How Do I Know If I Need New Tires?

Although fall came a little late to the Front Range, and the weather remains warm, it’s time to start thinking about winter weather and preparing your car for winter driving conditions. After all, some of the worst winter storms can come suddenly, when warm, moist air meets a mass of cold air right over the region. So, it’s best to be prepared for winter weather before it hits.

You don’t want your first warning that you need new tires to be when you slide out of control and get in a collision. As much as we like to keep busy at our collision repair shop, we’d rather not see your car in our shop getting its crumpled front end replaced. So here are some things to consider that can help you know when you need new tires.

Worn Tread

One of the biggest factors in needing new tires is the wear on your tire’s tread. Traditionally, people have recommended the penny test, where you put a penny upside down into the tread of the tire and if you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you need new tires.

However, this test is not sufficient in Colorado, not if you want to stay on the good side of Colorado’s traction law. The penny test measures whether you have at least 2/32 (1/16) inch of tread on your tires. However, when the traction law is in effect, your tires must have at least 3/16 inch of tread, three times as much!

So, if you’re planning on driving your 4WD or AWD car in the snow, or relying on snow tires, all-weather tires, or winter tires, make sure you use a tire tread gauge or use our updated tread guide in our Colorado Traction Law refresher.

When to Transition to Snow Tires

Speaking of snow tires, when is the best time to transition to snow tires? The general guideline is that you should transition to snow tires when the temperature is regularly less than 45° F. While that seems impossible to imagine this year, remember that this relates to the time you’re actually driving. While our afternoons are quite warm right now, the mornings have turned chilly. If your morning commute regularly happens at less than 45° F, now might be a good time to transition to snow tires.

You can also read more detailed information about transitioning to snow tires.

Damaged Tires

In addition to wear, you will need to replace your tires when they are damaged. A visual inspection will help you detect damaged tires. Look for uneven tread wear, cracking, or visible bulges on the side of the tire. All these indicate the tire is damaged and may be likely to fail – possibly catastrophically – in the near future.

You might also detect tire damage by noticing that they’re not holding air pressure, or if they are making unusual noises or motions when you drive.

Old Tires

Sometimes, your tires might look and function fine, but they need replacement anyway. Tires degrade with age, so it’s important to replace them when they get too old. Depending on who you ask, the age to replace tires is either six years or ten years.

Accurate Auto Body Can Help

If you weren’t able to get your tires replaced in time and were unfortunate enough to be involved in a collision as a result, Accurate Auto Body can help. We offer a wide range of collision repair services to restore your vehicle to its pre-accident condition.

Our Focus on You Service System™ has been created to ensure that you have a good experience throughout every stage of the vehicle repair process. We treat all our guests with respect, and we listen to your needs. We help you understand your options so you can choose the best collision repair solution for you. Then we will give you a guaranteed price, and a guaranteed completion time. Plus, we work around your schedule to make your vehicle repairs as convenient as possible.

Please call 303-344-2212 or email us today to schedule an appointment at Accurate Auto Body. We serve customers in Denver, Aurora and the surrounding areas of Colorado.