Retreads.......What's your take/experience.....

I had the best bandag retreads in the business on my truck when I got it. 3 of 4 untreaded themselves. Never on my truck will I run a retread.

At least 2 of the 3 times the casing lasted to the exit. So it wasn't a casing failure. Glue failed every time. So why bother? What's the point? I don't run things on my truck that leave me on the side of the highway.

 

Pilot here. Tires are not a big deal on a plane.

On a small plane, we land at 40mph. Even if a tire blew, it wouldn't have much impact on the landing. I've never seen an accident due to a tire, of course we inspect them before every flight.

 

I've put brand new Kelly's on drives a while ago at TA, first one started to throw bits of rubber in 2 days, replaced it what was available at the shop on the way, second went out on day 3, completely alligatored, replaced all of them with Kumho, ran 400k miles on those after, so I've had my share with "new" as well. Depends on batch, make, luck?

PS: first truck had half worn recaps when I got it, ran them to the flat, as I was just starting and not much cash, new after.

 

So like has been said I only cap my own casings all are 16 ply rough service mostly Yokohama and some Michelin I have been able to get up to 3 caps but mostly 2 caps after 2 they are usually too old, 5 to 6 years old being the limit. Last year I had 2 cap failures the tires were 10 and 11 years old they had been purchased back in the recession and did not get used much the dump truck business was slow they spent years on my pup trailers but had been capped twice, after those 2 failures I went and looked at all my old trailer tires and found more tires in the 9 to 12 year old range I took all of them off and replaced with mostly virgin tires. I only get 40K miles on a set of Yokohama drive tires new or caped it's about the same and that is with a tread depth of 30/32 or more when I used to run a regular tire with 26/32 I only get about 25K the trucks run about 40K miles a year I go through a lot of tires. When I order a new truck I get the Michelins they get about 50K miles but when its time for replacement the cost per 32th is more than the Yokohama's, steer tires milage is similar to the drive tires. I do short runs usually less than 30 miles each way and speed limit is 55 and we don't run over 63 so all you guys running 80 plus may not want to do what I do, hell most new tires aren't rated over 70. My Lowbed truck and 16 tire Lowbed run only virgin tires and on the trailer I only run continental 215/75/17.5 they seem to be the most dependable tire in that size.

 

Interesting thread

I don’t run retreads nor have I ever done so but I do have 6 Michelin take offs ( XZE2 ) in really good shape
In the past I’ve never had any problem trading them in as I pull my tires long before they’re all tore up and was thinking of getting them retreaded and seeing how that goes

I do pull a 53’ flatbed with slide

What’s the reason for not putting retreads on a slide?

 

I’ve never ran them. Prefer almost any tire over a cap. However I’m considering buying them for my trailer. Saw a set of caps, molded so well,that I almost couldn’t tell they were caps.

 

Well I didn't think about a slide.....I had in mind the more the traditional spreads without the slide. It always seemed like those spreads without the slide, those tires wear out faster. I can listen to how hard those tires get worked when .along turns ir backing,.especially when I used to haul pipe or lumber, those loads that go the length of the trailer.

 

I have a spread with a slide
Thanks do drop the bags or lift the front axle though when turning and parking so I assume with how I run that the recaps would be ok or better doing the air release or lift?

 

Oh yeah!!! In your case it'd be ok.....your tires will roll instead of scrape.. You'll longer life out of those tires because you have those features, especially when you're deadheading. Lifting that front axle is really good when you're deadheading or loaded real light. I pull reefers and dry boxes now, and I slide the axles all the way to the front when empty. The tires stay rolling when turning or backing instead of scraping the pavement. The tires rolling and aired up is what gives them the longest life.

 

Been running cap on and off for almost 30 years. Can only remember a few problems. Back in 95 in tire threw the cap. In 2114 had a blow out.
My tractor is on its second set of Michelin recaps, got 190k out of first set. Put 110k on my current set and they are about 50%