’s snowing or raining.
If you live in a place with varied weather conditions, such as Nanuet, New York, you count on the grooves between the tread blocks of your tires. These grooves keep harmful debris from impacting your tires.
Let’s say your tires had zero tread, what would driving be like?
Imagine sliding around hardwood floors with only fuzzy socks on, except the hardwood floors are the road and the socks are your vehicle. Tire tread plays a vital role in keeping you safe on New City and Spring Valley, NY roads.
The Penny Test
If you’re concerned about the tread life on your tires, there are a few steps you can take to check it, including The Penny Test. The test itself is easy to do, and it delivers dependable results. Grab a penny from your wallet or the street and place it between your tire’s tread blocks with Lincoln’s head pointing down. If the top of Lincoln’s head is not visible, then you’re good to go. This means that an upwards of 2/32″ tread remains. However, if you can clearly see the tip of Lincoln’s head, your tread is seriously worn, and you need to schedule tire service right away.
Other Influences
The Penny Test has been used for a very long time and delivers amazing results, but it’s not the only avenue you can take. A regular car tire offers around twenty square inches of footprint surface that touches the road. Around 1/3″ of tread depth is available on brand a new tire. What is a footprint? A footprint is made of rubber, which helps the tire grip the road while the other grooves can create the tread layout. The overall performance of both the grooves and rubber impact tread wear. Different models will have different tread depth, because of weight requirements and overall design differences. For instance, a vehicle with a tire tread depth of 4/32″ will fully stop approximately 100 feet sooner compared to a model with 2/32″ tread. The difference will become even more apparent on slippery Nanuet, NY roads.
Tire Tread Design
Another point of impact is how well the overall tread depth is designed. It’s no surprise that poorly designed tread depth doesn’t perform well on slick roads. Fluids are often more dense than the air that makes up tires. If you’re cruising at about 65 MPH, air will easily compress and move out of the way. If only it were that simple for liquids. During inclement weather conditions, it’s common for either water or ice to collect on the road. Factors such as wet roads, the speed of a vehicle, or the overall design of the tires will determine the likelihood of hydroplaning, as well as how quickly one can stop it.
Traction
Traction helps keep your wheels on the road. When you’re driving, you need to have control over the vehicle. Traction between the road and tires ensures maneuverability.
Generally, most new tires come with built-in indicator bars that measure tire tread and wear. The bars are nearly transparent when the tires are new. As tread begins to wear down, bars become visible. The bars are flat and rubber. They are perpendicular to the tread. Once the bars become noticeable, you should either replace your tires or rotate them.
If you’re looking to protect your tires, completing The Penny Test is a solid way to check the tire tread wear, but it’s important to keep other factors in mind. Tread design and tire traction are also pivotal to establishing a safe drive in Nanuet, NY.