Re-Evaluating the Retreaded Tires
Question: I’m in the market for a new set of tires, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I’ve looked over a lot of brands but now am considering retreads. I’m concerned about their safety, however. What do you suggest?B.
Answer: There are few products on the American market, perhaps only assault rifles and cigarettes, that suffer as bad a reputation as retreaded tires. Although no independent government agency rates retreaded tires for safety, the retread industry asserts that they are every bit as safe as new tires.
The Tire Retread Information Bureau, funded by two retread industry associations, claims that retreaded tires have a 3% failure rate, the same rate as new tires. They are widely used on fire trucks, school buses and airplanes.
Meanwhile, the Center for Auto Safety, an independent watchdog group in Washington, says it does not consider retreads a safety hazard. And the Rubber Manufacturers Assn., the major tire trade group in the United States, also asserts that there is no difference in safety between new and retreaded tires.
But retreads get a bad rap in large measure from the appearance of rubber tire tread that litters nearly every highway. Although much of this debris is from retreaded truck tires, it is also deposited by new truck tires. It leaves the lasting impression that retreads frequently throw off their new treads.
Just like new tires, retreads must carry a Department of Transportation code on the sidewall, providing the identity of the retreader and the date of manufacturer. The industry works under a Department of Transportation safety standard, just as the new tire industry does.
Retreading plants are inspected by an industry association, which must provide an approval rating to the plant before liability insurers will underwrite a retreaded tire against future claims by motorists.
Retreads once accounted for 20% of the U.S. tire market, but today they account for 10%. In large measure, the decline was caused during the 1980s by the flood of cheap imported tires, which could be purchased for about the same price as a retread.
The trend has swung around, and now retreads are generally cheaper than new tires, particularly in the case of specialty tires.
The quality of retreaded tires improved during the 1980s, thanks to better rubber compounds. Most passenger car retreads are made by taking a sound used tire, grinding off the old tread and winding a strand of uncured rubber around the tire, like spaghetti. Then the tire and rubber winding are placed in a mold, where the rubber is cured under heat and pressure and the tread is molded. Finally, the tire is painted.
Environmentalism is a big selling point that retreaders promote. A retreaded tire requires 2.5 gallons of crude to produce, and a new tire requires 7 gallons, the retread industry claims. That saves 400 million gallons of crude every year and substantially reduces solid waste associated with discarding old tires.
Mainly because of these environmental factors, the state is considering legislation to require every state vehicle to use retreaded tires. The federal government already has a similar requirement.
Whether retreads are right for your needs will require some careful judgment. They may not last as long as a set of top radials, but they will cost much less.
If you opt for retreads, you might consider looking for ones sold under a brand name. You can check with the retreaders’ association for the name of a brand or shop that has earned the association’s “A” rating. The group’s phone number is (800) 876-8372.
Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053.
