How would these look on my truck?

[Dszx13]

I got cooper at/3s 265/75R16 an so far i like em. Got about 600 miles on em

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[bluex]

Retreads.

No thank you.

And yes, they are retreads. They use the old carcass (or another, perhaps more "questionable" brand) and instead of just recapping the tread face they recap the sidewall with it:

https://www.treadwright.com/c-51-bead-to-bead-remolds.aspx

That original 60,000+ mile carcass is still in there and a rubber "condom" is vulcanized over it.

This way, the can use any carcass they want as the core instead of you being able to see what it is.

You could have old ozone cracked damaged carcasses in there, you could even have cut sidewalls that have seen a sharp rock ledge on the trail.

You could buy 4 of them and they could all have different belt count's as they can now use whatever carcass in the right size is waiting on the shop floor.

Call it better if you want, I call it just another way to be damned deceitful about what they are selling you.

The words (from the link above) "Bead-to-bead is a process of applying new rubber veneer to the remolded tire's sidewalls, significantly enhancing the tire’s cosmetic appearance and long-term performance." Tells me all I need to know about them. A "veneer" is a cosmetic coverup, nothing more. "Long term performance" is a lie. Recaps are always a questionable thing.

OTR trucks use them to reduce running costs. Works for them in that capacity even if they leave "gators" all over the the place.

They likely got called out by big for recapping their tires and reselling them with BFG sidewall markings. Hence the need to "cover them up". I always wondered how they got away with marketing bfg's copyrighted/patented tread design without getting the arses sued off them. Guess they finally got their tails caught in a crack and had to come up with a way to call them their own tire design.

But, People buy them, people use them, people never have a problem with them.

But if you do anything besides drive your truck back and forth to work (ie: towing, hauling heavy loads, etc) I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole....

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:



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....

You're still comparing these to semi retreads which are completely different from what treadwright does. Its a completely different process and they would not use carcass like you describe. They have a strict inspection the carcass goes through before its used. They would not use one like you describe.

I dont have a set of these as it wound up being cheaper for me to buy new tires and rims at the same time and save the mounting and balancing charge. But these were high on my list and I did a lot of research on them. Most people who are saying they are dangerous are always comparing them to semi recaps and have never used them (much like you). Yes there have been some who have had legitimate problems with them. But for every real problem post/review I could find about them there were 20+ more positive reviews and people who had no issues and good service out of them. If they were as crappy as you think do you think they would still be in business????

I dont know about this new bead to bead stuff though, they weren't doing that back when I was looking into them about this time last year. I do know that they would use a matched set of carcass or as close to it as the could. So you wouldn't be getting some that were older than others, they would also be the same brand and they would resurface the white letters if you asked. Another reason for them to all match....

I wasn't going to get the kedge grip as it reduces the overall treadlife so I didnt look into that.

 

[great white]

You're still comparing these to semi retreads which are completely different from what treadwright does. Its a completely different process and they would not use carcass like you describe. They have a strict inspection the carcass goes through before its used. They would not use one like you describe.

I dont have a set of these as it wound up being cheaper for me to buy new tires and rims at the same time and save the mounting and balancing charge. But these were high on my list and I did a lot of research on them. Most people who are saying they are dangerous are always comparing them to semi recaps and have never used them (much like you). Yes there have been some who have had legitimate problems with them. But for every real problem post/review I could find about them there were 20+ more positive reviews and people who had no issues and good service out of them. If they were as crappy as you think do you think they would still be in business????

I dont know about this new bead to bead stuff though, they weren't doing that back when I was looking into them about this time last year. I do know that they would use a matched set of carcass or as close to it as the could. So you wouldn't be getting some that were older than others, they would also be the same brand and they would resurface the white letters if you asked. Another reason for them to all match....

I wasn't going to get the kedge grip as it reduces the overall treadlife so I didnt look into that.

Say what you want, do what you want. Recaps are recaps and that's the last i have to say on that.

 

[bluex]

Say what you want, recaps are recaps...

sorry but your trying to scare him away from something you have no experience with by comparing it to a totally different product/process. Its like saying don't buy a dodge because ford makes a crappy truck....

