How to restore elasticity to hardened rubber (rubber product), is it possible? Retreading truck tires - savings or increased danger? Rubber restoration.

quality tires are an important component of safe, comfortable and economical a. Do not underestimate the role of rubber, as it is of great importance for any car. When the tires wear out, the tread pattern is seriously erased, most car owners simply send the rubber to the landfill, buying a replacement for it. new kit. However, not everyone knows that certain situations tire retreading is possible, which is carried out on special equipment. In some cases, the work is done by hand. This allows you to return the tires to life and give them some more time to serve the vehicle. And sometimes the service life is quite long. Much depends on what restoration method was used. It is important to understand that recovery is not always possible. This is especially true for tires designed for passenger cars.

Methods for self-restoring the tread pattern of tires.

Recovery methods

If you look inside the tire, it turns out that it consists of more than just rubber. In fact, rubber of a certain composition is used to make the outer layer. It covers the main carcass of the tire. The frame itself is a multilayer element made of metal cord. It also uses nylon or synthetic fabric, depending on the tire model and manufacturer. The carcass is practically, since the entire load falls on the outer rubber layer of the tread. It is he who is gradually erased as it is used, which forces motorists to remove old tires and buy new sets. But such a structural feature allows you to restore the tread, even if the rubber layer can no longer fully perform its functions. The frame remained intact and intact, which plays a key role in such a situation.

Retreading itself consists in replacing the worn outer layer of tires with a new one using one method or another. As a result, the wheel can be reused enough a long period time, without fear for a reduced level of safety, grip quality or comfort for people inside the vehicle. But retreaded tires will be inferior to completely new tires, since they have a shorter shelf life, and although the characteristics are not lost, they no longer reach the reference ones. There are several main ones, which are:

• cutting;
• hot vulcanization;
• cold vulcanization.

Each method has its own characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and limitations. It is important to understand that not all tires are subject to restoration. And sometimes it's just not economically viable. It is much easier to purchase a new kit than to spend time, effort and money on restoring the rubber layer of the projector.

slicing method

One of the first methods of retreading tires was cutting. It aims to increase the service life car wheels. An extremely important caveat must be made here. The cutting method is used exclusively for rubber intended for freight transport. It is strictly forbidden to apply the technique for the restoration of tires for cars. Not even all truck tires can be subjected to the cutting method. To check the suitability for such a restoration, you should look for the corresponding inscriptions on the rubber. Usually this word is Regroovable. If this mark is present, it means that even from the factory, the manufacturer provides for the possibility of restoration.

The point here is simple. Retreadable tires with an appropriate thickness reserve have an increased layer of rubber, which is located under the tread surface. Chemical composition is completely analogous to the outer main shell, which is . In this regard, after restoration, the tires will have the same properties as before restoration. To perform cutting, a special thermal knife is used. This blade is heated to high temperatures using a high-frequency oscillator. When cutting, the molten rubber is immediately sealed, thereby preventing increased wear. Restoration of one truck tire by this method requires 1 specialist and about an hour of time. Then the tire necessarily cools down, the rubber finally seizes, and it can be installed back on the truck.

hot way

If tire retreading is required for passenger car, cutting will not work here. But the method of hot vulcanization will be very effective. Such restoration of tires is carried out in autoclaves, that is, in devices designed for heating. Previously, hot vulcanization was called welding. Although the name does not change the essence. Let us give an approximate description of how hot curing measures are carried out during the restoration of tires.

