Please outlaw retreads!

That’s because you did a pre-trip inspection. It’s not the norm around here, even though there is pretrip book in every truck saying otherwise. No footprints in the fresh snow around a truck seems to prove it over and over to me.

And you’re correct, the vast majority of catastrophic tire failures start with under-inflation. Virgin casings or retreads alike.

Having had a tour of a OTR retread plant, seeing the processes used to inspect the casing, and having helped maintain a few hundred or so retreaded tires at a time, I wouldn’t hesitate to run retreads on a non-steering axle. But correct pressure, matching casing brands, and tread depth is needed to get good results.

And not all retreads are equal. The Bandag process is a good one IMHO.

 

Is there any data that compares the failure rate of retreads and new tires to each other or studies that actually control for applicable factors of failure?

 

In their defense, you can't even feel one tire go on the back of a trailer. But I definitely feel the frustration as I've been behind a truck when one of the tires go

 

There was a pretty extensive study done by UofM and the findings were that out of all the tire fragments tested from the road under 15% were failures from manufacturing. The other 85% was either maintenance or road hazard.

I ran 2 sets of TW's and besides being a PITA to get balanced well I never had any problems with them. Not sure if I'd buy them again just because last time I checked there was only about $100 difference between them and new tires.

 

That's why I always taught our motorcycle students to pass semis quickly and with space. Never hang around them. I do the same when I'm in my vehicles. STEER CLEAR!

 

My dad was an ABATE instructor.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but, I thought that in most states in the USA, you’re not allowed to put retreads on the tractor of your vehicle? If my memory serves me well, I can vaguely remember some time ago that retreads can only be placed on the trailer portion of a tractor trailer? Can anyone please confirm?

 

I have retreads on the drives and lift axle. I work city so I'm grinding tires off twisting and turning. Go through two sets a year or more. Steerable lift axle is nice. Big sign on back "stay back 200 feet" that's over 12 car lengths. And also on the gate

 

I like your drawing

 

Just follow so close I cant see ya in my mirrors. It's all good