How Do I Know When My Tires Need To Be Changed?
In the state of Virginia, tires must have a tread depth of at least 2mm to pass state inspection. This can be used as a decent measure to gauge when you need to replace your tires, but depending on how and where the vehicle is being driven, you may want to replace your vehicle’s tires sooner. If a vehicle is driven in all types of weather, for example, maintaining a higher tread depth is optimal for safety.
Where Should Tires With The Most Tread Be Placed, In The Front Or Rear?
Contrary to popular belief, tires with the highest tread depth should always be placed in the rear. No matter how power is distributed to the tires from the engine, the rear tires will always follow the front. Because of this, should they have less tread/grip, there is an increased likelihood of understeer when maneuvering around corners/traffic/obstacles. This is especially true in inclement weather. If you’d like to see a demonstration of this, please click here.
Can I Replace 2 Tires At A Time?
It is not recommended to only replace 2 tires, but if your vehicle is front or rear-wheel drive you can replace 2 tires, so long as the new tires are installed in the rear of the vehicle. You should always replace all 4 tires when your vehicle is 4-wheel drive (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). To ensure the maintained health of the vehicle’s drivetrain and transmission, all 4 tires on 4WD and AWD vehicles need to remain within 3mm of tread depth of each other.
