Tyre re-tread

Re-treading is a process by which old tyres with worn out treads are given a new lease of life. ‘Re-treading’ is more affordable and environment-friendly and hence considered a better option over buying a new tyre. 

There are two ways to re-tread a tyre. Hot cure, aka mould cure, involves covering the tyre with uncured rubber and curing it in a mould similar to that on a new tyre. Cold cure aka pre-cure involves applying a pre-cured strip of tread to the bald patch after which the tyre is placed in a under a vacuum rubber envelope and cured in a heating chamber or autoclave, which integrates the new tread on the bald patch. A tyre can be re-treaded several times. 

The US and Europe have legislations for re-treading tyres in the interests of foolproof safety. 

In India, it is advisable to get tyres re-treaded from an established workshop as sub-standard jobs could mean the re-treaded tyre may burst, crack or the tread may peel off under heavy load or at high speed. Hence, re-treading of passenger car tyres is not recommended. Drivers in India do not adhere to stipulated road speeds.