Retread Mud tires???

"aGraham" wrote

I used to run retreads exclusively on my Ford truck. I never had one fail and the price was right.

Tractor trailers run retreads all the time. If they are done right they could be ok.

They likely would have their own wear and grabbing specs though according to the tread material.

Some muds like BFG's last a long time while others wear out quick.

Their site doesn't say if they use the fancy diamond tech on the retreads, but if they did it would be interesting.

The size link doesn't work.

Mike

aGraham wrote:

Seldom on a steering axle...

If this is a trail rig with very limited hwy use, I'd go for it. Keep in mind that when a retread blows, it tends to throw the entire cap leaving the casing on the rim... this may result in body damage.

-Brian

that may be something I may not want on a fiberglass body....... still thinking......

You are right, forgot that. They use them on drive or pull tires.

I still have used retreads on all 4 on cars before and had no issues.

Wonder how they would stand up to airing down....?

Mike

I too have a glass body and well... It sure would get wrecked if my

For the cost of off road tires, if the retreads were any good I would think folks would be using them.....

Mike

aGraham wrote:

There is nothing wrong with a good retread.

Only problem is, you need to know the reputation of the retread company and the quality of their workmanship. There is no way to visually inspect the tire for the differences between a quality retread vs. a Maypop.

Robert Bills KG6LMV Orange County CA

And all those big slabs of black stuff littering along western highways ain't black corn nachos.

Except of course on those occasions where we don't see the carcass, but only the tread which has separated from the carcass and been flung sometimes almost completely intact along the side of the highway and is easily recognizable from the shape of the debris and that it is just the tread and not the carcass. And lacks the look of a tread which came loose from the carcass that was not from a retread.

Plus you can often see parked trucks with treads in the process of separating from the carcass. Most truckers I've met appreciate a warning of such.

Long ago, Pirelli used to have these goofy tires that were nothing but the carcass. You bought the carcass and then the desired tread.

I would never use re-treads, and I think they should be outlawed from the highway. They are dangerous when they let go, and they litter the highway causing additional hazards for other motorists.

-- JimG

"> I would never use re-treads, and I think they should be outlawed from the

Whether they come from caps or not, they really get your attention when you are on a bike.

Jim, That is a broad and ill-informed statement but you're not alone in your thinking ... in fact, virgin tire blowouts constitute 2/3 of the rubber on the road.

-Brian

Well... I don't know... that does come from proponents off re-treading.

You notice that about all of those "gators" come off the trailer... they put "real tires" on the tractor (especially the steering wheels).

JimG

that is a meaningless statistic without knowing the ratio of new tires to retread tires though.

Dave Milne, Scotland

Jim, Sure, that website is pro retread and they are biased (no pun intended) but what you are reading is factual. What they don't tell you (and the reason I don't like retreads) is that they don't last nearly as long as virgin casings. I have issue with the wear rate, not the failure rate.

At work I can get 500,000 kms from a set of drive tires (2.5 yrs), the company then replaces them with caps and I am lucky to get 200,000 kms out of them (1 yr). The lugs aren't as deep - poor winter traction and they don't ride as smooth. I can justify all day long why my truck should run on virgin rubber but the fact is, retreads are cheaper in the long run in almost any application.

You would be surprised how few trailers are running retreads. Using my fleet as an example, I would estimate of 2500+ trailers maybe 15 to 20% are running retreads. While it's almost a given that most fleets replace with retreads, trailers only see a fraction of the mileage a tractor does... most see 5-6 yrs from a set of virgins.

-Brian

: > Jim, : > That is a broad and ill-informed statement but you're not alone in your : > thinking ... in fact, virgin tire blowouts constitute 2/3 of the rubber on : > the road. : >

: > -Brian : >

: >

: :

Not necessarily... if the perception is that all rubber on the road is from retreads than the statistics prove otherwise. However if your argument challenges the failure rate of retreads versus virgins per capita, then the stats are invalid. The website tackles the misconceptions of retreads and certainly they will pick and choose statistics to support their industry.

-Brian