How to Check Your Tire Tread Depth

Whether you’re taking your 2025 Range Rover Sport off-road or to the Fort Worth-area’s best restaurants, you need tires with the right amount of tread to get there safe and without damaging your wheels. If you’re asking, “How do I check tire tread wear?” let the Autobahn Land Rover Fort Worth service department help with these handy tips.

What is the Recommended Tire Tread Depth?

New tires start with a tread depth of about one-third of an inch (10/32”-11/32” to be exact). The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends replacing your tires when the tread depth is down to 1/16”. What can happen if you drive on thin treads in Johnson County? Flat tires, blowouts, and even accidents. Specialty tires like off-roading tires, winter tires, and some truck and SUV tires have deeper treads and might need to be checked and replaced more often.

The Penny Test

If you don’t have a ruler handy, you can perform the penny test to check tire tread wear.

1. Insert a penny–with Lincoln’s head face-first–into a tire tread groove.
2. Check if Lincoln’s head is covered and no longer visible between the grooves.
3. If you can see all of Lincoln’s face sticking out of the tread groove, then your tire treads are 2/32 inches deep or less.
4. If Lincoln’s face is covered by the tread, then you have enough tread depth remaining.
5. Use this test on all four tires and in multiple locations on each tire to ensure that your tires are wearing evenly.
6. If you notice some tires are more worn than others but the tread depth isn’t too low, then it’s time to rotate your tires to even out the tread wear.

Some tires come with tread wear bars printed on them that show when the tread has worn down. You can also purchase a treadwear depth gauge, which is a good investment for off-roaders in DFW. You can further protect your tire’s tread by paying attention to your Land Rover’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

Replace Your Tires at Autobahn Land Rover Fort Worth

When it’s time to replace your tires, contact the Autobahn Land Rover Fort Worth parts department. We have the tires specifically made for your Land Rover or Range Rover. If you have any other questions or concerns about your tires or how to remove corrosion from a car battery, don’t hesitate to contact us today!