Steer clear of passenger retreads
Passenger vehicles should not be fitted with re-treaded tyres.
This is the word from tyre maker Bridgestone which says
that while retreads are often used on heavy vehicles, they are
not suited to the operating conditions of passenger vehicles.
“Passenger cars are expected to provide good roadholding
and braking, and provide safety and comfort when travelling
at freeway speeds,” explains Bridgestone PR Manager,
Desirée van Niekerk. “Retreaded tyres are not suitable for
fitment on modern passenger vehicles.”
Retreaded tyres are tyres where the tread of the original tyre
has reached the end of its service life and has been replaced
with a procured thread. This process involves scrubbing away
any remaining tread and bonding a new tread area to the tyre.
A similar process, called re-grooving, is used in tyres which
have been designed with extra tread base into which new
tread can be cut once the original has worn out. The National
Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No.093 of 1996) states that “1)
No person shall operate on a public road-(I) a motor vehicle
which is equipped with a regrooved tyre having a bead
diameter of 430 millimetres or less.” However, re-grooving is
highly dangerous when it is carried out on tyres which were
not designed to be re-grooved, including passenger tyres.
Re-grooving and re-treading are fleet management strategies
which are typically used to increase the service life of tyres
fitted to heavy vehicles.
These tyres are not required to be able to withstand the high
speeds and dynamic loads imposed on passenger car tyres.
Nonetheless, even in heavy vehicle applications, it is good
practice to never fit retreads to the steering axle (front wheels)
of a vehicle. “The steering axle is a critical axle where tyre
failure is potentially deadly,” explained van Niekerk.
CAR PARTS: CHEAPER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
“A properly-made retread on a heavy vehicle tyre is extremely
reliable in practice, but one always wants the peace of mind
of a new tyre on the front axle.”
When booking a car in for a service or for repairs, few of us are
prepared for the shock when we realise the cost of the replacement
parts. Depending on what dealership or garage you take your car
to, these costs can vary because different types of parts are used.
Les McMaster, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop
Association (MIWA), says it’s important to know exactly what
parts are being fitted to your vehicle for your own safety, the good
running of your vehicle and for insurance purposes. He says there
are three types of parts typically available to South Africans: OEM
(Original Equipment Manufacturer), non-OEM (generic parts) and
pirate parts (parts manufactured with no quality control measures in
place). OEMs are usually available from your car dealership’s service
department and they’re used as a direct replacement to the original
part that was fitted on your car on the assembly line. Although these
parts are more expensive, they usually come with a warranty and
they are stringently tested for quality. Non-OEMs or aftermarket
parts are non-branded and in many case they are as good, or even
better, than the OEM counterpart. Some vehicle brands have even
started to develop their own non-OEM lines as an additional income
generator. Pirate parts are the ‘cheap and nasty’ offering and with
these products there is no way of knowing what kind of quality
you are getting. Some of these products are just as good as the
OEM parts, but others are, frankly, extremely dangerous. They are
cheaper because they cut corners and use poor quality materials
and besides the potential damage to your vehicle, using these parts
creates a very real physical risk. If you receive a lower than expected
quote, don’t simply take it at face value, cautions McMaster.
| words in action
Fleet tyre management strategies frequently use the newest
tyres on the front wheels, with older tyres fitted further back
on the vehicle. For instance, the drive wheels of a mechanical
horse would be good candidates to fit with retreads if the
fleet owner has chosen not to opt for a custom drive tyre like
Bridgestone’s R-Drive. Tyres further back on the combination,
such as on a semi-trailer, may be retreaded tyres. “A heavy
vehicle tyre’s carcass eventually reaches the end of its life and
can no longer be retreaded,” comments van Niekerk. “But
passenger tyres carcasses are not designed to travel several
hundred thousand kilometres. Even an initial re-treading
comes with an increased risk of tyre failure. A retreaded
tyre also cannot be guaranteed to comply with the speed
and load rating of the original tyre.” Bridgestone says the
most effective way to reduce tyre costs over the lifetime of
a passenger car is to ensure that tyres are always correctly
inflated to provide the most economical operation. Correct
driving style also helps prolong tyre life, such as avoiding
harsh braking, heavy cornering and sudden acceleration.
“Good driving and tyre maintenance habits can increase
tyre life by up to 30% and in many cases, this can offset the
cheaper cost of retreads,” van Niekerk concludes, but safety
remains the top issue. Retreaded tyres are a good choice for
heavy vehicles, but not for passenger cars.”
8
july 2014
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