Your car’s tires are some of its most important parts, not just in how your vehicle functions, but also in how safe it is. To help our customers know when it’s time to trade-in their old tires for a new set, we‘ve come up with four top warning signs that your old tires need to be replaced.
- They’ve failed the penny test. Knowing when you need new tires doesn’t have to be complicated. Actually, one of the easiest ways to tell if you need a new set is by using the tried-and-true penny test. All you have to do is take a penny and place Lincoln upside down in the tire’s tread. If you can see Lincoln’s hair, then you need new tires, as your tread has become too worn down to be safe.
- You see visible sidewall bubbles. If you have had your current tires for more than a few years, it’s best to do a cursory inspection of them every few weeks. If you see sidewall bubbles beginning to form during one of these inspections, then you should take your car in for a new set immediately as these bubbles indicate a possibly serious, and potentially dangerous, internal problem with your tires.
- You’re feeling a lot of road vibration. A vibrating car is never a good sign, and should rarely happen unless you’re driving over a dirt or cobblestone road. So if you’re feeling a lot of vibration while you’re driving, your tires and your car's alignment, might need to be looked at.
- Your “wear bars” have become visible. Like the penny test, one of the easiest, and best, ways to tell if you need new tires is by looking at your wear bars. These little bars begin to show if your tread is becoming too low, giving drivers a nice indication that a new set might just be in order.