How to inspect a tire
Hold the quarter between your thumb and forefinger with the quarter head facing down.
Select a point on your tire where tread appears the lowest and insert the figurehead first into one of the grooves.
If the top of the figurehead is covered by tread, you're driving with the legal and safe amount of tread. If your tread gets below that, your car's ability to grip the road in adverse conditions is greatly reduced.
(Need new tires? Use our practical BFGoodrich Tire Selector Tool)
To make sure your car's tread is road-ready, do the Quarter Test below.
Related pages
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TIRE ROTATION
The truth is, the whole rotating-your-tires thing is no gimmick. It really does help extend the life of your tires and improve performance. So if you’re into safety and saving money, check out the three main rotation patterns below:View more -
TIRE BALANCE
Tire balancing is pretty much what it sounds like. It compensates for the weight of the tire and wheel assembly after the tire is mounted. A wheel is out of balance when one area is heavier or lighter than the rest. That causes bouncing or wobbling, which can decrease treadwear, increase vibration and cause stress on your vehicle. The cure? Correction weights are added to counterbalance the tires.View more -
HOW TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
Believe it or not, tires can actually lose up to 1psi (pounds per square inch) every month. So be on the safe side and check all tires, including your spare, once a month (or before a long trip). It’s no biggie. Here’s how you do it:View more -
TIRE ALIGNMENT
If you’re talking about alignment, you’re talking about the adjustment of a vehicle's front and rear suspension parts. And it needs to be correct. If the alignment is off, the vehicle isn’t safe to drive.View more -
TIRE CARE
Nothing makes a car look sweeter than a shiny set of tires. But don’t put your investment at risk by using just any cleaner. Make sure to only use non-petroleum based products to clean the tires.View more