Dave's Auto Repair

Today’s Dave’s Auto Repair article discusses the effect of tire tread depth on braking. When talking about stopping power, Petaluma drivers tend to focus on brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. So having good brakes isn’t enough. Petaluma motorists have to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power.

Let’s focus on stopping in wet Petaluma conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can’t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water.

That’s called hydroplaning. At Dave’s Auto Repair we want our customers to know that if it’s really bad, you can actually spin out of control. At best, you won’t stop as fast.

So how does a tire move water? It has channels for water to flow through. Look at a tire and you’ll see channels: channels that run around the tire and channels that flow across the tire. They’re designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.

And the deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet Petaluma roads.

So that’s why it’s so important for Petaluma drivers to replace the tires on their Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subarus when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of 3/32 of an inch and they have the studies to prove it.

By comparison, you’ve probably seen the wear indicator that’s molded into tires. When tires are worn 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out tire.

And that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet roads. A safe stop from California freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires.

There’s an easy way to tell when a tire’s worn to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

You’ve probably heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln’s head. That measure gives you 2/32 of an inch – half the suggested amount.

Of course, tires are a big ticket item for Petaluma car owners. Most of us want to get as many miles out of them as we can. But there’s a real safety trade-off. It’s your choice.

At Dave’s Auto Repair in Petaluma California (94952) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 707.763.8365. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Today’s Dave’s Auto Repair article focuses on the effect of tire tread depth on braking. When Petaluma and Rohnert Park drivers talk about stopping power, they tend to focus on their brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. We have to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power.

Let’s concentrate on stopping in wet Petaluma conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can’t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water. That’s called hydroplaning and it is a factor in many California auto accidents. If it’s really bad, you can actually spin out of control. At best, you won’t stop as fast.

Your Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Subaru tires have channels for water to flow through. The deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet California roads.

That’s why it’s so important for Petaluma and Penngrove motorists to replace their tires when they get worn. Consumer Reports and other advocate groups call for a standard of replacing tires when the tread is worn down to 4/32 of an inch. That’s 3.2 millimeters. By comparison, you’ve probably seen the wear indicator that’s molded into tires. When tires are worn to 3/32 of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible.

And that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet Petaluma surface streets and Rohnert Park highways. A safe stop from California freeway speeds with 4/32 of an inch of tread would result in a crash with worn out tires.

There’s an easy way to tell when a tire’s worn to 4/32 of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

You’ve probably heard of this technique using a penny and Abe Lincoln’s head. That measure gives you 2/32 of an inch – half the suggested amount. And if you have uneven tread wear – have us check it out at Dave’s Auto Repair. It could be a problem with your steering or suspension components or a wheel alignment problem. If you need new tires or have any concerns about your brakes, give us a call today at 707.763.8365.

Dave’s Auto Repair  707.763.8365
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

When talking about stopping power, we tend to focus on our brakes. But our tires are where the rubber meets the road. So having good brakes isn’t enough: we have to have tires with enough traction to translate braking power into stopping power.

Let’s focus on stopping in wet conditions. In order for a tire to have good contact with the road, it has to move the water out of the way. If it can’t move the water, the tire will actually ride on top of a thin film of water.

To move water out of the way so the tire has channels for water to flow through. Look at a tire and you’ll see channels that run around and across the tire. They’re designed to direct water away from the tire so it can contact the road better.

The deeper the channel, the more water it can move. A brand new tire has very deep channels and can easily move a lot of water. As the tire wears down, the channels become shallower and can move less water. When it wears down enough, it can seriously affect your ability to stop on wet roads.

Consumer Reports and other advocate groups think that a good standard of replacing tires when the tread is worn down to four-thirty-seconds of an inch. That’s 3.2 millimeters.

When tires are worn to two-thirty-seconds of an inch, the tread wear bar is visible. So the recommended standard has twice the tread depth as a completely worn out tire – and that little bit of additional tread makes a big difference. Stopping distances are cut dramatically on wet roads. A safe stop from freeway speeds with four-thirty-seconds of an inch of tread could result in a crash with worn out tires.

There’s an easy way to tell when a tire’s worn to four-thirty-seconds of an inch. Just insert a quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline; it’s time to replace your tires. With a Canadian quarter, the tread should cover the numbers in the year stamp.

Give us a call at 707.763.8365 or stop by and visit:
Dave’s Auto Repair
1911 Bodega Avenue
Petaluma, California 94952

At Dave’s Auto Repair we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.