Tire Tread Wear Indicators (Wear Bars) Explained: What They Mean and How to Find Them
Tire Tread Wear Indicators (Wear Bars) Explained: What They Mean and How to Find Them
Tread wear indicators—often called wear bars—are one of the most overlooked safety features on a tire. They are built into the tire so you can quickly see when the tread has worn to a critical minimum.
What Are Tread Wear Indicators?
Wear indicators are small rubber bars molded across the bottom of the main tread grooves. When the surrounding tread wears down to the same height as these bars, the tire is at a minimum tread depth (commonly associated with 2/32 inch).
How to Find Wear Bars on Your Tire
Many tires also have small sidewall markers (like “TWI”) that point toward the groove containing a wear bar.
What It Means When the Tread Is Flush With the Bar
If the tread is flush with the wear bar in any main groove, treat that as “replace now.” At this stage:
For the full context, read: Minimum Tire Tread Depth: Legal vs Safe
What If Only Part of the Tire Is Flush?
If one shoulder hits the wear bars while the rest of the tire has more tread, that usually indicates uneven wear. Common causes include:
Replacing the tires without fixing the cause can lead to the same pattern repeating quickly.
Wear Bars vs Coin Tests vs Gauges
If you want the most repeatable method, read: How to Measure Tire Tread Depth (Gauge Method)