Tread Depth
- Thread starter nlel1975
- Start date
It’s only January 8th you can’t say that yet!
With the low mileage I do I shouldn’t need new tyres for a long time. They’ll probably start cracking around the edges before the tread depth gets to low.
Fair enough
Nope it took me nearly five years to wear out approximately 1mm of tread so there won’t be any updates until 2029 I’m afraid
I took three readings on each tyre across the outer, middle and inside treads pictured here...
They were all just under 7mm.
They were on the car new from the factory. They are definitely not fakes.
Why does that seem like a lot? That’s what a google search told me.
Ordered one of these digital tread depth gauges…
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09PCZ9P64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Should give me a more precise reading to within a decimal point, rather than reading just under 7mm with an analogue one. I went for this one as it had the least bad reviews versus the others at similar price point.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09PCZ9P64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Should give me a more precise reading to within a decimal point, rather than reading just under 7mm with an analogue one. I went for this one as it had the least bad reviews versus the others at similar price point.
From what I’ve read you should get them checked every year after 5 years old.
I know but its nice to have and only cost £8.
You can check how old your tyres are. Look for the letters DOT then a number code. This production code will tell you the age of your car tyre: the first pair of numbers are the week of manufacture and the second pair are the year.
Received the gauge today, just tested it and was complete garbage. Could barely fit it under the wheel arch and when I did get readings they were all over the place.
Best readings I got were Front Left 6.84mm Front Right 6.88mm Rear Left 6.42mm Rear Right 6.42mm. Might have another play afterwards to test it again but its not looking great.
I'll keep it though won't end up as landfill. At least it doesn't turn itself on automatically.
Best readings I got were Front Left 6.84mm Front Right 6.88mm Rear Left 6.42mm Rear Right 6.42mm. Might have another play afterwards to test it again but its not looking great.
I'll keep it though won't end up as landfill. At least it doesn't turn itself on automatically.
By all means laugh, but cry if you want too
Well I've had a good play, it seems I get fairly consistent readings of Front Left 7.03mm Front Right 6.89mm Rear Left 6.30mm Rear Right 6.68mm. Its not as bad as I originally thought. The trick is to fully retract the gauge before zeroing it.
You're dealing with such miniscule amounts its not surprising it changes by a couple of 0.1mm every time.
Doesn’t matter no, but would be nice to have some consistent readings.
Found this site...
https://www.tyrerunner.com/blog/how-to-use-a-tyre-tread-wear-chart
Nonetheless, this is still suitable to drive on. This indicates around 45% tyre tread wear.
However, that doesn't mean you need to replace the tyre yet. It's more or less safe and will still serve you well on the road; but you should start to keep a closer eye on your tyres perhaps increasing your monthly inspection to weekly.
You can continue to drive on the tread of this depth. Beware, however, that you'll need to take it a little slower around corners and in bad weather.
All major tyre manufacturers recommend the replacement of tyres at this tread level...and honestly, it's not only for their benefit they are saying this. Tyres at this level will take somewhere between 1 to 1.5 double-decker bus lengths additional distance to stop, and that's only at 30mph! One to keep in mind on the school run on a wet winter day!
That said, there is no legal requirement to replace tyres at this depth. The legal bar for replacement in the UK is actually very low compared to other EU countries, hence if you choose to drive on, you may want to consider doing so at a tortoise pace! Between this level and the UK legal limit, you could have as little as 100 miles remaining.
We can't advise enough that replacing your tyres before they reach this point is highly recommended. If you skirt the lines of legal acceptability, you could accidentally go under this limit a lot easier than you might think - it could be as little as a jont down the shops away. An untimely traffic stop could, therefore, result in you receiving points, and likely a sizable fine.
Plus, it's plainly unsafe to drive on tyres of this tread depth. You'll become a danger not only to yourself but to other drivers as well. 27,000 lives in the UK are changed each year on our roads through death or severe life-changing injuries...the only thing in contact with the road is those scraggly tyres! A few extra mm could be the difference between stopping in time or not.
https://www.tyrerunner.com/blog/how-to-use-a-tyre-tread-wear-chart
8mm
For a standard vehicle tyre, 8mm is optimal. For most tyres on the market, this indicates a brand-new tyre with zero wear and tear. Tyre tread of this depth allows for maximum safety and performance.7mm
7mm of tyre tread is still great. At this point, the tread is only 15% worn. As such, the tyre will perform more or less, like new.6mm
6mm of tyre tread depth is still relatively good. This indicates around 31% of the tyre tread has worn. By and large, a tyre with this tread depth will still perform like new.5mm
At 5mm, you should start to notice a slight loss in performance. Not only will it take you longer to stop, but you'll also have a little more trouble keeping the vehicle in control throughout turns and in dangerous weather.Nonetheless, this is still suitable to drive on. This indicates around 45% tyre tread wear.
4mm
At 4mm, your tyre tread depth is just barely above the level for recommended replacement. The tyre will now be approximately 62% worn. You'll unquestionably notice a difference in performance at this depth, both in terms of control and stoppage time.However, that doesn't mean you need to replace the tyre yet. It's more or less safe and will still serve you well on the road; but you should start to keep a closer eye on your tyres perhaps increasing your monthly inspection to weekly.
3mm
It's at 3mm that your tyre tread depth starts to reach dangerous levels. At this point, the tread is around 78% worn.You can continue to drive on the tread of this depth. Beware, however, that you'll need to take it a little slower around corners and in bad weather.
All major tyre manufacturers recommend the replacement of tyres at this tread level...and honestly, it's not only for their benefit they are saying this. Tyres at this level will take somewhere between 1 to 1.5 double-decker bus lengths additional distance to stop, and that's only at 30mph! One to keep in mind on the school run on a wet winter day!
2mm
At 2mm in depth, your tyre tread is around 94% worn. We highly recommend a tyre replacement at this point, as having such a worn tread is undoubtedly going to impair your ability to keep the vehicle in control.That said, there is no legal requirement to replace tyres at this depth. The legal bar for replacement in the UK is actually very low compared to other EU countries, hence if you choose to drive on, you may want to consider doing so at a tortoise pace! Between this level and the UK legal limit, you could have as little as 100 miles remaining.
1.6mm
As noted above, 1.6mm is the legal minimum for tread depth on a tyre. Once your tyre tread depth falls below this figure, your tyres are no longer road-legal and need to be replaced.We can't advise enough that replacing your tyres before they reach this point is highly recommended. If you skirt the lines of legal acceptability, you could accidentally go under this limit a lot easier than you might think - it could be as little as a jont down the shops away. An untimely traffic stop could, therefore, result in you receiving points, and likely a sizable fine.
Plus, it's plainly unsafe to drive on tyres of this tread depth. You'll become a danger not only to yourself but to other drivers as well. 27,000 lives in the UK are changed each year on our roads through death or severe life-changing injuries...the only thing in contact with the road is those scraggly tyres! A few extra mm could be the difference between stopping in time or not.
Just FYI