Heat, Tires and Maintenance - or lack thereof - as an Alternative Energy

Energy dissipates -- through burning or heat waves.  Heat is a "waste product" of many energy uses, even with tires.  So it is important to understand how to manage heat to extend the wearability of tires...and thus save money and energy use.  Well maintained tires give better gas mileage -- saving energy.  And well maintained tires last longer -- reducing the need for new or retreat tires to be manufactured, transported, installed and reclaimed at the end of their generational life.

This article explains some of the basic facts about tire longevity...and alternative energy savings.

THE TRUTH ABOUT HEAT AND RETREAD TIRES
By Scott C. Perschbacher

For many years I asked fleet managers and owner-operators what problems they had experienced with retreading concerning hot weather.

The answers that I got ranged from no problems at all to daily problems. I asked the ones that were having all of the success what was their secret. They would reply, "It's simple - checking air pressure and good tire maintenance."

With that frequently mentioned solution,  I then went back to those that were having all of the problems and studied their tire programs. I was amazed to see the results: fewer then 10% had a good program. And even the ones that did were not checking air pressure regularly.

But, those that did check air pressure regularly were money ahead and had very little tire failure. One of those fleets that really sticks in my mind is located in Riverton, Wl. This fleet has one of the best tire programs I've ever seen. They run 100 tractor-trailer pup units hauling soda ash 24 hours per day. They run multi - axle set-ups hauling extremely heavy loads at high speeds and in extreme weather conditions, which include 4 months of heat. This fleet also uses retreads at every position except the steer.


The positive effect that proper air pressure has on tires is endless.

When a radial truck tire has been inflated to its proper air pressure according to the weight it is carrying, the operating temperature should be around 150 degrees.

Let's assume that 100psi is the fleet standard. The rule of thumb is that for every loss in air pressure of 2psi the tire temperature will increase 5 degrees. In this fleet 85% of its tires have proper Inflation, which sounds pretty good.

The lowest tire in the fleet is 86psi. That means that the operating temperature of that tire is somewhere around 185 degrees, which is well above what the tire is normally designed to run. Combine this with extremely hot weather and you get down time. Notice I'm talking about a generic tire, not a retread, not a new tire.

Retreading a casing is a way to give a tire new life in order to reduce operating costs and promote recycling. A retreaded tire is only as good as the retread manufacturing and tire maintenance it receives throughout its entire life. If tires with low air pressure are left to run they will generate more heat and therefore have a greater chance for down time.

I believe that extremely hot temperatures make tire maintenance programs even more critical. To me the myths about running retreads in extreme heat with no success are excuses to downplay poor tire maintenance.

The facts all lead to a simple solution: go back to the basics with good solid tire maintenance!

For more information about retreading and tire repairing, including a great CD and DVD, please contact the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau toll free from anywhere in North America at 888-473-8732, or by email to: info@retread.org.