If you want to start a lively discussion at the "Drivers Only" counter, just ask this simple question: "What do you all think about retreads?" Some love them, some hate them, but virtually no one is neutral on the subject.
Do the Math
New tires cost anywhere from $300 to $450. It costs less than $100 to have your own casing retreaded, and no more than $175 for a complete retreaded tire. If you buy a full set of retreaded drive tires, the worst you can do is save $1,000 on the purchase. Comparing casings and new tires of like quality, savings for those eight tires will be closer to $2,000. If you have your own casings capped, you can save $3,000 or more; add trailer tires and double those savings.
There are other reasons to use retreaded tires. Tires are made from more petrochemicals than natural rubber. It takes about 22 gallons of oil to make each new truck tire, mostly for the casing. A new tread needs only 7 gallons. That saves 120 gallons of oil per set. And retreading is recycling, another tire that won't end up in a landfill.
Retreaded tires make up more than half (17.1 million out of 32.9 million) of the replacement medium and heavy truck tires sold in the U.S. each year. If there were no more retreads, tire production capacity would have to double overnight, but no communities want to approve new heavy manufacturing facilities.
Myths Debunked
Drivers have told me that recapped tires are unsafe because they aren't allowed as a truck's steer tires. That's false. Recapped tires aren't allowed as bus steer tires but are allowed on trucks, ambulances, emergency equipment and cars. Regrooved steer tires are not allowed. Recaps are used safely in drive positions on most school buses in the country.
Many believe that all the tire debris, the familiar "gator tails" and chunks of rubber found on the highways, come from retreads. Not so, says the Tire Debris Prevention Task Force of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC). They inspected thousands of pieces of road debris and found that "90 percent of the tire failures were caused by under-inflation, which had either existed for a substantial period of time or had been caused by road hazards." A tire 20 psi below normal may run 50 degrees hotter than its design temperature, because for every 2 psi under pressure, operating temperature rises 5 degrees.
How can you tell if road debris is from retreads? The tread portion - added when a tire is recapped - has no steel cords. If the retreading process fails, the tread that peels away has no cord. If tire debris contains any wire, the tire has delaminated inside the casing, not at the new tread. TMC determined that the tire debris was from both virgin tires and recaps, in rough proportion to units sold.
The Task Force also examined 35,128 tires in the field, on 4,786 trucks and tractors, 1,301 trailers and 1,500 motor coaches. Only 44 percent of all tires were within 5 psi of target pressure. Twenty-one percent of all vehicles had at least one tire 20 psi or more under-inflated, while four percent had at least one virtually flat; down 50 psi or more.
So, most thrown treads are due to under-inflation. But what about the others? There are roughly 1,100 retread plants in North America. Most are very concerned with quality. Most make products equal to virgin tires. But as with any human endeavor, results are not always perfect. Here's what retreader Bandag does to assure quality:
They start with a visual inspection, followed by a machine scan that uses electrical impulses to detect nails, holes, tears, cuts or bead repairs too small to be seen. Then they use laser imaging to discover any hidden structural damage. At the earliest stage, tires are eliminated if they can't be repaired. Tires that pass are buffed to remove worn tread and make the tire to size, round and true. Casings are then repaired, if necessary. Only then will new treads be applied. The built-up tire is then re-vulcanized under heat and pressure. Finally, tires go through a thorough inspection.
If possible, visit a retreader before giving it your business. Reputable retreaders welcome you.
Retread or New?
The best casings to have retreaded are your own. If you've maintained proper pressures and haven't abused the tires on curbs or potholes, have yours retreaded. Many tire manufacturers warranty their products through several recappings for 500,000 miles or more. There are products available to brand your tires so you know you're getting your own back.
If you need to buy a replacement tire and want to save money with a retread, make sure you buy from a reputable dealer; one that will stand behind the products they sell, as your favorite TravelCenters of America does.