1. First, the tire is processed with abrasive tools. This is done specifically to create roughness on the prepared surface.
2. On top of the carcass or rubber cord, about 1.5 mm of rubber is left after processing. This is the minimum layer that is considered safe.
3. Roughing allows you to see all the defects and possible damage formed on the tire during operation.
4. If there is damage, they are treated with special raw rubber patches.
5. Next, the wheel goes to the procedure of the hottest vulcanization.
6. Tires must undergo quality control before being processed. This allows you to determine whether such a frame can be used for further restoration.
7. If all is well, a bonding layer and rubber are applied, on which the tread pattern has already been cut.
8. Next comes the effect of heat. Autoclaves are heated to 160 - 180 degrees Celsius.
9. Recovery is fast enough, but effective. Fuse on the cord new tires. Due to the rough surface, it clings to the frame better, creating a strong and durable layer.

hot method is different a high degree efficiency. In this way, high-quality restoration is carried out enough a large number car tires. But in order to achieve a positive result, it is required to carry out hot vulcanization as competently and accurately as possible. This is due to the presence of several disadvantages of the technique. Namely:

• rubber begins to wear out more intensively due to high-temperature processing;
• in the presence of damage to the cord, the permissible mileage is noticeably reduced;
• metal and nylon layers are easily damaged due to high temperatures.

Therefore, hot vulcanization should be carried out only by well-established specialists who have sufficient great experience and have high quality equipment. It is almost impossible to do such restoration on your own. To do this, you will have to buy expensive devices and study in detail the method of vulcanization under high temperature. It is not economically feasible for a single set of tires.

cold method

Since hot tire retreading has a number of disadvantages, specialists began to think about solving the problem. The main task was to reduce the temperature at which the procedure is carried out. As a result, a cold repair method appeared. Such restoration of the tire tread pattern is carried out in almost the same way. Roughness is applied to reveal existing defects. Next, raw rubber is applied, which seals problem areas. When the preliminary preparatory treatment is completed, a fresh composition is welded on top with a small layer. Key Feature method is that the manufacturers themselves do not want to reveal the secrets of the rubber composition used. But the material can be welded at enough.

The cold vulcanization method works well for previously retreaded car tires. This is due to the fact that such processing implies a more gentle temperature effect. During vulcanization, the temperature is at the level of 100 degrees Celsius. Thereby physical characteristics and the properties don't change, which is main problem hot vulcanization. Plus cold way restoration allows you to keep the cord itself intact, which does not lose its strength and the necessary elasticity. The result is tires with excellent technical characteristics, allowing you to ensure confident control of the vehicle and high level security. The problem is that not all tires can be rehabilitated by using the cold vulcanization method.

Initially, all methods of tire restoration were developed to extend the service life. truck tires. Cutting for cars automotive rubber generally banned, since the wheels are small, and the requirements for comfort and safety are increased. Therefore, in the case of passenger cars, only the method of hot and cold vulcanization remains, which also has its own additional limitations. You will have to forget about any of the two methods if the cord has little strength. Therefore, almost all are immediately excluded budget tires domestic, Chinese, Korean and Turkish production. Also, the so-called sports tires intended for high-speed driving by car. You just won't know what to expect from a retreaded tire if you drive your car to more than 120 kilometers per hour.

Ultimately remains middle class And expensive tires. But if the car owner buys an expensive car and chooses tires of the appropriate level for it, then he will definitely not engage in restoration in order to save money. Car tires will not be able to receive new life by 100%. That is, after restoration, their resource will be no more than 40% in comparison with new tires of a similar model. From this we can draw a very logical conclusion. Restoring rubber that is used for passenger cars, with only rare exceptions, is a pointless undertaking. But everyone decides for himself whether it is worth doing such manipulations, or it is much easier to purchase a new set of suitable rubber.

Advantages and disadvantages

Similar retreading car tires has its strengths and weak sides. Each method of restoration has certain advantages and disadvantages. If we talk about the rehabilitation of rubber for cars, then in the case of cars, objectively the best way cold vulcanization. The hot method is used much less frequently, and cutting is completely eliminated. Therefore, talking about the pros and cons of the latest technique is not relevant for cars Vehicle. The hot method takes a little time, but allows you to get a quality result. In some cases, the resource of a retreaded tire is in no way inferior to new rubber. The method is environmentally friendly. At the same time, hot vulcanization requires the use of expensive and bulky equipment. Because of this, it is quite difficult to find car services that are ready to provide such a service. It is impossible to restore tires by this method on your own.

