A very important message!
Only tyres that were designed for regrooving can undergo the process. A tyre that can be regrooved will have extra rubber underneath the tread. Not all tyres have this extra tread and even those that claim they can be regrooved should be checked before regrooving takes place.
The easiest way to find out if a tyre can be regrooved is to check the sidewall for a REGROOVABLE label. You can also contact the distributor/manufacturer to make certain the tyre has been specifically designed for regrooving.
The next step is then to inspect the tyre before potentially regrooving to ensure that there is no damage to any part of the tyre. Remove stones which may have embedded into the grooves and any other foreign objects. Particular care should be taken when selecting a tyre for regrooving. Do not select tyres where the tread area is in any way damaged e.g. cutting due to unusual operating conditions, tearing and chipping. It is also recommended that the minimum remaining tread depth be between 2-3mm before regrooving. The tread depth should be measured around the tyres circumference at no less than 4 places to determine the minimum remaining tread depth.
Regrooving tyres requires fully trained operators who:
- demount the tyre from the rim before regrooving
- use only regrooving tools with electrically heated blades
- once the minimum tread depth has been established, determine the blade setting depth for each individual tyre by referring to the appropriate manual
- set the blade in the cutter head to the specified depth
- ensure they hold the cutter so that the underside of the cutting head is flat against the tread surface
A minimum depth of remaining undertread rubber is required to avoid:
- damage of the top steel belt
- rib tearing caused by groove cracking
- stone damage
After regrooving the tyre should be free of any defects (cracks, separating, exposed ply or cord) and it is most important to ensure that the belts under the tread have not been exposed.
One final note to keep in mind when regrooving tyres is to accept reality when they start going bald. Well maintained tyres are an essential safety requirement on a vehicle and need to be treated that way. When tyres get to the wear bars it is time to replace them, not regroove them!