Front haul truck tires are routinely rotated to the rear when they are 40–50% worn, even though the casing can have significant usable life remaining. Ultra Tread is an innovative retread process that restores rubber to these worn front position tires, returning them to service for another life before eventual rotation – giving up to thousands of hours of additional life with a strong return on investment.
The challenge: unused value in front haul truck tires
This case study uses operating data from a hard rock mine where tire life, cost control and tire availability were critical performance factors.
The Ultra Tread process was performed on the front position haul truck tires at the point of usual rotation schedules – extending the life of exisiting tires and reducing reliance on new tire purchases.
The solution: KalPRO™ Ultra Tread
Instead of rotating haul truck tires to the rear, Ultra Tread:
- Restores tires to their original tread depth
- Returns restored tires to the front position for another full life
- Allows tires to be rotated and worn out as usual afterward
- Can be repeated again if the casing remains suitable
The process adds significant life while maintaining performance comparable to the original tire.
Outcomes
With Ultra Tread applied and careful site and tire maintenance from Kal Tire, Ultra Tread achieved:
- 8,703 total hours of service life
- 3,545 hours more than the site average
- 1.4 Ultra Treads would offset the purchase of one new tire, reducing new tire demand and improving tire availability dramatically when applied across the fleet
Ultra Tread Benefits
Ultra Tread delivers an excellent return on investment, lowering operating costs and contributing to sustainable tire management practices.