Tires are quite often overlooked but are a very important part of your car. One fact of vehicle ownership is that tires are a consumable product that are designed to wear out and be replaced. When you are driving on worn out tires your handling and breaking power are adversely affected and can lead you into dangerous situations. Keeping your tires fresh, properly inflated, and in good condition is as equally important as changing your oil. However there are so many brands, types, and prices of tires how do you decide. This guide will answer those questions and more.

Most tires sold now have wear bars in the tread. These are molded into the tread design and are raised up about 1/8” above the bottom of the tread pattern. When you can see a flat area across the width of the tire it is time to replace it. At this point there is about 1/8” of tread left. Some tires have colored wear bars and others will start to make a noise when they are worn. An easy way to measure how much tread you have left is to put a penny on edge into the tread so that you see the maple leaf upside down. If you can see where it says 1 cent you need to replace your tires.