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"It's going to be a contractor's decision as far as when they want to do it. Most milling contractors have a set maintenance as far as when they do certain things. But, if the wear strips have worn themselves down to paper thin then you do need to replace them," Chastain says. "If everything looks pretty normal, then they might let it go." Contractors should also keep an eye out to make sure the strips wear evenly, he adds.

Undercarriage
Depending on what size milling unit a contractor has, the undercarriage may be tires or tracks, Schmidt says. Most half-lane units will have tracks while smaller utility units can have tracks or tires.

Tires are usually not profiled, Schmidt says, so it's easy to judge where there is wear on the tires. If you see exposed rims, the tires need to be replaced.

On tracked units, track pads cover the undercarriage to protect it from wear and damage. A worn or damaged track pad can cause inconsistent cut patterns, Hood says. "As that pad comes around, instead of making a smooth transition from the top to the ground, it's like you're walking along with a limp," he says. "And when you do that it's tough to maintain a consistent cut because sometimes your grade controls can't keep up and you don't get a good, smooth finish."

Hood suggests doing a daily visual inspection of the roller, idler, and pads to monitor wear. Worn pads will also affect traction during milling, Chastain says.