Tire Tread Life Calculator (Miles Remaining)
Estimate miles remaining on tires from current tread depth and wear rate.
What this calculates
New passenger tires start at 10-11/32" tread depth. Legal minimum is 2/32"; replacement is typically at 4/32" for wet-weather safety. Average tire lasts 50-70k miles. This calculator estimates remaining life from current depth and miles driven since new.
Formula & how it works
Wear = (starting_depth − current_depth) / 32". Wear rate = wear / miles_so_far. Miles remaining = (current_depth − 2/32") / 32" ÷ wear_rate.
Worked example
New 10/32", now 6/32", driven 35,000 miles. Wear = 4/32" over 35k mi → 1/32" per 8,750 mi. Remaining to 2/32" = 4 × 8,750 = 35,000 mi.
Frequently asked questions
How to measure tread depth?
Tread depth gauge (~$5) or the penny test (Lincoln's head visible = under 2/32" — replace now). Most tires have built-in wear bars too.
Why replace at 4/32"?
Wet-weather stopping distance triples between 4/32" and 2/32". Some states have moved minimum to 4/32" for commercial vehicles.
Rotate to extend life?
Yes — every 5-8k miles. Front tires wear ~2× faster on FWD cars, opposite on RWD.
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