Basic Car Maintenance - Tire Checking

What’s the best coin to use to gauge whether there’s enough tread left on your tires?

• A. Penny
• B. Nickel
• C. Dime
• D. Quarter

Your answer should be D. Quarter.

You may be familiar with the penny test: Stick a penny in a groove head-down, and part of Abe’s head should always be covered. The penny test proves that the tire has 2/32" of tread, the legal minimum in most states. But at that level, your tire's ability to cope with rain -- not to mention snow -- is dramatically reduced. If you're going to be dealing with wet stuff, you need more tread. Use a quarter instead. If George's pate has some coverage, that's 4/32", a safer margin.