# Tire tread depth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 27, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709 "2011-11-27T22:02:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/1 "2011-11-27T22:02:04Z")
I have 2 questions. The first concerns recommended tread depth for passenger car tires. I’m at 5/32 inch. Should I replace them before winter? We get a lot of snow some years, very little other years. I’ve seen the recommendations ease up from 2/32, to 4/32, and now 6/32 if you have snow. Anyone have strong opinions on this? (I drive cautiously enough that hydroplaning is not a big issue). I could replace them now, or likely wait till next fall. Second question: Why do so many people on this board spell it t-y-r-e ? I have only seen that before in England… ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/2 "2011-11-27T23:08:18Z")
Tire replacement at this point is pretty much a matter of personal choice. Some folks will urge you to replace now, others prefer to use up every last millimeter of rubber. It’s largely a matter of your personal financial management. Maybe you will compromise and wait for post-Christmas sales. I know of only one chap who regularly uses the tyre spelling. Shrug. Why do you care? ---
**Author:** ![\_raj](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/_raj/32/2440_2.png) [@\_raj](https://community.cartalk.com/u/_raj)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/3 "2011-11-27T23:21:30Z")
I would see how they perform in the first snow storm and then decide. Some tires are poor at 8/32" in the snow while other wear all the way down to 3/32" and still perform well. If you were considering winter tires I would say jump since they sell out due to limited production. However regular all-seasons are always plentiful and a simple few hour affair in replacing. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/4 "2011-11-28T00:56:37Z")
When WWW stands for worldwide web, you may see tyres mentioned sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![FordMan1959](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@FordMan1959](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FordMan1959)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/5 "2011-11-28T02:55:02Z")
I personally like to get all I can from a set of tires, but I’m also the type who drives at or slightly below the posted speed limit and never try to push worn tires above their limitations. The rear tires on my daily driver are getting near the tread wear indicators, but since I don’t drive as much as I use to I’ll probably allow them to run until spring. I’d at least try them out on the first snow and see how well they handle it before buying new tires or if you have extra wheels put new tires on the extra wheels, run them though the winter and put the old ones back on next spring to finish wearing out the older tires when the roads are in better condition. ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/6 "2011-11-28T05:37:25Z")
Well, I guess it’s like Tyger. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/7 "2011-11-28T05:39:32Z")
Tyger Woods? Or the one that’s burning? ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/8 "2011-11-28T05:42:09Z")
You’re a bright one. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/9 "2011-11-28T06:06:57Z")
Tire Rack recommends that snow tires be changed at 6/32 and all seasons at 4/32. That pretty much corresponds to the wear bars that I have in my snow and all season tires. 2/32 is minimum legal. If you are wondering at what you change your all season tires, in my experience, it can vary from one tread design to another. If you had dedicated winter tires, you can go a lot longer then all season tires for winter driving and over the life of the car, save money. If 6/32 is recomended for snow tires, good luck driving on all seasons much below that. Be real careful about the conditions you drive in. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/10 "2011-11-28T06:24:59Z")
And some of us still remember Mel Ott, baseball hall-of-famer. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/11 "2011-11-28T07:24:04Z")
I’m not comfortable starting a winter season at 5/32. In fact, I just got new tires myself for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![gdawgs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/258eb7/32.png) [@gdawgs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gdawgs)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/12 "2011-11-29T02:45:00Z")
front wheel drive is a beautiful thing. for those that are comfortable and considerate, you can go pretty low in snow/sleet/ice conditions. what you can’t do is be an idiot and expect the traction to hold. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/13 "2011-11-29T03:53:27Z")
I’m with Lion9car on this. I too just replaced my tires for the upcoming winter. Tires are the only thing connecting your car to the ground. I figure that if I’ve “thrown away” 10% of my tire “life” in order to ensure good winter traction, than I’ve “thrown away” what…$60? My deductable is almost 10X that. To me that’s a really good investment. And that $60 could easily mean the difference between a safe drive home and a horrific crash. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/14 "2011-11-29T05:17:36Z")
melott, just think about the shoes you wear. which shoes do you pick when you look outside and see the snow ? Your tires are your car’s shoes. how much grab and bite do you want them to have ? Look at new tires. Look at your tires. What do you think when you compare the two ? Go with your gut feeling now. On many tire treads the spaces you see disapear at even half wear. When you look closely at a new tire you will often see the deepest space may be the channel between tread blocks, but look in between the line of tread blocks and you’ll see additional thickness there that will soon contact the road before the wear bars. - And the sipes, too, are shallower than the total depth of the channels. Sipes are the razor narrow cuts within the tread block which allow grip on wet and ice. they disapear first. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tire-tread-depth/69709/15 "2011-11-29T09:31:55Z")
Replacing all season tires at 5/32 inch when there is plenty of good summer use left, is a GREAT argument for rotating winter tires and saving money. .