Retread Tires: 101

Let’s set the story straight

The whole retread tire story needs some serious retelling. They’re dependable, better on budgets and environmentally-friendly. Those are the facts. So let’s smash some myths and set the record straight about retread tires.

What is a retread?

Retread tires, or “recap tires” are the best way to get more out of one of your fleet’s most important investments. They’re such a successful way of managing fleet and truck tires that nearly half of all North American replacement truck tires are retreads.

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THE RETREAD PROCESS

Modern retreading is a lesson in simplicity. In 10 expedient stages, the process is complete, and your fleet is safely back on the road. BASys Manufacturing is where it starts. Bandag dealers with this technology assign a unique barcode to every casing so it can be tracked in real time, making retreading more efficient. Here’s how the rest of the process unfolds.

1 Initial Inspection
2 Electrical Inspection
3 Shearography
4 Buffing
5 Repair
6 Applying Cushion
7 Building
8 Enveloping
9 Curing
10 Final Inspection

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Initial Inspection

Actual damage can be closely evaluated by looking “through-the-tire” in the crown and sidewall areas that may not be visible to the naked eye.

step 1

Initial Inspection

Actual damage can be closely evaluated by looking “through-the-tire” in the crown and sidewall areas that may not be visible to the naked eye.

Retread Tire Myths

Get a load of some of these road-tested whoppers. Gators, cost, bad weather, safety, mileage and more. Learn the truth. The rest is pure nonsense.* We put eight common retreading myths to the test. They all failed.

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Retreads litter our roads.

Those rubber gators on the road with all the wire? Usually not retreads.

They’re not safe.

Even sophisticated jet fighters use them. Today’s modern retreads are so safe, school bus fleets depend on them. Talk about trust.

They’re ugly.

In a blind beauty test, most truckers can’t tell the difference. The appearance of a retread has a lot to do with the skill and thoroughness of the retreader.

Only new will do.

For some, “newness” is important. But remember, retreads can last as long or longer than new tires.

They’re mileage munchers.

A quality Bandag retread delivers mileage on par with many new tires. Just as new tire mileage varies widely, so does retread mileage. Suffice it to say that tread compounds, weight, design and casing structure all play a part.

Bad tread, bad casing.

A casing can still be good long after your tread wears. Just because a tread wears down, it doesn’t mean the casing’s worn too. In fact, a quality casing has a life span that can outlive the original tread.

They plain don’t perform.

Top competitors at major U.S. on- and off-road races tend to disagree. High-quality retreads are counted on everywhere from rugged off-road events to grueling 24-hour endurance races.

Heat kills them.

The notion that retreads fail on hot highways? An old truckers’ tale. Few would argue that heat can destroy a tire, whether it’s new or a retread. But in most cases that failure is due to underinflation. Proper inflation is key, no matter the tire you’re running.

BANDAG. THERE’S NO BIGGER NAME IN RETREADS.

Building greener retreads. Saving fleets money. More innovative technology. Maximizing fuel efficiency. We’ll never stop improving what’s already a better tire solution. That’s why more fleets come to us for leading products, expert advice, and unrivaled service.

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