The average wheel is rotating 1000 times every mile depending on the overall diameter of the wheel. For every rotation that a car tire makes it leaves a bit of rubber behind and this will lead to the tire treads eventually wearing out. If you’ve ever watched a long-standing auto race, it’s likely that you’ve seen multiple tire changes on a vehicle.
Even though commuter vehicles are not under the overwhelming stress and pressure of a performance racecar, they need regular tire changes in order to make sure that they can handle safely on the roads. A bald tire is defined as a tire that has a tread depth under two and 32 inches. Most tire shops recommend replacing your tires once they have four and 32 or summer tires with six and 32.
There are a number of risks that you could be facing by choosing to drive with bald tires:
Problems with overheating
As there is more friction on your tire it continues to slide around on the road, you could experience overheating on your tires. As the tread depth continues to go down, the amount of contact with the road and friction on your tires is increasing. Because the tires won’t be able to dissipate the heat, this could mean you might experience a blowout in your tire which could lead to a massive amount of damage.
Traction problems
Tires are made up of several different compounds and the surface compound is very different from the underside or body of the tire. Once you’ve worn through the surface, the inside of the tire wall offer very little traction for the road. Even if you’re on dry surfaces you’re going to find it difficult to take a simple corner without slipping.
Hydroplane
Tire tread grooves are designed to channel water away from the center area of a tire. When there’s little in the way of tire grooves however, this will mean that there is a substantial chance that you will hydroplane whenever you hit wet surfaces or standing water.
If you feel like your tires could be going bald come and see us today and we can quote you on a tire replacement.
This post was written by Justin K, owner of Wheel Identity. Wheel Identity is Tampa Bay’s premier custom shop. We carry custom wheels and tires for every vehicle, custom suspension kits, and all accessories for the interior or exterior of your vehicle. We only hire highly trained technicians using state of the art equipment with experience in all areas of tire, wheel, suspension, and 4×4 needs. We are the best in Tampa tires and wheels!
