How to Inspect Your Tires at Home

Learn the basics of inspecting your tires at home.

A good set of tires can make the difference between a safe, smooth ride and a dangerous vehicle on the road. Bad tires can cause other problems with your car, but tire failure can also cause a car crash. Worn out tire tread, under-inflated tires, and blowouts can all cause accidents.

This is why you need to make at-home tire inspections a regular part of your tire and car maintenance. Follow these tips from Blain’s Farm & Fleet to get started.

1. Check Your Tire Tread Depth

Worn out tread not only makes your vehicle less safe. It can also keep it from handling as well as it should.

You can easily check your tire tread depth at home with a tire tread depth gauge. Read through our how-to article on measuring tire tread depth for further instructions.

Another way to test your tire tread is with the penny test. Insert a penny into the tire’s tread groove, with Lincoln’s head down. If you can see Lincoln’s whole head, it’s time to get new tires.

You can also use the tread wear indicator bar that’s molded into the tires. If the tread wear bar is flush with the ribs of the tire, you need new tires.

2. Check Your Tire Pressure

Maintaining the correct tire pressure is another way you can stay safer on the road. With a tire pressure gauge, you’ll be able to read the PSI of your tires.

You can find the recommended PSI for your tires in your vehicle’s owner’s manual or the inside of the driver’s door. Learn all about checking your tire pressure with our how-to article.

3. Know Your Car

Finally, it’s important to listen to and know your car.  Vibration can mean there are bigger issues at hand, such as tire alignment or tire balance. If your car starts vibrating or making odd noises, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we know that safety is the number one priority on the road. That’s why we offer top tire brands like Goodyear, Michelin, and Cooper Tire.

That’s also why we provide quality tire services, ranging from tire repair, to passenger tire mounting, and more.

For more how-tos like this one, visit our Automotive Blog.