Tire Tread Gauge
- Thread starter dkryan
- Start date
I’ve had plunger for years.
Cheap. Simple. Accurate.
Cheap. Simple. Accurate.
The plunger, in both 32nds and mm works just fine.
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
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- Sep 5, 2021
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I use digital only because it shows up easier on photos, before digital gages were cheap I used the plunger. Plunger is the way to go I agree.
I have a plunger, somewhere. TBH, I look at the tires enough that I can guesstimate based on the wear bars in the tread.
Background:
I’m asking because I had the ‘skins rotated and balanced on the Highlander Hybrid AWD and the alignment checked (and the tail end adjusted back to specs).
I’ve used Discount Tire for the past several years and I have had good experience with them.
As always, they checked the tire tread depth and basically came up with 5/32nds on those OE tires; Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S.
Bridgestone Haters chime in below………
The ride has 25k miles on the odometer and the tires have been rotated at 6,500 miles. Having a decent air compressor in the garage makes it easy to keep the tires at 36 psi, especially in the winter.
Thus, I was finding it hard to believe the tires were that low tread depth-wise at 25k miles. Granted, it’s a 500 tread wear rated tire, but I was hoping for 40k miles from those skins.
I asked how they arrived at 5/32nds and they said they measured across the width of the tire and three points of the circumference of each tire. Honestly, that’s how I would have done it if I had a tread depth gauge.
Eyeballing it (with 20/20 vision) I was guessing 7/32nds.
I guess I had better quit guessing and buy a plunger tread depth gauge.
I’m asking because I had the ‘skins rotated and balanced on the Highlander Hybrid AWD and the alignment checked (and the tail end adjusted back to specs).
I’ve used Discount Tire for the past several years and I have had good experience with them.
As always, they checked the tire tread depth and basically came up with 5/32nds on those OE tires; Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S.
Bridgestone Haters chime in below………
The ride has 25k miles on the odometer and the tires have been rotated at 6,500 miles. Having a decent air compressor in the garage makes it easy to keep the tires at 36 psi, especially in the winter.
Thus, I was finding it hard to believe the tires were that low tread depth-wise at 25k miles. Granted, it’s a 500 tread wear rated tire, but I was hoping for 40k miles from those skins.
I asked how they arrived at 5/32nds and they said they measured across the width of the tire and three points of the circumference of each tire. Honestly, that’s how I would have done it if I had a tread depth gauge.
Eyeballing it (with 20/20 vision) I was guessing 7/32nds.
I guess I had better quit guessing and buy a plunger tread depth gauge.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Penny for your thoughts 
I don't use a tread gauge, I just closely examine the tread. Once the tread is down to the wear indicators, or if the outer edges of the tread are nearly gone I replace the tires. Depending on the season, the tires may go in the bin before then.
Last edited:
1. You're doing well with an OE tire at 25k miles
2. Take the lowest of the 3 measurements as the final measure.
3. Agreed
yep these work fine
I have a couple Miltons and a Dill, all plunger types. More interested in wear evenness than overall depth. 5/32s isn't really bad for 25K, I think most wear bar depth is ~2-3/32. Most new tires are 9-10/32s. Are they noisy? My experience with Bridgestones are they get hard and noisy when near/at the end of life, in spite of mileage or tread depth. What's the DOT date code?
Plunger. All the reasons Astro14 said. You can buy 2 for $6.50 or 10 for $14. Keep in each glove box and share with those that may care about checking their own.
I'm mostly concerned with even wear across the tread which helps keep track of potential alignment or inflation concerns that might need to be tweaked.
Godeson Tire Depth Gauge
I'm mostly concerned with even wear across the tread which helps keep track of potential alignment or inflation concerns that might need to be tweaked.
Godeson Tire Depth Gauge
dkryan
I keep 2 plunger tread depth gauges in my door panel. Slime and Amsoil
Plunger tread depth gauges are low tech, and simple
Like a "Revolver"
