Needing new tires sometime this year and just came across this 315/75R16 GUARD DOG M/T (D) | Retread tires | Cheap truck tires | TreadWright
Needless to say it's super cheap, especially the shipping. I've heard mostly good stories about retreaded tires but was just wondering if anyone here has used them and what kind of results they've had with them.

 

Back in the '70s when I ws starting out I ran recaps often on my VW Bug, my '69 Dart Swinger 340, a '65 GTO, and my '70 Chevy CST-10 had a set.

Most were what were "hot recaps" which involved heat to vulcanize the new tread to the old casing, once was all they would recap a case. On that Dart or GTO, I've had them at 120+ and never lost a cap ..... usually I used recaps from Big Joe Leonard's Tire and Recapping in Lynchburg, Va. Had a little red label molded in the tread side that said "Big Joe's Diesel Drive Rubber". We even used them at New London Drag Strip. I'ld sometimes find a set of matched casings someone else was finished with, like "GoodYear Polyglass GTs" or "Uniroyal Tiger Paws" or maybe some "Firestone Wide Ovals". I was hard on tires then, lots of burnning rubber, chirping gears, hole shots, and out right drag races up Ward's Road from the light at Lendy's on the corner (later Arby's).

I onmce had a nice set of "GoodYear Polyglass GT" tires that were worn pretty bad given to me by a neighbor off a little miod '60s Ford F-100 SB, 2 GR70-15s and 2 LR60-15s. I had them capped at Big Joes using the "cold cap" process which used a Bandagg Cap, they wore like iron! Smooth, and looked great. Ran them on my CST-10 pickup.

Recaps were popular back then. I didn't know you could still get them .... like I said, I never had a cap thrown off.

 

I had a really scary experience with a blowout on the interstate with retreaded tires, and will never run them again. They will peel off like a roll of masking tape if the pavement is hot enough. Tires are the one thing that I will absolutely not skimp on. Retreaded tires are dangerous, and in my area at least, used tires are almost as expensive as new tires. It pays off in the long run to avoid the hassle and buy new. Obviously, though, others will have different experiences and opinions.

 

In the trucking industry, recapped tires are quite common, due to the cost. A recap can be 1/2 the price of new. They have one hard and fast rule though, no recaps on the steering axle. DOT sees a recap on the steering axle, and you're gonna get a rather hefty fine and big red sticker on the truck stating that it cannot be moved until the steer tires have been replaced.

There is another process called "Remolding", where the entire casing is covered with new rubber, and then placed into a mold similar to when the tire was first made, for revulcanization.

I'm not sure which type process treadwright uses, but I have heard lots of people raving about their tires. I haven't seen anyone say anything negative about them. They really seem to be popular with the off-road crowd, as they are much less money than new tires.

 

Years ago I used 9.50 16.5 caps. I only ever had one blow out & that was on the highway. Heat is the biggest enemy. Just running around town & short trips their fine, I would inspect them every 100 miles or so. I did send more than a few back though through the years I used them, some were not round, some wouldn't balance. Don't expect them to last long though, the ones I used to get wore out pretty fast.

 

I've run both retreads and re-caps for years. They're the same thing, recap is just an older term. A remoulded tire is a retread with new rubber applied from bead-to-bead. As long as you get the tires from someone who knows what they're doing, you'll have no problems. They even have nearly identical warranties, and remoulds usually have a higher load rating (which is why I like them) due to the additional sidewall.
Despite all the tires I've had, I've only experienced the scary unrolling that fmc400 had, on one occasion. That was on a trailer tire which was extremely overloaded. Surprisingly (to me) it happened in November in Wyoming on a big gradual turn on the highway The tire that went was the front, carrying the majority of the load. It took out the rear tire with it, which was why it was a "Scary" incident. Again though it was My fault; several years old, way too heavy, probably too fast, and I now couldn't tell you if it was properly inflated. I replaced them both with new retreads though!!

 

The people that run Tread Wright are old family friends of ours, they (Hawkins) used to be here in Northern Colorado as Hi-Tech Retread, but then moved for some reason.

They don't do the "normal" style retreading, but more like in-between a regular cap and the full re-vulcanized process.

Josh

 

I don't know but my two cents here is if I'm planning to keep the truck over the long haul, I think I'd just go for the new set, especially if the truck has been maintained nicely. Even tho there have marked improvements to recaps recently, I agree with FMC. I saw a friend who had recapped blow on him about 5 years ago which also did a good bit of damage to his fender. Turned out costing more than just a tire! Like I said...just my two cents! (after paying for gas anyway!)

 

Those tires look like they probably "repops" where they bascically grind of the old tread, grind the sidewall area and build the tire up with layers of raw rubber strips. Then the tire is put into a mold and vulcanized like a new tire. That process is much better than "retreads" where they basically glue a strip of tread material onto the tire. Retreads are the main reason you see rubber all over the highways and hear slapping on tons of class 8 trucks when you go by.

I always buy new tires and don't really trust remand tires but repops are much better than retreads IMO.

 

Like Rogue said, the trucking industry uses them all the time, we have over 125 trucks that each have 16 retreads on them. We don't have very many blowouts.

There is a reason they can't be run as a steering tire though. On the drive axles or trailer axles if you blow a tire there are other tires that can take the load.

I wouldn't run them on any single tire application.

 

My dad put a set of Treadwrights on his Jeep and they are good so far but he hasn't driven it far yet so I guess that doesn't help you much, lol


They did balance well though.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I did some more research here Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau as well as scouring the web for testimonials and found some very informative reading. It seems that 80% of airline tires are retreads as well as much of the trucking industry. The federal law on using them on a steer axle only applies to buses transporting passengers. Apparently in the last 3 years there have been a number of new regulations that have greatly improved recap/retreads (whatever you want to call it).

@Bullit390 Small world lol. So far I'm liking what I've seen from them. I know that they used to be Hi-tech tires and saw their tire reviewed in some offroad magazine (can't remember which) in 09 and the tires did very well. I can't even find a bad review on them!

$600 looks a whole lot better than $1200 for essentially the same tires (Goodyear Wrangler Mt/r). I just don't know if I can keep spending over 1000 for tires. I was already looking for some used TSL's or Geolanders (something in the $6-800 range) but it's hard to find them in good condition and in the right size. The more I read the better the Treadwrights sound. Plus they balance great, usually with under 2oz. I can't say that about the "real thing". Ok I think I've talked myself into it. lol

Thanks for the shared experience fellas.

 

With the walnut and glass filler in the rubber, Im curious how they will wear on gravel roads. Syping isnt a very good alternative on gravel roads as it tends to tear rubber from the tread. Maybe thats not a concern to you as it is to me because most of my driving is on back country roads. Just something to think about and if anyone else has any info as to how well they hold up in that environment Im all ears.

 

Check out their reviews and testimonials. Everything I've read leads me to think they wear "at least" as good as the original and resist grooves, cuts, and chunking better. A lot of people getting 40-50k miles out of them. Also you can get them without the Kedge grip if you want. It wont grip as good but will wear a little better.

 

I've had the exact tires your looking at on my old ford...and loved them...the treadwright shop is in the town i live in, and my family and friends have ran them for years...most people around here swear by them, and are the only tire they will ever buy...imo if your looking for a great CHEAP tire there is no better than treadwright.

PS. They are great in snow, and pretty decent in mud....only downside is it took a quite a few weights to get them balanced perfectly.