Retreads any good for IDI use?

[912504x4]

I have been running a set of ex-military goodyear 36's on my truck for about a year and it is about time to start looking for a different set.
I have found it hard to locate 33"+ tall tires for my 16.5 rims under $180each.
Was thinking I might try a set of retreads on the truck from one of those ads in the back of a 4x4 magazine.
I used a set on one of my jeeps for a while once and I remember that I had to fill them pretty full to get the tire to ride correctly. I think because it was such a light vehicle. (no such problem with IDI)

Has anyone tried them?
What have you experienced good or bad?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Agnem]

I used to run retreads all the time on my Maverick, but I had one peel off on the right front, and ruin my turn signal, so I vowed to stay away from them. I guess the reality is that recaps are great until they peel off. So if you choose to use them to save money, I think eventually the money you save will be spent on repairs anyway. I usually try to squirrel away about $800 for a set of 35 X 12.5 X 16.5's for the Moose Truck over the course of a few years, and then I can afford to replace them without a lot of strain.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I wouldn't hesitate to use recaps on a farm or local truck but once you are running on the highway I would not. Fleets will only run them because of the enormous cost savings, but most owner / operators will not.

Like Mel says, you will lose the money you saved the first time a recap peels off.

 

[apextrans]

I don't know if the same holds true for light trucks, but it is forbidden to run caps on a class 8 truck for the reason Mel described. Used to run them on the back of my tow truck & always had problems. IMHO I would stay away from them.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Like agnem and roboto say,

good in cool weather, close to home, and in situations where tires are subject to short life from cuts, punctures, etc. such as a scrap-yard or construction site.

If you can wear the tread out on your tires before they have to be replaced, then stay with ****** casings.

My own observation is that the savings start to disappear as the tire size gets smaller and anything below a twenty inch real truck tire starts to cost close to the price of a less popular brand ****** tire.

For instance, say you are using a popular brand tire that costs $150, you can more than likely buy a "generic" or "chinese" new ****** tire for less money than a recap.

There was a new Dodge, in the shop yesterday, that had a ****** radial to throw it's tread at speed.

The entire left front fender, headlight, bumper trim, and all was gone--torn off, along with the nice genuine mirror on the driver door that are getting so hard to come by.

Though this was not a recap failure, it is similar to much of the damage that I see every day that is caused by retread tires.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I don't know if the same holds true for light trucks, but it is forbidden to run caps on a class 8 truck

It has always been illegal on the FRONT STEER AXLE of any commercial truck, regardless of class/size.

They are perfectly legal on all DRIVE AXLES and all TRAILERS.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Could always try here and grab an account. There are some pretty sweet deals at times.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

It has always been illegal on the FRONT STEER AXLE of any commercial truck, regardless of class/size.

They are perfectly legal on all DRIVE AXLES and all TRAILERS.

I was gonna say the same thing. Lots of fleet big trucks run recaps. The new tires start on the front, get recapped and go on the rear and the ones that actually survice long enough to wear thin go on the trailers.

You can tell the O/O trucks because they have all ****** tires. The O/O's run heavier and run faster. Well except the Russian O/O's. They just buy used tire carcasses and run them. Who needs tread?

 

[Freight_Train]

There is a place across from the plant that sells Hmmvee tires(both Bias and Radials).They are used but 75-95% tread left.I think last time I was there they were asking 65 or 85 each.

 

[apextrans]

Virgins all the way around my trucks.....of course one truck is new.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I went to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, with a guy that had permits to attend military sealed-bid auctions.

Outside, in chain-link lots of about an acre each, were tens of thousands of surplus 16.5 Goodyear Wrangler R/T Humvee tires, in stacks way over my head and so close that there was hardly room to walk the aisles.

There were new-never-used to nearly slick, some damaged beyond use, and others good to go.

The catch is that each fenced area was considered a "lot" item and all went for one bid; I mean several semi-trailer loads in each lot.

At a military sale, they are adamant about you taking absolutely all of the lot that you bid on, junk and unwanted stuff, along with the good, everything that you bid on.

Failure to comply to the letter can lose your permit and land you in the brig.

We get maybe one request per year for any size 16.5 tire, so I would predict that whoever ended up with all those Hummer tires is still sitting on most of them.

 

[shorthair]

when i was a O/O i used caps but only those done on my own cases & then only bridgestone run em out & cap twice then replace at about 700,000 -800,000 miles worked good for me.

 

[tonkadoctor]

I have found it hard to locate 33"+ tall tires for my 16.5 rims under $180each.

Here you go $82.45 for 35 x 12.5R16.5 http://www.nebraskatire.com/lt_truck/lt_to.htm

Shipping is $15 each. I've used these before and had no problems. Mostly cosmetic blems give them a call.

Your next best option for those sizes would be to get some more MIL take offs on ebay or a few of the other venders that hit the govt auctions.

IMHO recaps are junk. Had so many pop the sidewalls or blow the tread out when I was trucking it wasn't funny, had one blow north of Mobile Alabama hauling 44,000 lbs of paper when hurrican George went through and could'nt get it fixed till I got to Hammond,LA...nothing was open and no power anywhere......nothing left but 4" of sidewall hanging on the rim by the time I got there praying the other didn't blow. I didn't run them on my tractors but you can't control what the companies put on their trailers.

 

[tonkadoctor]

It has always been illegal on the FRONT STEER AXLE of any commercial truck, regardless of class/size.

They are perfectly legal on all DRIVE AXLES and all TRAILERS.

UPS runs repops on the steers of their delivery trucks, I was shocked when I saw that a couple months ago on his truck and asked my UPS driver about it. He says they have always run caps all the way around on their trucks

 

[912504x4]

Dangit!

I just ordered in a set of 4 33x12.50x16.5 coopers tires from the local shop...............................Now I see those Nebraska tire deals I want to puke.............I could have saved $176.00 for the set of 4 after shipping & taxes.

I have saved the link so next time I will be ready.

Thank you very much,
Eric