Tyres are a vitally important ingredient for how well a car will stop, accelerate, corner and deal with road undulations. A tyre is a tubular corded carcass that is covered with rubber or synthetic rubber. The tyre is mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, and inflated to provide traction for moving and stopping. Tyres that are correctly inflated will provide absorption when the motor vehicle travels over road undulations. It should give a safe and comfortable ride while providing decent grip on the road at low, mid and high speed travel.

When a tyre’s tread is worn down, the life of the tyre can be extended by retread ing, with the end product being called a retread. In other words, a retread is a tyre that has had the tread replaced. The process of retreading involves adding a full width of new rubber to the worn tyre. The entire crown and shoulder, including the treads, are coated with new rubber.

In Australia, you don’t have to go far to find a service station that will provide a full tyre service. It might be a puncture repair, tyre replacement, or a retreading or recapping service. And they’ll usually stock re-tread tyres. One thing is for sure: retreading has earned its place in the economy. Many a truck fleet operator can vouch for great savings to be had in the retreading industry, as a retread is usually cheaper than a new tyre.

However there is one word of warning: Tyres with any weak spots should not be used as retreads.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is a Retread?’!

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