Retreaded tyres

Retreaded tyres: advantages and disadvantages

Tyres of high quality can last for a few years. They are rather expensive though. Nowadays, car owners have the opportunity to buy retreaded tyres. Here we explain what they are.

Tyre retreading technology

By now, many leading manufacturers have mastered the tyre retreading technology. Among them are Michelin and Bridgestone, one of the leaders in tyre production.

The technology consists in the use of an old tyre carcass to which a new tread is attached.

As a rule, restoration is performed in several steps:

• a damaged tread is cut off the old carcass;
• the cleaned surface is grinded to make it smooth;
• damaged spots are filled with the help of a rubber extruder;
• a new tread is made and then vulcanised onto the carcass.

However, this process can vary depending on the retreading method used.

Not all tyres are retreadable. For some of them, restoration is simply inexpedient. The condition of the carcass is assessed by the manufacturer. As for the tread, no more than 5 punctures of up to 5 mm diameter are allowed, with the distance between them being more than 1 cm.

How to tell retreaded tyres from new ones

Trustworthy manufacturers always make the corresponding marking – “Regummerad” or “Retread” - on their retreaded tyres. All the tyres undergo multistage testing, have the corresponding documentation, and are provided with a warranty.

But if, for instance, a dishonest manufacturer or seller tries to cover up the fact that the tyres were retreaded in order to sell them at a higher price, there may be no writing on the sidewall. You can determine that the tyres were processed by the following signs:

• a layer of soot, small rubber particles and overlaps of compound can be seen on the inner side of the tyre;
• characters and writings of the marking are cracked.

Advantages and disadvantages of retreaded tyres

The main advantage of retreaded tyres is their price. As a rule, they are 30–50% cheaper than new ones. This makes it possible to significantly save, especially for owners of commercial vehicles, taxi drivers, or others who have to cover long distances. The environmental aspect is no less important: reuse of tyres helps to save petroleum which is necessary for manufacturing new components. In addition, emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced.

This kind of tyres have disadvantages as well. It’s a higher weight in comparison with that of new parts, which can affect the vehicle dynamics and cause a higher fuel consumption. If the donor tyre was damaged to a considerable extent, the lifespan of the retreaded tyre will be short.