ABSTRACT
Retreading is a process where the remaining worn tread of a tire is removed by buffing, after which the original tire casing receives a new tread. The term retreading is the popular and common term used today, but it has also been called recapping and remolding. Many millions of tires are retreaded each year in the United States. School buses, long-and short-haul delivery trucks, postal vehicles, dump trucks, racing cars, city buses, emergency vehicles, military vehicles, and airplanes are among some of those using retreaded tires. In 2006, approximately 17.6 million retread tires were sold in North America, the majority of which were medium truck tires found on 18 wheelers. Tires can be retread more than once as long as the casing remains in good condition. Tires on local short-delivery vehicles wear much faster and thus are often retreaded many times over the life of the tire casing, while tires on trucks traveling longer distances wear longer and are retreaded fewer times. Retreading passenger tires was once common in the United States but is now almost nonexistent.
