Thanks for the info Great White, I appreciate it.
I'm just looking to upgrade from the car tires I have on the truck now, without dumping tons of money on new tires. The Treadwrights can be shipped to my door for $170 each, BFG All Terrains would be $275 a tire. I do some towing but nothing major.
I haven't decided what direction to go yet, just want to get some opinions
Should be fine for light use.
I personally just don't trust retreads. I've been right there when a rig chucked a gator in front of me. Flew in front of the truck (and I had the full 8500 lbs on the hitch), missed me by what seemed like inches, hit the car in the next lane to me in his passenger side A pillar and damned near took the roof off. We were all going the same direction on a 4 lane. The guy in the car was so shaken he had to be removed from the scene by ambulance and it goes without saying the car was rollbacked. The semi driver never even stopped. I don't think he even knew since it shucked off the carcass like silly string and it was the passenger side rear outside tire on the trailer.
I really don't like treadwrights. As a company I mean. They seem pretty shady to me from their ad copy. For example:
Kedge Grip: Our own unique blend of crushed (recycled) glass and crushed walnut shell particle blended into our full grade truck rubber. Kedge Grip acts in a twofold way; first the walnut shell is designed to come out leaving small (approximately 1 mm) size pits in the tread surface that will act as additional siping and create more traction edges to grip the road. The second is the crushed glass which is designed to stay in longer and create a gritty surface to help anchor you to the road. Does it really work? Don’t take our word for it, read some of the testimonials. Also, check out the 4Wheeler magazine (though under a different name that we are not allowed to use any longer due to trademark issues) in the August 2009 issue. They consistently had excellent results with our Kedge Grip.
BS. Total BS.
They say the put walnut and crushed glass in to improve grip. Nothing grips like properly formulated tire rubber compounds. "Walnuts leave 1mm pits". So you've telling you tread surface is supposed to deteriorate and chunk? Holy crap. Then they try to tell make you believe the crushed glass is going to act like sand under your tires. Well, sand under tires is a disaster on dry roads, not to mention it is will be torn out of the tread surface PDQ under anything like power application since nearly nothing sticks to glass.
Let me tell you what that is really all about: Filler.
Less rubber, more waste products (crushed glass and walnut shell), less costs, more profit.
Those waste products are cheap as heck, rubber compound is expensive.
Don't even get me started on the fresh new sidewalks and no more ozone cracking like on standard recaps....
If I were to give you my suggestion it would be to ride out you "car tires" until they require replacement, save your buttons in the meantime and get the tires you want.
I know money is tight everywhere these days, but tires is not a place where I would make compromises. Brakes are the other place I won't compromise. Then steering. After that it would be exhaust. Those are the areas that will kill you if mr Murphy decides to stroll into your day.
You also don't need to buy BFG's. There are many other fine lower cost options out there. BFG'S tend to be pretty overpriced because of the brand name if you ask me. Good tires (have 'me on mine), but a touch overpriced IMO....I likely won't be replacing with the same next time around. Probably Load range E Michelins. Cooper make some good lower priced options and most seem happy with them, at least the guys I talk to do....