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Automotive vocabulary · Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

Tread depth

Meaning in automotive, with examples

nounCommon term

In automotive, tread depth means: The depth of the grooves in a tire's tread, measured in millimeters. In many countries, including EU countries and Turkey, the legal minimum for car tires is 1.6 mm.

In Turkish: diş derinliği, lastik diş derinliği

How it is used

Technicians measure tread depth with a gauge at every service and record it on the inspection sheet. Small bars in the grooves (tread wear indicators) show when 1.6 mm is reached; many experts advise replacing tires earlier.

Example sentences

  1. The front tires have a tread depth of only 2 mm, so we recommend replacing them before winter.

  2. Uneven tread depth across the tire usually means a wheel alignment problem.

Common collocations

  • minimum tread depth
  • tread depth gauge
  • measure the tread depth
  • tread wear indicator
  • tireThe rubber cover fitted around a wheel rim that grips the road and carries the weight of the vehicle. Most car tires are filled with air.
  • wheel alignmentThe adjustment of the wheel angles (toe, camber and caster) to the manufacturer's values, so the car drives straight and the tires wear evenly.
  • pre-delivery inspectionThe checks a dealer carries out on a new car before handing it to the customer, such as removing transport protection, checking fluids and tire pressures and installing software updates.
  • suspensionThe system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects the wheels to the body. It absorbs bumps and keeps the tires in contact with the road.

More terms: Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

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