Understanding Retreading

Understanding Retreading

Retreading ,also known as recapping or remolding, is a process of reconditioning used tires to extend their lifespan by applying new tread to the tire casing. This practice is common in the trucking industry, where tire costs can significantly increase operating expenses. Retreading offers a cost effective and environmentally friendly solution for maintaining tire longevity and performance.

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How Is Retreading Done?

The tire casing must be inspected first to ensure that it is in good condition and free from defects. Any embedded debris and lack of structural integrity can compromise the retread process. Then the worn tread is removed through a process called buffing, which prepares the casing for the new tread. A new layer of tread is applied to the casing then cured in a curing chamber, using a combination of heat and pressure. It is then thoroughly inspected to ensure safe and strong bonding. This is called the precure process.

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Benefits of Retreading

• Cost-Effectiveness: Retreading is significantly cheaper than purchasing new tires, allowing fleet operators to reduce their tire expenses.
• Environmental Impact: By reusing tire casings, retreading reduces the number of tires that end up in landfills and conserves natural resources.
• Performance: Retreaded tires can perform as well as new tires when properly maintained, offering similar levels of safety and performance.

When to Retread a Tire

Retreading is typically considered when the tread depth of a tire falls below a certain level. For commercial truck tires, this is often around 4/32 to 6/32 of an inch. It's important to monitor tread wear and plan for retreading before the tire becomes too worn.

Best Practices for Retreading

• Regular Inspections: Conducting regular tire inspections can help identify issues early and determine when retreading is appropriate.
• Proper Maintenance: Maintaining correct tire pressure, wheel alignment, and rotation schedules can extend the life of both new and retreaded tires. Monitoring tire temperature can prevent overheating as well.
• Choosing a Reputable Retreader: Work with reputable retreading companies that adhere to industry standards and provide high-quality retreading services to minimize the risk of the retread coming off.

Conclusion

Retreading is a valuable practice for extending the life of commercial truck tires, offering significant cost savings and environmental benefits. Typically, a casing can be retread 2-3 times before it needs to be recycled, but if the tire is not operating under the proper temperature conditions and loses too much tread health, the retread cannot be done.  When tires run at a high temperature, the casing becomes damaged and it cannot be retread. After a tire goes below 4/32”, then the retread also cannot be done. Although there are multiple requirements that need to be met in order to recap your tires, the benefit of the lower cost and lower impact to the environment makes it worth it.

Cerebrum Helps Retreading

 Cerebrum helps to achieve retreading by monitoring important figures such as tread health, temperature, and pressure. Custom alerts can be set to warn the driver when tires cross their custom temperature, pressure, or tread thresholds. This will ensure that the casing is in good condition before recapping. Cerebrum allows fleet owners get the most out of their tires, which will amount to tremendous savings and a return on investment.