Simann

Searching feaverishly for the "best deal" I intend to pay no more than I have to for quality tires.

My friend, that has been in business building a selling and racing race cars, used to deal re-treaded tires and still runs them on his cars (daily drivers). They still have a 1% failure rate as the same as "new" tires.

They are typically (and I have concured) 50% CHEAPER than new tires and are just as good on wear and drivability.

Now, the point is, how many of you guys on here run retreads?
And where did you get them? ( I found a couple of places...one local)


-Jonathan

maxpower_hd

I don't care what they claim about the 1% failure rate. I've seen WAY too many treads laying on the highway for me to buy them for my vehicle. A friend of mine is a service manager for Ryder Truck Leasing. Ryder WILL NOT use retreaded tires on any of there tractors/trucks.

If I really wanted to save money, I would hunt around and find some used ones before I bought retreads.

woolsocks

I agree with maxpower. Now if they were only for wheelin then it might be different, but i wouldnt run them on the interstate at high speeds.

celica

semis run them all the time - but they have sets of 2 so it isn't as big of a deal when one blows - but I wouldn't do it on a single tire (non - dually) I don't think the trucker do it on the fronts - only backs & trailers

Simann

You must remember that those Semi trucks are hauling thousands of pounds more load than a 4runner could ever.

I find no problem driving my 4runner around town/highway. 80mph is the most I will ever touch in it anyways in lue of the rollover rates of SUV's anywho, its not a speed deamon.

I think I will try them out.

T0R3D

Bottom line - If you think they are safe enough to run on your vehicle at highway speeds then do it. If your buddy has been doing it on his vehicles w/o problem then there ya go!

shiftless89

What you don't realize on those gatorbacks on the highway. Most of those tire carcass's are not from retreads but entire tires comming apart. If you look closely at one and see wires from the belting, it is not the retread part! Most tractor blow outs are from trailer tires being improperly inflated and/overloaded ( I replaced/repaired hundreds during my college carreer working a truck stop). that being said you are not supposed to run retreads at reduced pressure

Simann

Well in general, I was just seeing who uses them on here, not really looking for any insight.

Its not a very talked about piece in the car realm.

Bill

In Canada it's actually illegal to run re-treads on the front, they must be new. The government saying that semis are only aloud to run re-treads on dually's has got to tell you something.

metalhed

I ran them on my 84 pu
go them form the retread place in South Dakota, Hi Tech retreading?
cheap in price and they wore out in about 30k, these were the stock sized mud tires

I would use them again

If I remember correctly, OTR trucks can NOT run retread on the fronts, this includes buses, all fronts must be new.
OTR tires are not cheap, $300 for a new tire or $150 for retread and you have 10 tires on the tractor alone and another 8 on the trailer
lots of dough

PistonSlap

Retreads suck. They are almost impossible to balance and you have no idea the condition of the original tires. Not to mention you are lucky to get 20K out of them. They are going to cost you a lot more money in the long run, and if you ever have one come a part you are going to lose even more by having to repair body damage. I would go with an cheap generic house brand tire before I would go with a retread.

Yes big rigs use them, but you are also talking about a tire that has an all steel casing. Totally different tire than what is used on a passenger car.

surf4runner

i think thats the same deal down here.

the technology has improved, but i dont trust them at high speed