Treadwright or wrong?

[SGaynor]

If a 40 ft trailer loses a tire, there are three more on that axle, and at least one on that corner. Yeah, it presents a dangerous situation, but not as bad as a vehicle with only four tires, of off-pavement size, losing one in a catastrophic delamination. You don't want that to happen at all.

This.

How many times have you had to dodge the carcass of a delaminated tire on the highway? Too many to count. And a lot of fleets won't use retreads on the front wheels (steering), but just the drive and trailer axles with multiple wheels.


Long ago (about 30 years) I bought a beater used car for my last couple years of college. On a trip home (just a few months after buying it) from SW Va to NJ, the rear driver tire partially delaminated at ~60 mph. The freaky steering combined with a 6" wide strip (about 2' long) of tread slapping the underside of my car a few hundred times a second damn near gave me a heart attack. It flattened my tail pipe, too.

When I got home and took it to a tire shop was when I learned about retreads, which is what the rear tires were. Replaced them right then and there.

After that experience, I'll never use a retread in anything that goes over 20 mph. Your mileage (risk tolerance) may vary.

 

[ukoffroad]

I would think retreads 30 years ago would not be the same?

 

[kennith]

I would think retreads 30 years ago would not be the same?

There are only so many ways to get a skinny cat.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[SGaynor]

I would think retreads 30 years ago would not be the same?

I see retread carcasses on the highway all the time. Some must still be failing.

I don’t want to be driving one of the ones that does.

Anecdotal or not, in 30+ years of driving, I’ve not had a “true” tire fail. I’ve had a retread fail.

Like I said, you may have a different risk tolerance for your tires when doing 80mph.

 

[ukoffroad]

If my IIA ever hits 80 mph it is because it was pushed out of an airplane.

 

[kennith]

If my IIA ever hits 80 mph it is because it was pushed out of an airplane.

I'd imagine most people on the road are paying closer attention to that vehicle than they would others, and depending upon the size you're running, some tires are only available in remanufactured form; but they're going to be much more carefully made.

To genuinely pull off a retread that's as good or close to the original, it takes just as much thought, equipment, and precision as it does to make a new tire. A hand full of companies have been doing that for a very long time; but typically at new tire price points and higher for high end custom vehicles and restorations. Treadwright ain't on that list.

In order to keep the factory wheels on my Infiniti, for example, I'd probably have to move to retreads eventually. Right now, there's only one good tire available for the vehicle; the General RT43, and I don't expect them to keep that up for much longer. If it's still running at that point, I'll need to buy some wheels and adapters.

I've really been scratching my head about that thing. It needs a fair bit of service, and it's got over 200,000 miles on it, but damn it's an amazing car. It had a rough time with the previous owner. It was a high school car, a college car, and essentially a demolition derby car given the driving habits.

It really ticks me off that nobody makes anything like that today.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Blueboy]

In order to keep the factory wheels on my Infinit

So, you own a Nissan.

 

[kennith]

So, you own a Nissan.

True.

That said, it's not just any Nissan. It's a P11 Infiniti G20T, which is a Nissan Primera, but kitted out with leather, a clutch that's slick as snot on a doorknob, a VERY aggressive limited slip differential, an interior that I think is quite pretty (if entirely lacking in useful cup holders) and pretty much tailor made to drive sideways.

It's also incredibly comfortable, and once cleaned up, that interior is just as solid as it was in 2000 when it was made.

It's just getting old, had a rough life, and needs service. If it hadn't been run into pretty much everything on the road, I'm sure it would be almost flawless today.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Blueboy]

Nice. Having lived in Tokyo in the late 90s saw some pretty interesting cars.
This show has some interesting ones as well:

 

[4Runner]

I know it’s just my opinion, but tires are the worst place to save money. i try not to over pay but feel like if an extra 4 or 5 hundred dollars keeps me from having one accident then it’s totally worth it. I have been in a few spots that were really hard on tires and don’t even want to think how a failure would have changed my future. Really, even for a trailer rig, there are places I think a tire going out would be less than ideal. Not to say that better tires don’t blow out, but I try and limit my exposure where I can.

 

[kennith]

Nice. Having lived in Tokyo in the late 90s saw some pretty interesting cars.
This show has some interesting ones as well:View attachment 57635

I've never seen that before. Generally, I only watch Clarkson's crew, so far as car stuff is concerned, and a few YouTubers.

If I watch something like that, I'll want to rice something out again, and that's not the best plan right now.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Blueboy]

Yes, I’m a Clarkson gang of merry men as well.
JDM is an alternative to the usual crap shown on TV these days.

 

[Frobisher]

To bring this back full circle for the sake of closure, thanks for all the input. I ended up acquiring some slightly used BFG Mud Terrains from a friend. Cheaper than new and nicer than remolded. We'll see how they do. Thanks again for the conversation. It's never dull when you ask opinions here!

 

[kennith]

To bring this back full circle for the sake of closure, thanks for all the input. I ended up acquiring some slightly used BFG Mud Terrains from a friend. Cheaper than new and nicer than remolded. We'll see how they do. Thanks again for the conversation. It's never dull when you ask opinions here!

That's a much better move. Used tires are available readily, and people have trouble shipping them, so they're cheaper in Rover sizes; sometimes free after people in more rural areas get fed up with trying to get rid of them.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Blueboy]

sometimes free after people in more rural areas get fed up with trying to get rid of them.

Naw, we just throw them in the woods by the neighbors house.