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Retreading Myths
It's Time These Myths About Retreading Became Extinct!
Old prejudices die hard. Say the word 'retread' to some people and they automatically picture an inferior product or a disintegrating tire. All because some early retreads performed poorly 40 years ago.
One Truth ...
They cost less.
In fact, they often cost less than half that of quality new tires. With that going for them, retreads will not only be a part of this age, but the next one as well.
Today's retread is a different breed. Major truck fleets know it; so do most airlines. But the average person may still be in the dark. That's why Premier Bandag, the Midwest's leader in high-quality Bandag® products and services, would like to lay these old myths to rest.
The Many Myths:
Myth #1: All the rubber you see on the highway is from retreads.
Actually, most of that rubber comes from new tires. Any tire can fail, especially if it is not maintained. Most of the rubber you see along the road comes from truckers who have tried to drive on a flat tire, and most often it is a new tire that has gone flat, not a retread. With a Best-One retread, it's virtually impossible for the tread to come off the casing (that part of the tire that's left when the tread wears down). The tread-to-casing bond is one of the strongest parts of our retread. And to make sure the casings we retread are sound - we back our visual inspection with ultrasonic inspection.
Myth #2: Retreads aren't safe.
Poor-quality, World War II-vintage retreads gave rise to this oldwives' tale. Today's retreads are a different story. If you don't believe it, don't fly. Nearly every major airline uses retreads. Even sophisticated F-14 jet fighters use retreads. And you can imagine the stress aircraft tires undergo during high speed take-offs and landings. Retreads are even trusted to carry the most precious cargo imaginable: children. School bus fleets all over North America have logged millions of safe, trouble-free miles on Bandag® retreads.
Myth #3: Retreads are inferior to new tires.
The idea that retreads are something sold from a dingy shop just to deliver a few cheap miles doesn't square with the reality of modern retreading technology. Today's quality retreads are on a par with new tires and will almost certainly outperform cheap tires. Our retreads take this one step farther - they are generally as good as the best quality new tires, no matter what the brand. No wonder nearly every major truck fleet in the country uses retreads to deliver cost-effective mileage and durability, and over 70% of the largest fleets in North America use Bandag® retreads.
Myth #3: Retreads are inferior to new tires.
The idea that retreads are something sold from a dingy shop just to deliver a few cheap miles doesn't square with the reality of modern retreading technology. Today's quality retreads are on a par with new tires and will almost certainly outperform cheap tires. Our retreads take this one step farther - they are generally as good as the best quality new tires, no matter what the brand. No wonder nearly every major truck fleet in the country uses retreads to deliver cost-effective mileage and durability, and over 70% of the largest fleets in North America use Bandag® retreads.
Myth #4: A tire casing wears out with the tread.
A tire casing doesn't wear out like its tread does. It's generally built to go much farther. Also, casings don't lose strength. Tests have shown the opposite. The University of Michigan found the burst strengths of worn tires were higher than new tires. The worn tires were stronger! Why? Because loads placed on tire plies tend to equalize while running, actually improving strength as the tire wears. One more thought about casings. When you buy a retread from a company that inspects thoroughly, such as Best-One, you know you're getting a proven casing. A new tire can have manufacturing defects. These invariably show up early in the tire's life. By the time it has gone through its first tread life, you know you have a casing that can deliver many more miles.
Myth #5: Retreads don't deliver good mileage.
Just as new tire mileage varies widely, so does retread mileage. The reason? A complex mix of tread compounding, tread weight, tread design, casing structure and many other factors go into mileage. Yet quality retreads give excellent mileage. There's no way truck fleets would be using them if they didn't. To fleets that run millions of miles a year, mileage is money! Quality is important here. A quality retread will almost always outwear a cheap new tire hands down. It's one of the reasons our retreads deliver mileage as good as, often better than, virtually any new tire. And our process consistently delivers this same high quality day-in and day-out. Another reason our treads go the distance is expertise. We may know more about tread than anyone - even new tire companies. We know what it takes to build high mileage into a tread.
Myth #6: Retreads don't perform well.
Don't tell the drivers at the Baja, Daytona or the Bonneville Salt Flats that retreads don't perform. They won't hear of it. Bandag® retreads have taken all the punishment the rugged Baja could dish out without a failure. They've also run 24 grueling hours at Daytona. And they were on the vehicle that recently set a world's landspeed record for heavy trucks at Bonneville - 150 mph! When it comes to performance, our retreads deliver. That's because we know treads so well. What's more, our wide selection of tread styles and sizes - over 275 - lets us fine-tune treads to any application. We even have treads that can save fuel. And our innovative MilEdges® treads, with hundreds of transverse slits in them, actually improve mileage and traction over treads without them.
Myth #7: Retreads can't take the heat.
The idea that retread bonds fail on hot days probably stems from some hot caps (retreads that are built by baking the tread design into the casing) of yesteryear. Few would argue that heat can destroy a tire, whether it is a new tire or a retread. For that reason, Best-One uses cold process retreading to save the casing from high heat during the retreading process. The treads are precured at the factory, and only enough heat is used to bond the tread to the casing-eliminating the high heat necessary to mold the tread on the casing. That's one of the ways we avoid casing deterioration and deliver long mileage. Every quality retread is quite capable of handling the heat of hot-day running. By the way, one of the major sources of heat is underinflation. That's why proper inflation is so important, no matter what kind of tire you're running.
Myth #8: Retreads don't look good.
The appearance of a finished retread has a lot to do with the skill and thoroughness of the retreader. We pride ourselves on training and retaining quality employees. That's why Best-One retreads have the quality look of a new tire.
