Abstract The knowledge on rubber-to-metal adhesion, which is an important issue in manufacturing processes of some automotive and aircraft parts and solid rubber tires, is generally confined within the patented information. This study investigates the factors contributing to the ability to produce strong and permanent rubber-to-metal bonds. Consideration is given to the material factors and methods of surface preparation, for which the quantitative data available in the open literature are very limited. Bonding strengths achieved by two different surface preparation methods are compared. Also discussed are percent elongation, bonding strength, and tensile strength measurements on the samples prepared in accordance with the solid tire recipe and cured at 140°, 150°, 160°, and 170°C. The effect of molding forces on rubber-to-metal bonding is established by applying different force values. The use of “cushion gum” as adhesion medium is proposed as a new way of obtaining successful rubber-to-metal bonding. The effect of the thickness of cushion gum layer on bond strength is presented.