Could Your BMW Use New Tires? Visit Your BMW Dealer Today

May 13, 2022

Your BMW is a superb piece of precision engineering. Its speed and handling depend on four relatively simple pieces of technology, namely your tires. Modern tires are stronger and more durable than ever before, but they will eventually wear out. When your tires show signs of wear, your BMW dealer in Fayetteville, NC, can help you. These are some signs that you’re going to need new tires very soon.

Lincoln Penny Test

Good tire tread is essential to provide traction on any surface you drive on. If your tread is low, you’ll notice that your car is more difficult to handle, especially if you’re cornering. The tread is made from very strong rubber, but it will start to abrade due to contact with the surface. There are many ways to test your tread depth, but the easiest is the Lincoln Penny Test.

Take a Lincoln penny and insert it upside down into the grooves between the tread. If you can only see part of Lincoln’s face, then your tread is in good condition. If, however, you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, this means the tread is less than 2/32 inches thick. At this thickness, your tires are over the safety limit, and they will need to be replaced.

You Have Low Traction When It’s Wet

The tread on your tires provides the grip that’s needed to keep your BMW in control on the road. As you drive over a wet surface, the water is pushed into the grooves. The grooves between the tires are designed to allow water to flow away from the tires and not underneath them. Water flowing under the tires can cause your car to hydroplane and cause an accident.

As the tread wears down, the grooves in your tires will become more shallow. The reduced groove depth means that water can end up underneath your tires. The need for extra control to compensate for this places additional strain on your braking system, your axles, and all the other components connected to the wheels. This strain can lead to damage and additional repairs.

Tire Cords Are Visible

Each of your tires has a thick metal band that runs horizontally underneath the tread. This metal band is supported on either side by reinforced polyester bands. The purpose of this reinforcement is to provide additional strength to the hardest-wearing parts of your tires. You’ll never see the cords unless the rubber tread has been damaged.

The rubber on your tires wears off as you drive. It’s a slow but inevitable result of contact with hard surfaces. The tread will wear down, and the cords will be revealed. Cords offer no grip on the surface, which will make your wheels unbalanced and create additional wear on the rest of the tire. If the cords are visible, your tires need to be replaced.

If your tires are wearing out, call us right away at Valley Auto World BMW, and our expert technicians will replace them ASAP.