Tire Profile Gauges
About Tyre Profile Gauges
You have seen those deep grooves that run along the surface of tyres. They are necessary to keep the vehicle on the road when the road conditions are not so good. Not only that, if the treads are too shallow, you actually risk slipping off the road. You can use a tyre tread gauge to make sure that the tyres are safe to use before venturing out on the road.
Do you know that the tyre treads can actually reduce the performance of your car? Well, then it might sound like a good idea to get rid of these grooves and run on bare tyres. You are not the first person to think that. That’s what Formula 1 cars do when the weather is good. The same would be true for road cars as well, only if real roads were as perfect as the racetracks. But the reality is way different than that, and you need a minimum tyre tread depth to drive safely. All countries stipulate a minimum amount of tyre depth. You can use a tyre depth gauge to ensure that you are following this. But before you go shopping for them, knowing a bit more about this tool will definitely help you.
All you need to know about tyre tread gauges
Before you were old enough to understand the real purpose of tyre treads, you thought they were to make it look cooler, didn’t you? Those less than an inch deep grooves on the tyres serve an awful lot of functions. They are a vital safety feature of your vehicle. They help you grip the road, make a turn and will give you more bang for the bucks that you spend on fuel. But before you buy the gauge, you should have some knowledge about them. This article will provide you with an overall idea of tread gauges. In this article, you will also find some wonderful tips that you can use while shopping for them.
Tyre depth
When you take the measurement from the top of a tyre’s outer surface to the deepest part of the tyre’s groove, you get tyre depth. But why should you measure them in the first place? Well, tyre depth will tell you a lot about the tyres. How old they are, how many miles they have put on, and how many more miles they can potentially rack in. Basically, tyre depth can tell you if you are about to replace the tyre or not. When you drive the car, the tyres constantly rub against the road and wear down. The more kilometres you drive, the more wear the tyre will go through, and the tyre depth will decrease. There will come the point when the tyre depth is too small to maintain the friction.
Tyre depth gauges
When it comes to measuring the tyre treads, it is not absolutely necessary to use a dedicated tyre tread gauge. Some people can do the job with just a coin. But there is no doubt that a dedicated gauge is easier to use and is vastly more accurate. These gauges gave a scale with 32 divisions. Therefore, they can measure even small changes in the tread depth. All professional car repair shops will have the gauges as the cost is small compared to their benefits. Apart from that, people who go on long trips carry these gauges with them to avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat tyre.
Measuring tyre depth
The most accurate way to measure the tyre depth is using a tyre tread depth gauge. Before you use this, find the shallowest tread on the tyre. Then insert the gauge into this groove. Make sure that the tip of the gauge is touching the tyre surface but don’t press too hard. Now press the shoulders of the gauge. This will give you the tyre depth reading. But in case you don’t have a depth gauge, you can use a coin to get an approximate measurement of the depth. Because they use a penny to measure the tread depth in the US, this is also called the penny test. But keep in mind that they won’t give you an accurate reading.
Types of tyre tread gauges
The most basic type of gauges is analogue gauges. They are also the most accurate. Because there aren’t many things that can break in them, you can expect one of these to last for a really long time. Then there are colour coded analogue gauges. They work similarly to the analogue ones, except that it uses a tricolour scale to tell you the tyre condition. If you want something that is very easy to use and fast, go for the digital gauges. For general users, they do give good enough measurements. Laser thread gauges are probably the fastest of them all.
Tips on how to buy Tyre Tread Gauges
There are so many models and as many brands to choose from. For first time buyers, this can be quite confusing. Regardless you have to make sure that you get the right type of gauge. There are a few things to look for in any gauge. Following these tips will help you to choose the right one.
- Choose the model – There are a few different varieties of tyre depth gauges: analogue, dial and digital. And out of these digital gauges have even more varieties like laser gauges. Analogue gauges can give you the most accuracy. But there is no doubt that digital meters are the easiest to use.
- The scale – Basic gauges have scales that only show you the divisions. But if you are not an expert, going for a colour coded scale is better. They will tell you when you are supposed to change the tyres with red markings on the scale. If you don’t want to bother remembering the tread depth chart, get one of these instead.
- Metric system vs imperial system – There are a few countries in the world, including the US, that use the imperial measurement system. None of these systems is superior to one another. But if you are already used to one of them, it will be easier for you to use a tyre tread gauge that is based on the same system.
- Look for the features – Besides the basic functions, there are gauges that have additional bells and whistles. Look for the ones that have some handy features. But make sure not to compromise the quality of the gauge while looking for fancy features.
Tyre tread gauges are relatively cheap as compared to other car tools . So, it is a good idea to look for the best one instead of settling for a cheap one that will break after a few months. That doesn’t mean you have to pay an arm and a leg for one, either. There are really affordable gauges that are also of good quality. Finally, don’t forget to check out other products from the car supplies category here on our product search engine . You can explore an array of selections from brands like Halfords, Grainger, BMW, Bridgestone, and Michelin.
Question & Answer
How much tyre depth is considered safe?
Tyre gauges following the imperial system will have their scale in 32nds of an inch. The tread depth of a brand-new tyre will be 10/32 of an inch. Winter tyres and off-road tyres will have a bit more than that. But 10/32 is a good ballpark to start with. This will gradually decrease as you drive. A tyre that has a tread depth of more than 4/10 of an inch is safe to use on normal roads in normal conditions. This translates to 1.5mm in metric units. If it is less than that, you risk slipping, especially when the road is wet. Tyre depth gauges with colour codes use this convention to tell you when it’s time to change the tyres.
How to use a digital tyre tread depth gauge?
Basic digital gauges are not very different from the analogue gauge. You have to press the tip of the digital gauge to the bottom of the shallowest groove in the tyre. By pressing the fork at the other end of the gauge, you can make sure that the tip is touching the tyre firmly. Then you can take the reading from the little LCD screen that is on the side of the gauge. In laser tread gauges, you don’t have to touch the gauge tip to the tyre. Instead, all you have to do is to place the shoulder of the gauge flat on the tyre. But it won’t work well on dirty tyres.
What are the tread depth indicators?
All tyres will have tyre depth indicators or tyre wear indicators moulded into the treads. These indicators will be at regular distances on the tyre. The purpose of them is to let you know when it is time to replace the tyres. When the tyre tread depth reaches the legal limit of 1.5mm, the tyre wear indicators will be at the same level as the tread surface. But sometimes, it can be tricky to know. In that case, you have to rely on a tyre depth gauge to know how long you have before you can no longer use the tyres. But these indicators will give you a good approximation if you don’t have a depth gauge.