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It’s common for drivers to take their tires for granted. We all tend to skip regular maintenance and checking our tires for wear and tear. You should always keep track of the condition of your tires. Here at Kaz Automotive, we want you to know what the trouble signs might be! 

Best Ways to Inspect Your Tires:

Examine the sidewalls and keep an eye out for bulges, cracks, scrapes, and gouges. The sidewalls' material is tough and can stand up to curb scrapes, but use your own judgment as to what might be more serious damage. Bulges usually mean that tire failure is imminent.

Look at the tread surface by running your hand over the area and check for irregularities. A “feathered” or “sawtooth” feel on the tread face means shock absorber or suspension problems. Check all the way around the entire tread face and be on the lookout for uneven wear at the outside and inside edge. This is an indicator of alignment problems. 

Check the tires’ tread depth. You can find a special tread depth gauge for this job, but there’s a simpler way around it. Take a penny and stick it into the tread groove with Lincoln's head down. Does the rubber surface reach Lincoln’s head? If so, your tires are at 2/32” tread depth.

Also keep an eye out for wear indicators, the bars that are molded into the tread base, perpendicular to the grooves. If the wear bars are exposed and at the same level as the tread face, your tires need to be replaced right away.

Worn tires handle poorly, ride rougher, and are dangerous when it comes to braking performance and wet-weather traction. If your tires are at this point, don’t delay! Come see us at Kaz Automotive in Stafford, VA or schedule your appointment with us today! We offer a wide variety of tires and perform quality tire maintenance and repair.