The cold method has become more widespread. It is easier to implement, because it is used by many car services, and not just specialized enterprises. But this method requires a lot of time and money, which is why it is far from always advisable to restore the wheels. The quality of the work performed plays an important role. If the rubber is poorly welded, there is a high probability that the new layer will peel off soon. The main advantage of welding or vulcanization is the cost. It really is often less than the price of new tires for a car. At the same time, it is possible to create a sufficiently strong and durable tread. Buying already restored wheels or self-restoration is suitable for owners of trucks that move at a relatively low speed.

If you have a passenger car, you need to think carefully about the advisability of restoring or buying retreaded tires. The problem is they don't have a warranty. It is difficult for the driver to predict how the car will behave on such wheels when high speeds. Tires will definitely not last as long as new tires. It is possible to extend the service life by 70% as much as possible. But this happens in rare cases. Basically it is about 20 - 40%. There are several basic mysteries that will be extremely difficult for a buyer of retreaded tires to find answers to:

• what composition is used for vulcanization;
• are the tires of the same company, or are they tires of different manufacturers;
• how much fuel consumption will increase;
• how long will the tire last after rehabilitation;
• Will the level of comfort change when installing such a kit.

To get answers, you need to buy tires and put them on your car. And this is a potential risk that you should always be aware of.

Signs of Recovery

Do not forget that there are entire enterprises that are engaged in the restoration of old tires. These are large organizations with appropriate professional equipment, high-quality raw materials and qualified personnel. It is not difficult to determine a quality remanufactured product when it comes to the work of such enterprises. They always have a mark on the side. This marker indicates that the tire has been retreaded. That is, the manufacturer does not even try to hide this fact, but directly points to the restoration. There are three main types of inscriptions:

• Regummerat;
• Remould;
• Retread.

The restoration mark is also made by companies engaged in restoration in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries. There are several more distinctive features if there is no marker:

• clots of rubber on the inside;
• mesh of cracks on the side of the tires;
• traces of rubber patches;
• worn inscriptions of the manufacturer, etc.

If the tires are made by a handicraft method and they are trying to pass off as new, such signs will easily make it possible to identify a fake. When the work is carried out by high-quality specialized enterprises, it is not in their interests to do a bad job or hide the fact of restoration. They show that they have brought tires back to life, and their performance is just as good as new tyres. Therefore, customers will want to turn to them again, since the cost of retreaded rubber is much lower than the price of new sets. Knowing how to tell the difference between retread tires can help you avoid buying products that are known to be of poor quality. Try to carefully examine the appearance of the tire, the existing markings, signs of wear on the side parts.

In fact, it is not difficult to identify a retreaded tire and notice the differences from a new one. It is also not difficult to convict the seller of a fake. And so that you do not have problems with how to distinguish a new tire from a refurbished one, you can simply give preference to fresh sets. In case of cars this is the most correct solution, given all the shortcomings and nuances associated with trying to give worn-out wheels a second life. As you already understood, this is only advisable in the case of truck tires. From the idea of ​​restoring and buying remanufactured wheels for passenger car better to refuse. Too high risks with little benefit that the car owner will receive from such manipulation.

Is it worth buying

To accept final decision need to focus on some points. The benefit of buying tires after restoration is the cost of such a set or a separate tire. But at the same time there are serious risks. Knowing about existing ways recovery, we can conclude that not always and not all of them are suitable for use. Plus, for a quality restoration, you need professional equipment, high-quality raw materials and qualified specialists. The use of domestic raw materials raises doubts about its quality, and imported rubber for vulcanization is expensive.

