Rubber cement and tire with fabricated tire tread

A cement for use with an uncured tire tread rubber strip is provided. The cement comprises, based on parts by weight per 100 parts by weight rubber (phr): (A) at least one diene-based elastomer; (B) 500 to 4000 phr of an organic solvent having a vapor pressure of less than 0.01 kPa at 20°C, where the solvent is or comprises a petroleum distillate having a boiling point of at least 220°C; (C) a silica coupling agent having a moiety interactive with said diene-based elastomer(s) and another moiety reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on silica, where the silica coupling agent is or comprises at least one of: (1) bis (3-trialkylsilylpropyl) polysulfide containing an average of from 2 to 4 connecting sulfur in its polysulfidic bridge, or (2) organoalkoxymercaptosilane; and (D) sulfur and at least one sulfur cure accelerator. The cement comprises up to 30 phr of silica. Preferably, the cement is essentially silica free. Also, a pneumatic tire comprising an assembly of rubber components including an outer circumferential uncured tread rubber strip with opposing ends of the tread rubber strip joined to form a splice is disclosed. The tire comprises said cement between the opposing ends of the uncured tread rubber strip. Finally, a method of preparing a pneumatic tire is disclosed.