Are you retreading your tires to the right position?

摘要

Let's say you retread a pair of new, premium steer tire casings. Where on your truck do they go next? The most common answer is probably the drive position. But what if you equipped them back onto the steer position? Bridgestone Americas' Kyle Chen, brand manager of truck and bus radial tires for the U.S. and Canada, says fleets that retread steer tires and put them back onto the steer axle aren't as uncommon as you might think, adding that it is a misconception that this is always an unsafe practice. "The Department of Transportation (DOT) prohibits the use of retreads in the steer position on buses only," Chen says. "Many fleets find that utilizing retreads in the steer position is a safe and efficient way to maximize tire asset utilization. In some operations, including the waste, construction and delivery industries, many fleets find efficiency in using retreads starting at the steer position."