In practice, only a small number of worn tires can be restored, which have managed to save enough good quality cord. If the basis is a bad tire, there will be problems with balancing, fuel consumption, comfort of the driver and his passengers. If the car has an impressive mileage, is often used and does not move on high speeds, then for her, the restored tires will not differ much from the new set. Here the question is only in a sufficiently high-quality performance of work. If you manage to find good master, or buy products from a trusted manufacturer that deals with tire resuscitation, you will be able to get more advantages than disadvantages.

Self cutting

You already know that in theory only the slicing method can be used on its own. But it is not suitable for restoring car wheels. Therefore, this technique is relevant only for those who want to extend the service life of truck tires suitable for rehabilitation with their own hands. Cutting can be carried out up to a certain depth provided by the manufacturer. It is extremely important that the pattern remains on the wheel, as the grooves are only deepened, not recut. By using special tools tire retreading car owner truck in theory, it can increase the life of a set of tires with its own hands. Such instruments are called regrovers.

The principle of operation is to deepen the grooves of the tread by exposing the rubber to a hot blade. Heating occurs in a direct or indirect way. In the first case, heating is carried out due to the current passing through the blade. Or you can heat the tool with a soldering iron or a sting from a burner. Indirect heating is used on homemade regrowers. But for quality and safe work It is highly recommended to use factory direct heating units. If you have a regrower, you can get to work. Recovery is carried out as follows:

1. First, the tire is removed, which is subject to self-restoration by cutting with a special regrower.
2. Before the operation, be sure to carefully examine the condition of the tire. If it is already very worn out, the pattern has disappeared in some places, then it is better to send such a tire to a landfill. Restoration is possible only if there is a clear pattern and a sufficient margin of rubber depth.
3. Make sure your tire is retreadable. This is determined by special markings.
4. It is impossible to cut if there are visible defects and damage, as well as the depth of the remaining grooves is less than 3 millimeters. If all is well, we move on.
5. Remove all dirt from the tire, remove stones stuck in the grooves.
6. If there is any damage to allow restoration work get rid of them.
7. Determine the scheme by which cutting will be carried out.
8. Read your regrower's instruction manual to properly set it up for your desired groove size and depth.
9. You need to cut grooves quickly, because with prolonged exposure to one point of the regrower, the rubber will begin to melt.
10. Move in the direction of the tread grooves.
11. Rubber that is cut off must be immediately removed from the surface of the wheel.
12. At the same time, watch temperature indicators regrower so that overheating does not start above normal. If the temperature rises, stop operation, let the machine cool down.
13. At the last stage, all residues are cleaned. Look carefully to see if you damaged the cord itself when cutting. In the presence of damage, it is strictly forbidden to use such tires. The cord is not recoverable.

For those who are engaged in one or another type of business on their own truck, the presence of a regrower's house can sometimes save an impressive part of the budget. Truck tires are much more expensive than car tires. It is also important that many truck tires are suitable for restoration by cutting, which cannot be said about passenger transport. But still, be careful and competently approach the issue of recovery. If the restoration is not provided by the tire manufacturer, you should not engage in such manipulations, regardless of the method chosen. This is too big a risk and an unjustified attempt to save money.

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Came to us from Europe. Initially, truck tires were subjected to restoration, later they began to restore and car tires. By appearance the repaired wheel practically does not differ from the factory sample. This is due to the fact that the wheel frame does not wear out during operation, only the tread needs to be updated.

How tires are retreaded

Today, two technologies are used to repair car tires.

1. Cold hardfacing occurs in the following sequence. First, the rubber is inspected, then the master removes the remnants of the old tread. After minor repairs frame, the surface is ground to obtain a rough texture. Next, the surface is treated with liquid rubber, which provides reliable grip carcass with new tread. Natural rubber is used as a primer. Next, a tread tape is applied to the prepared frame. The wheel assembly with rim and chamber is placed in an autoclave where the vulcanization process takes place. When the polymerization is completed, the rim and tube are removed, and the tire is checked on a special stand.
2. Hot recovery technology involves the use of raw rubber, similar to factory production. The carcass is also prepared for welding, as in the case of cold recovery. After winding a piece of raw rubber tape, the tire is placed in a mold. The bonding process takes place high pressure and temperature. Rubber vulcanization and treading is also carried out in the same chamber. The output is a wheel that is comparable in properties to factory tires.

