Home › CDL Practice Tests › General Knowledge Questions › Question 217
Why are retread (recap) tires restricted on the front steering axle of trucks and buses?
- A.A recap is more likely to separate and cause a sudden loss of steering control, so steering axles require original or properly regrooved tires as the rules allow
- B.Recaps are heavier and slow the truck down
- C.Recaps cannot be balanced at all
- D.The rule exists only to help tire sellers
Correct answer
A. A recap is more likely to separate and cause a sudden loss of steering control, so steering axles require original or properly regrooved tires as the rules allow
Why
Steering depends entirely on the two front tires, and a tread separation there at highway speed can tear the wheel out of the driver's hands. Keeping recaps off that axle removes a known failure mode from the most sensitive position on the truck.
Manual topic: Tires - Steering Axle Rules · From the General Knowledge practice bank (GK-217).