Tire Retreading Explained
Maintaining your fleet’s tires is costly, but it ensures safe, dependable and durable vehicles. As new tire costs continue to rise, retreading your tires is a cost-effective way to quickly get your fleet back on the road and keep your bottom line healthy. Learn more about why you should choose to retreat versus purchasing new tires.
WHAT ARE RETREAD TIRES?
As tire tread wears down over time, the grooves — or tread — become shallower, making it less effective at directing water away from the tire. Driving on worn-down tread can lead to dangerous driving conditions that could result in hydroplaning and sliding on ice or snow. To keep your drivers safe and your fleet accident-free, it’s important to maintain healthy tread depth.
Retreading tires can benefit your fleet by providing that healthy tread depth. Tire casings under the tread typically have lots of life left. Retreading involves thoroughly inspecting and repairing these casings before replacing the used tire treads with freshly vulcanized new treads. Specialized tread patterns can stand up to the demands of your operation.
WHY RETREAD TIRES FOR YOUR FLEET & TRUCKS?
Some companies only trust new tires for their fleet. However, retread tires perform like new tires at a fraction of the cost, and they last as long or longer than new tires. There are several benefits to choosing retread tires versus new tires.
COST
Your tire is mostly made up of casing. Because these casings can be reused, retreading uses much less material and fewer resources than creating an entirely new tire. That means retread tires cost less to make, resulting in lower cost for you.
ENVIROMENT
Every tire that is retread reduces the stockpile and uses fewer natural resources to produce. According to the EPA, retread tires require 70% less oil for production and contain 75% post-consumer material. That’s a win for the environment and a win for your operations.
PERFORMANCE
Tread compounds, casing, weight and design all play a part in a tire’s performance, whether retread or new. And just like new tires, a quality retread tire can deliver mileage and performance on par with a new tire. You can trust retread tires everywhere, from off-road events to 24-hour endurance races.
SAFETY
Our state-of-the-art retreads help keep your drivers safe in different road conditions while resisting wear and tear. Our technicians go through a multi-stage process to ensure your retread is done at the highest level of standards to get your trucks quickly back on the road.
How Do We Retread Tires?
GCR Tires & Service uses Bandag retread tires, an innovative leader in the industry for their reliable, state-of-the-art retreading services and expert advice. Bandag has a 10-step process for retreading a tire.
Initial inspection
Electrical inspection
Shearology
Buffing
Repair
Applying cushion
Building
Enveloping
Curing
Final inspection
MAINTAINING YOUR RETREAD TIRES
Here are five quick tips for maintaining your retread tires and keeping your trucks handling efficiently and smoothly.
1. Regularly remove dirt and debris.
2. Check tread depth every set number of miles. We recommend every 10,000 miles.
3. Keep tires inflated at the correct PSI.
4. Work to avoid work hazards like potholes and curbs, and maintain proper speed.
5. Establish and stick to a preventative and proactive maintenance plan for your operations.
WHAT DOES GCR OFFER FOR RETREAD PRODUCTS & SERVICES
GCR offers the best products, top-tier service and industry-leading customer support. Our Bandag Values+™ program brings you the best value in retreads without skimping on quality or anything else. Bandag retread tires use Grade A Casings and are assembled in America with the state-of-the-art Bandag manufacturing process. Use our retread program for trucking, off-the-road, agriculture, mining, RV, passenger and light truck tires.
Please call your local branch to learn more about how retread tires can save you money.