To the OP, if you're truly interested in treadwrights take the time to do some research on them and their process. Then research how a semi tire is retreaded. You will see the differences in the two processes. Then look at reviews and other forums for opinions, ignoring those who compare them to semi tires since you now know the difference between the two.

Call treadwright too, they will answer questions as well. There are a lot of people out there happy with those tires and even some who get 60k miles worth of service out of them. Good luck on your tire decision, it drove me crazy for about 3 months....

 

[great white]

sorry but your trying to scare him away from something you have no experience with by comparing it to a totally different product/process. Its like saying don't buy a dodge because ford makes a crappy truck....

To the OP, if you're truly interested in treadwrights take the time to do some research on them and their process. Then research how a semi tire is retreaded. You will see the differences in the two processes. Then look at reviews and other forums for opinions, ignoring those who compare them to semi tires since you now know the difference between the

Sorry, but you're wrong. All banging your head is going to do is get you a bloody forehead.

I used and example of a semi trailer tire I had direct life threatening experience with and you are drawing your inference from that.

I have lots of experience with both OTR recaps and ones on light vehicles. Both mounting, balancing and running them.

Yes, I've used recaps before. When I was young (er) and poor (er).

I've even had a few tours of recap shops. Yes, I wasn't always in the airforce as an engineer. I started out as a "carded" auto technician many moons ago. I explored pretty much all aspects of the industry at one time or another, trying to find my place in it.

I've seen them fail on both OTR trucks and light vehicles, I've also seen them run long and strong on both.

But without question, I've seen more recaps fail than "one run" tires for things that couldn't be classified as "road hazard". Everything from tread chunking to belt failures.

I know enough about them to know the guys building them know exactly what to say to you and exactly how to sell them.

To address the "totally different process":

There's only two process for applying tread face to an already cured carcass. Unless they are reflowing the entire tire carcass (which would destroy it and render it unusable), they're hot vulcanizing or cold retreading.

Both these methods are also used to retread OTR truck tires. If they are telling you different or that they've invented a "new" process: they're lying, or at best being very deceptive.

Hot vulcanizing is by far the better process and what their "bead to bead" would be as scuffing the sidewall and cold application of surface would fail. Cold retreading is essentially winding a new tread face over and old carcass under tension. In inelegant terms: snapping a rubber band over it.

So to say I don't know what I'm talking about or haven't had experience with them is dead wrong.

If you're really tight for cash and need a set of cheap tires, it's worth the gamble. It will probably work out fine.

If you're not tight for cash, don't cheap out. Get new.

Here's a thought for consideration: think about those happy 60,000 mile recap customers. Those carcasses probably have 120,000 on them at that point as they've already worn one tread face off. Twice as much mileage as they were originally designed to deal with. Twice as much heating and flexing as they were originally designed to deal with. And as long as the carcass hasn't been punctured or thrown and obvious belt, they may be on a third time around. That's 180,000......couldn't happen you say? Very unlikely you say? Where do you think those happy 60,000 mile recap customers (actually 120,000) are going to go for their next set of tires and where do you think their "worn outs" are going to go.......

No thank you....not for this chumley...not for something as critical as tires.


This is not meant to be confrontational or mean spirited. Just addressing the points raised.

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

The young and poor statement is why I will probably buy from them... My only other option would be something like starfire tires...

 

[great white]

The young and poor statement is why I will probably buy from them... My only other option would be something like starfire tires...

Give 'em a go then.

As I said before: they will probably be fine.

 

[Tavi]

Well if your poor and up for a gamble. I've had great luck with used tires. Can usually find 2 pairs matching. And at 20 bucks a pop. can't complain.

But I'm older now and wiser. And will take my luck eating top roman and good tires.

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

Well if your poor and up for a gamble. I've had great luck with used tires. Can usually find 2 pairs matching. And at 20 bucks a pop. can't complain.

But I'm older now and wiser. And will take my luck eating top roman and good tires.

Haha, been there done that on both counts, still love me some top roman though. Problem is, everyone else is in the poor house also around here so tires are shot by time they get replaced... Killing me.