Advantages and disadvantages of each method

Each tire retreading technology has its pros and cons.

• Cold welding is more common, which many car services have mastered. This method is characterized by high labor costs, which negatively affects the cost of the service. As for the quality, the rubber after cold welding is somewhat inferior to new tires. Often the tread comes off the carcass, and the mileage of the repaired wheel will be slightly less.
• With the hot method, it is possible to quickly reanimate the tire. This technology guarantees high quality repairs at low cost. The quality of welded rubber is comparable to a new factory tire. Hot welding is characterized by environmental friendliness and economical use of natural resources. Of the minuses, it is worth noting the need to purchase large-sized expensive equipment. Such a process can be mastered only by specialized enterprises.

Features of the operation of welded rubber

The main advantage of welded rubber for many car owners remains low cost. Savings can be approximately 30-60 percent of the cost of a new wheel. At the same time, the tire compares favorably with used rubber in terms of tread height. Welded tires are popular with truck owners who travel at low speeds on the road. But for passenger cars, retreaded tires are not always suitable. No specialist will provide a guarantee that the tire will not fall apart at high speed. When buying welded rubber, you should take into account that its service life will be less than that of a new one. On average, a retread tire lasts 70% of a new factory tire. Tread wear and vehicle stability are adversely affected by the higher weight of welded tires. The retreaded rubber has a pliable structure and wider walls. It is best to purchase all wheels made in one car service.

Is it worth it to cut the tread yourself

Not so long ago, craftsmen learned to increase the tread depth by cutting grooves in worn tire. This is done with a special tool called a regrower. A slight refinement of a household soldering iron allows you to get homemade device for cutting the tread. However, such a deepening is associated with a high risk for the car owner. Grooving thins the tire wall, which results in a loss of strength. After repair in this way, driving at high speed is strictly not allowed. Serious disadvantages of retreaded tires are a decrease in the load index, a limitation in the speed of vehicles, and the risk of destruction while driving. But for truck owners and commercial vehicles welded tires are ideal to save on fleet maintenance. See also video Restoration of car tires by cold welding:

Now such a thing as retreaded or welded tires for cars is a thing of the past, because now there is an abundance of tires various kinds- sizes, and most importantly different price category. That is, you can go to the store and buy a new, albeit inexpensive tire. However, this concept has not gone out of our lives, and such wheels are still used. Today I propose to talk about retreaded tires. What it is? Should I buy them, and why are they needed? I'm intrigued, read on...

restored is a tire with a worn tread that has been retreaded by "welding" a new layer on top. Moreover, only the top layer is welded in 90%. If it has a worn side part, then such a tire is not always taken for restoration or “welding”. The upper tread pattern will have a different look by almost 90% than the previous tread. However, the frame, breaker and other structures remain unchanged.

How to recognize?

It should be noted that not all remanufactured wheels are of the same quality. It happens that the manufacturer itself performs this process. This is often common in Europe. If restored officially, then it will have special marks that indicate the reuse of the wheel. IN different countries various designations Retread(this is the English designation), Remold (American designation), Regummarad(German designation) and "Restored"(Russian designation).

If there are no inscriptions, then such a tire can be recognized by the side surface of the wheel. As a rule, it is not reproduced, and accordingly it will be worn out. This is manifested in the side scuffs.

Why retread a tire?

The answer is trite tires "revive" because of their cheapness. That is, tires that have expired and are completely worn out are restored (the top layer is welded on) and put back into operation. The difference in the price of such a tire can reach 30 - 70% of the price of a new tire. But this rubber has back side medals. These are tires of the same size, but various manufacturers. In simple words the pattern of such rubber, on top, will be the same after welding - restoration, but the manufacturer may be different. How the consequences are lower specifications, both in and .

