New tires or Recaps?

Live and learn. Life's a garden, dig it!

 

I'm Running 8 Caps on my drives and haven't had a blow out. and they haven't came off the case either. i keep them at 110 cold and check them every time Start a trip

 

just put 8 Michelin XDN2 treads on my drives had em installed on my Continental casings. I sent the ones that were on it, wore out Continentals with Michelin HT drive tread, out to be capped for another truck. I've been running my casings and caps for years never had an issue. 200 a tire compare to 600 a tire. Same exact tread same life expectancy. I wish all decisions were as easy.

 

Yes, Cooper spun off their commercial tire business under the Roadmaster brand sending the molds to a mfg facility in China. *I think*

 

Speaking of Roadmaster tires, does anyone know where to find their rolling resistance? I've searched for it but no luck...

 

when i ran dump trucks 2 tandems 11/24 tube type 70k gross 2 tri axles 11/24.5 and 12/24.5 80k gross i started out using caps which lasted on an average of 35k miles and every summer i would have failures.
I started to keep track of the down time and costs for on site repairs and decided to try going to new tires.
The recaps "Bandag" lasted on an average of 35k miles, the new 11/24 tube type Bridgestone lasted on an average of 55k miles and the casings were worth $150.00, the tubeless i ran Dunlop which averaged around 50k miles with a return of $125.00 per casing.
The tube type Bridgestones at the time were $375.00 after casing return the tire cost me $225.00, if i decided to cap those casings that cost was $150.00, so by going new it cost me $75 a tire more vs cap.
The tubeless costs were similar in my costs going new, about $75 a tire more vs cap.

In less then a year i realized that new tires in my application was the only way to go, one blown tire and the truck was loosing money for that day and into the next day.
This was a few years back, and recaps are much better today, but i still see them on the side of the road during the summer months, and in a heavy application i would never go back to a recap tire, they do not hold up under heavy conditions.

 

caps are actually built to a higher standard. I have blown out more new tires than caps.

 

How do you know they are caps? I had a new tire lose its tread once the casing still held air just no tread on the tire. Look like a cap pealed off it but it was a virgin.

I run up to 112000 on a regular 5 axle truck and trailer with a spread on the trailer. I only have 40k rears so I make sure its heavier on the spread. The trailer has 3 bag 30k axles. Running 11R24.5 16 plys we are sometimes a little over the tire capacity. Guess what? They're caps and I've never had an issue with them. They last just as long as the same virgin tread. Which by the way is not very long. XZEs only last about 45k. The Continental HSRs go about 70k but they don't make that compound/tread in a cap. I can buy 3 caps for the price of 1 HSR and go about twice as far. I only cap them twice for that trailer but I might make them drives or another trailer cap that does not see the abuse after that.
Tire pressure management is the key to ANY tire and casing life! Lots of drivers talk a good game but few play it well. That is why I only cap my casings. If one of my casings ever has a issue that I'm not sure if it's been run soft I mark it, finish wearing it out then scrap it.
If you have a blown tire not related to road hazard there are 2 causes. Mfg defect which applies to new and caps alike. the most common, failure of the driver to maintain proper pressure, assuming you are using a reputable capper. It's my opinion that most trucks on the side of the road are there because of driver neglect not because of a recapped tire.

 

Do you understand axle weight and how it is distributed, you are comparing a 65' to 70' truck at up to 112k with 5 axles vs 3 axles at a 18' to 21' at 70k and 80k and heavier.
Your opinion is wrong when it come to me because the tire failures ended when i went with new vs caps, the only neglect i have ever had was not going new sooner.

 

Like I said I run heavy on the spread like 60000+ that's on 2 axles. Yes you can neglect a new tire longer than a cap because a cap has probably already had some life removed.
And you will have help me "understand" how truck length and distribution matters. Axle weight is axle weight.

I don't mean to sound insulting.
I stand by my opinion.