The Penny Test

Abraham Lincoln has made a contribution to car care. The Lincoln penny test has become the standard method of determining when it's time to get new tires. The procedure is as simple as placing a penny in the shallowest tread of the tire. If your tires are wearing uneven you might have a balancing or inflation issue.

So why use the penny? The exact distance from the tip of Lincoln's head to the rim of a penny is 2/32 of an inch. In most states legal tread depth is 2/32 of an inch. Insufficient tread can be hazardous to drive on in adverse road conditions.

-Take out a penny and hold it by the body of Abraham Lincoln.

-Place Lincoln headfirst into one of the grooves on the tire where the tread is lowest.

-If you can see above any part of his head, you will need a new tire. The less of his head you see the better off you are!

On a side note: George Washington is aiding as well. The same test done the same way means you are at 4/32” of the thread depth.