When is the purchase of such a tire justified?

Once again, I note that such rubber for a passenger car is not always justified. YES, of course, you will save, but no one knows what to expect from her. How it will behave on the road or high loads is not clear. However, if you drive according to the rules and rarely exceed the speed limit, then you can look towards buying such rubber. But now there is a large abundance of all kinds of rubber, from the cheapest to the most expensive, and new rubber, even the cheapest one, will be much better than retreaded rubber.

However, buying "reproduced" rubber makes sense! If you are a driver commercial transport, for example a truck, then the purchase of such a wheel will be justified. Rubber for a truck is not very cheap, and therefore a restored wheel, with a 5-fold difference in price, will come in handy. It should be noted that in our country a lot of trucks drive on such tires.

Personally, I think that this is not justified savings, especially for modern and speed car. There is no certainty for this wheel, it can burst (side part), at any moment. Okay, if you just lose money, and what if the wheel bursts at speed, then the accident is not far away.

In any case, it's up to you. Now guys, a very informative film about just such tires, namely how they are made and give them a second wind, only five minutes, but you will understand the whole technological process

This concludes my article, only useful and informative materials, read our automotive site.

It is much cheaper to retread damaged truck tires than to buy new ones. This is especially true for companies with their own fleet, where this service allows you to save about 30 thousand per car. The production company "CHAMPION" is undergoing restoration truck tires pneumatic sizes R16-R22.5 is carried out on modern equipment using Bandag technology (tread welding) allows you to achieve excellent results.

• Tire retreading by vulcanization gives the tire almost the same properties as a new one.
• Tire repair costs trucks much lower.
• It is possible to retread the tread provided by the customer, as well as purchase ready-made retreaded tires.

We provide 12 months warranty on all tires, which were restored, subject to weight and operational standards, as well as the requirements of GOST R 51709-2001.

Prices for retreading tires for trucks

Check with consultants for exact prices!

Tire rubber retreading scheme

Exist different technologies tire rehabilitation. Specialists of the company "CHAMPION" carry out cold retreading of truck tires.

1. First, the tire is roughened. The spent tread is removed - it is cut off with the help of rasp knives. In parallel, hidden defects are discovered. When restoring the cord, the tire carcass is formed for further work, it is given right size and texture.
2. The preparatory phase of cold tire retreading includes repair work. Restoration of the cord involves the restoration of the rubber composition of the undertread layer, due to which the rubber becomes more wear-resistant.
3. A protector is applied to the frame, for which a special layer is used, consisting of a tread tape with a pattern applied to it, and rubber, which serves as a gasket. The protector is glued to the frame under high pressure.
4. Further, the restoration of truck tires in a cold way involves processing the product in an “envelope”. First, the tire is placed between two chambers from which air is pumped out, which allows to achieve the maximum tight fit of the glued layer.
5. At the vulcanization stage, the envelopes with tires are sent to the autoclave. It creates a pressure of six to eight bar, as well as a temperature of about 115ºC. Under the influence of these factors, a chemical reaction occurs, during which the chemical components of the tread and carcass are firmly connected to each other, and the tire cord is restored.
6. After the repair of truck tires, the finished product is carefully inspected, the tires are pressure tested. If defects are found, the products are sent for recycling.

Tire repair and retreading shop

The difference between repairing winter tires from summer tires

Restoring truck wheels for summer and winter seasons requires different approaches. First of all, the tread height in them is different. For summer tires the indicator should be at least 1.6 millimeters, for winter - at least 4 millimeters. This needs to be taken into account when restoring. winter tires. Besides, winter tires has a specific tread pattern. In many cases, a studded tread is required for recovery.

Modern equipment for cold tire retreading, strict adherence to technology and extensive experience of CHAMPION specialists allow us to guarantee high quality of retreaded products to customers. To order the repair of large diameter truck tires, you just need to call the company's employees at the number