Do you know retreaded tires? This is a technique intended to give a second life to used gums. Very popular in the heavy goods vehicle sector (85%), it is not very popular with passenger vehicles. Should we fall for these cheaper tires? Argus takes stock.
Through use (shy) re-used parts, motorists manage to save a few euros on their maintenance bills. But not all solutions are good to take under the pretext of reducing the bill. Are retreaded tires, sold up to 40% cheaper than their new equivalent, an example to follow? In a new test, the Automobile Club Suisse (TCS) advises to avoid, even if the gums are subjected to the same safety tests as the new envelopes. Explanations.
The results are inconclusive. King Meiler brand tires, sold in France, were found to be “imprecise and spongy”.
What is a retreaded tire?
Concretely, a retreaded tire is a worn rubber whose tread has been replaced. This involves planing the latter down to the carcass of the tire and applying, by vulcanization, a new tread. This alternative, which makes it possible to limit the manufacture of new tires, is mainly carried out with high-end casings. ” The reconditioned tire is thus supposed to approach the manufacturing quality of new tires. », Explains the TCS. While this technique is widely used in the heavy goods vehicle industry (85%) or in motor racing, it is not widely used in the passenger vehicle sector (12%).
TCS tests
In fact, the retreaded tires have not convinced the Automobile Club Suisse (TCS), which has been carrying out tests on this reconditioned equipment since 2013. The King Meiler brand tires, belonging to the industry leader – the company “Reifen Hinghaus ”- and sold in France, have obtained mediocre results, especially in winter and / or rainy conditions …
“On wet roads (asphalt), the stopping distance during emergency braking at 80 km / h exceeds that of the best rated tire by a distance equivalent to three crosswalks, details the Automobile Club.“
The organization reproaches these gums in particular for their behavior ” imprecise and “spongy” Which can have serious consequences in the event of an avoidance maneuver. Even if the tread is identical, the TCS warns that the carcass is not from the same manufacturer and thata vehicle may end up wearing “4 tires of different origin”. Furthermore, the question of the quality of the tread itself arises. They certainly do not have the same characteristics and do not use the same quality of rubber as those of the original manufacturer, mainly in order to optimize costs. As the TCS reminds us, sustainability should not come at the expense of safety.
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