Signs of Bad Tires
There is an easy way on how to tell if you need new tires. Knowing these simple tips and tricks could save your life. As the only part of the car that comes in contact with the ground, tires are one of the key factors affecting a vehicle’s handling and braking, and overall safety.
Understanding why your tires are going bad will help prolong their life, and teach you how to prevent tire failure. Also, by knowing the signs of bad tires, you will easily be able to tell if you need new tires.
For safety reasons, replacing your tires sooner rather than later is always good practice. So, we have complied a list of how to tell if you need new tires.
Warning Signs:
Warning signs of bad tires include:
- Vibration
- Steering wheel/car shaking
- Excessive Noise while driving
- Wobbling
- Vehicle pulling to the left or right
- Lack of traction.
Don’t wait for things to happen. Take action.
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Additionally, regardless of any of these symptoms or your tires tread wear, many vehicle manufacturers generally recommend that you replace your tires after six years. For the specific tire life on your tire refer to the tires Department of Transportation (DOT) number on its sidewall.
Although there is no national law governing bad tires and minimum tire tread depth, 42 states consider a 2/32 inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Consequently, to NOT be considered a bald tire, you need at least this tread depth.
How to Tell if You Need New Tires Step by Step
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Listed below are some key steps when determining how to diagnose a bad tire.
- How to Tell if You Need New Tires (See and Feel)
Visually inspect your tire for any of the following:
– Slick Spots/Low tread
– Wires
– Thread Coming Out of Tires
– Bulges
– Cracks
– Slashes
– Bubbles on the Side of Tire
– Tire Cupping
If you have any of these damages you need new tires, there is no reversing these problems.
Please note, you should feel all over your tires before ruling out the conditions listed above.
So, if you are experiencing vibration, steering wheel/car shaking, noise while driving, wobbling, vehicle pulling to the left or right, and lack of traction move on to step 2. - How to Tell if You Need New Tires (Physical Test)
If your car is experiencing:
– Steering Wheel Vibrating
– Seat Vibrating
– Jumping
– Lot of Road Noise
– Shaking or Bouncing When Driving at Low and High Speeds
Check out our tire pressure guide to learn how to ensure your tires are properly inflated. Incorrect tire pressure will result in a rough car ride and wear patterns.
Drive your car, shake it side to side and go over a few bumps. Listen for any popping or knocking noises. If your car pulls one way going down the road, or your steering wheel is crooked, you have a bad alignment, one tire is more inflated than another, or you have broken suspension components. - How to Tell if You Need New Tires (Solution)
Your tires balance needs to be checked or you have an out of round tire/tire runout.
Vibration felt in the seat = problem in rear
Vibration felt in the steering wheel = problem in the front
What are Good Tires to Buy?
There are many good tires you can buy. However, the price ranges depending on the tires you get. Listed below are some good examples.
Michelin tires, Continental tires, BF Goodrich tires, General tires, Uniroyal tires, Cooper tires, Toyo tires, and Nitto tires, Hankook tires, Falken tires, Pirelli tires, Kumho tires, Nexen tires, Mickey Thompson tires, Dick Cepek tires, Hercules tires, Ironman tires, Carlisle tires, are some of the top tire brands.
Always be sure to understand how to tell if you need new tires before you or someone else deems them bad. So, be sure to do your own due diligence!
What do I do if I Have Bad Tires?
You need new tires. Driving on bad tires drastically increases the chances of dangerous situations. Don’t let an easy fix cost you or a loved ones life.
This is your sign.
Don’t wait to get tires. Get yours shipped locally TODAY!
These problems could have symptoms of road noise, vibrations, shaking or just some sort of defect in your tire. It’s your job to understand your tires’ health and know how to inspect them for a problem.
On the other hand most likely your tires have become worn out which can cause your tire to become under-inflated. Under inflation is a result of not enough PSI in your tires. If your tire becomes too underinflated, they’re even more dangerous to drive on. This will cause the tires to not be able to grip the road properly, this will make it harder for you, the driver, to steer.
These bad tires can cause the car to skid during sudden stops even in dry conditions. A tire with low air pressure even puts a dent in your bank account by reducing gas mileage.
How to Tell if You Need New Tires by Checking Tire Tread?
How to measure tire tread depth is easy when using a Smart Color Coded Tire Tread Depth Gauge. This tool is a quick and easy way to check tire tread. It will prevent extra spending of your hard earned money on gas and tire replacements if both used frequently and properly. This tool is suitable for trucks, motorcycles, automobiles, and any passenger vehicle.
However, if you don’t have the money for this tool, there is a free way to check your tread depth! All you need is a penny.
Read below to learn how to check your tires tread for practically free! When you measure your tires be sure to measure them in three places the outside tread, center tread, and the inside tread.
Your tire tread can be thick on one side of your tire and very small on another. This will also indicate if you have alignment issues and or improper tire inflation.
Will Bad Tires Make a Car Shake?
A bad tire could very well cause your car to shake. Additionally, a defect in your tire could cause your car to shake. Basically, having a tire defect is dangerous and could lead to a tire failure.
Be sure to look at our step by step process on figuring out what is wrong with your tire, thus also solving your shaking issue.
On the other hand, of the most common reasons for your car to shake is due to the tires being out of balance. This can cause the steering wheel to shake. This shaking usually starts at around 50-55 miles per hour (mph).
However, if your car shakes while you are breaking this could be because of a bad or warped rotor issue.
Pro Tip: Tires are the shoes to your car.
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How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Tire?
Repairing a bad tire usually involves replacing it. However, there are two situations that drastically affect the cost to repair a bad tire. These two situations are a flat tire vs a bad tire. A bad tire is not necessarily a flat tire.
Fixing or repairing a flat tire could cost as little as $15 with a professional tire plug kit or as much as $200 per tire if the tire is beyond repair.
Furthermore, using a tire repair kit allows quick and easy repairing of punctures for tubeless tires without removing them from the rim. This will easily save you time and money fixing your own tires straight from home.
However, a tire needs replacement, if a puncture is located on the sidewall of your tire. This repair can be costly if replacing all tires at the same time, but it doesn’t have to be. Find the best and cheapest tires for your car by reading below!
The Penny Tread Depth Test
Using this super simple test, a penny can give you the reassurance you need when it comes to the safety of you, your passengers, and your tires. As a result, you don’t have to buy anything using this method.
First, place a penny into your tire’s grooves, aka the tread, with president Lincoln’s head towards the center of your tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, your tire tread is shallow and/or worn. This means you need new tires.
However, if Lincoln’s head is covered all the way around your tire, you probably don’t need new tires.
In short, shallow tread means you need new tires.
Be sure to check the tread depth of the entire tire before deeming it safe and not bald. A bald tire is when any part of the tire is less than 2/32 of an inch. Your tire is deemed unsafe and should be replaced when this tread depth is reached.
Signs on How to Tell if You Need New Tires
In conclusion, learn what tread wear is, how to tell the age of a tire, and diagnosing your tire symptoms. Again, understanding these three important factors about tires, will help you make the right decision on when to buy new tires. Listed below are some of the common symptoms on how to tell if you need new tires.
- Vehicle Vibration or Wobbling
- Lack of, Little, or No Tread
- Steering Wheel or Car Shaking
- Excessive Noise While Driving
- Vehicle Pulling to the Left or Right