Getting Your Money's Worth from a Tire!

[Jackhartjr]

You may be surprised to know that 68 percent of tire carcasses on the road are from new tires, not recaps!
The trucking company I worked for over 40 years ago did tire testing for Goodyear and Bridgestone. The engineers were cool to be around.
I told one once that I had purchased a set of tires for my car that were supposed to get 80,000 miles.
He looked at me and said, "Well, if it's supposed to get that kind of mileage, how do you think stopping is going to work out!" Good point!

 

[BajaRon]

A retreads life expectancy can be based on the original carcus used and the care in grinding and prep that goes into it before it goes into the chamber. It's about a 50 /50 mix of new and retread alligators you see on the road, or hopefully on the side.

According to Google, 44% of all commercial truck tires in service are retreads.

 

[JKMSPYDER]

I think it is a federal law that a tractor trailer rig cannot have retreads on the front tires. Only on the rears.

 

[Snoking1127]

I think it is a federal law that a tractor trailer rig cannot have retreads on the front tires. Only on the rears.

That was true when I drove a gas tank in 1976-79. We ran Bandag recaps on the drivers and trailer. As I recall, I put 200 k miles on in the three years, all on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.

 

[Cobranut]

Big rigs still use retreads

Some do, but when I worked in Nuclear power, we wouldn't even load a trailer if the rig had a retread, or an old or worn tire, or anything else that didn't pass an inspection.
We wouldn't risk our inspection equipment, or the chance of a radioactive shipment having an accident.

Yes, they do. And if you meet up with one on 2-Wheels, it might change your outlook on life... No fun on 3-Wheels, but more fun than on 2!

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I've had two instances where a car ahead of me ran over a road gator and threw it up into my car.
Both caused pretty significant damage, with one being several thousand dollars.

 

[Jackhartjr]

I think it is a federal law that a tractor trailer rig cannot have retreads on the front tires. Only on the rears.

The no recaps on the steering axle exclusion applies to passenger carrying buses. Not trucks.

 

[EdMat]

The no recaps on the steering axle exclusion applies to passenger carrying buses. Not trucks.

True, but I don't know of any reputable company in the US that ran caps on the front.

 

[Jackhartjr]

True, but I don't know of any reputable company in the US that ran caps on the front.

Agreed, just clarifying information sir. Not being a smart you know what.

 

[EdMat]

Agreed, just clarifying information sir. Not being a smart you know what.

I know. I was just clarifying your clarification.

At one time we would have approximately 34,000 tires on the road on any given day, lots of them were Bandag's.

 

[BajaRon]

Maybe I should look into having this customer's tire retreaded!

I wonder if anyone has seen anything worse on a Spyder.

 

[Mikey]

According to Google, 44% of all commercial truck tires in service are retreads.

Yup I would believe that Ron, and on my way home from TN, I think I saw a lot of those all over the road in NY, holly crap!!!

 

[blacklightning]

That was true when I drove a gas tank in 1976-79. We ran Bandag recaps on the drivers and trailer. As I recall, I put 200 k miles on in the three years, all on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.
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Funny you should mention Bandag. My nephew worked for them a few years doing recaps. He left there and got into truck driving and is now an owner operator.