The Case for Tire Casings
What is a tire casing?
The tire casing is the body of the tire and includes components such as the bead, belt system, sidewall, body ply and inner liner—basically everything except the tread. This foundation upon which the tread sets is the supporting structure of the tire. It consists of plies anchored to the bead on one side running in a radius and are anchored to the bead on the other side. According to the MICHELIN® Truck Tire Service Manual, tire maintenance, proper inflation pressures, repairs, vehicle alignment, and retreading, are all key to help ensure maximized performance and extended casing life.
When a tire reaches the end of its tread life, a fleet manager is faced with two options: purchase new or retread. Driven by the higher cost of raw materials used in their manufacture, replacement tires are currently experiencing an upswing in pricing. Replacement tires can be up to the second-largest expense category for fleets. On the other hand, retreading––in some instances and depending on the dealer––can extend casing life multiple times. This significantly lowers the lifecycle cost of the tire while maintaining the initial investment, with prices roughly 1/3 to 1/2 that of a new tire. Further, retreading can salvage a large majority of the fleet casings making it far more efficient, economical and eco-friendly than new tires.
Guidelines for tire casing management
To enable fleet and re-treaders to better gauge the life expectancy of casings and make better decisions regarding the handling and utilization of casings recovered from 6×4, 4×2, and trailer applications, the MICHELIN® Truck Tire Service Manual recommends the following guidelines for casing management:
Casings that are judged to be more “highly fatigued” should be retreaded in one of two ways:
- A low rolling resistance/low heat retread rubber in rib and drive (consult your retread supplier).
- A shallow retread (no more than 15/32”).
These retreads will reduce the operating temperature in the crown of the tire.
Further, determining which tires are “highly fatigued” requires a working knowledge of each fleet’s operation. The following guidelines can be used:
- Two or more repairs on the casing.
- Heavy sidewall abrasion.
- Two or more retreads.
- Original heavy drive tires.
- High torque applications.
Tire retread service from Bauer Built
With the average price of a commercial truck tire in the $500 range and the casing accounting for a significant portion of the tire’s cost, Bauer Built, the undisputed industry leader in commercial truck retread tires, understands the value of the casing. “We’ve noticed that rather than sorting through an ever-surmounting pile of discarded rubber carcasses, fleet customers will often scrap old tires in favor of newer ones without ascertaining whether they have any value left in the casing––this is equivalent to pouring money down the drain,” said Jeff Schroeder, Commercial Sales Director at Bauer Built.
Since 1954, Bauer Built Tire & Service has established an unparalleled reputation for providing the best tire retread service available. Operating seven separate MICHELIN® Retread plants across the Midwest equipped with state-of-the-art technology, our tire retread process can reduce fleet downtime, increase casing life, enhance fuel efficiency, reduce heat buildup and help asset accountability—saving money, saving resources, and saving time.
Click to schedule tire retread service with Bauer Built.
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Tire Care Tips
