4 ms·

It's common for aircraft and other heavy duty equipment's tires to be retreaded. Seems like a reasonable thing to do on passenger vehicles if it can be scaled.

mikestew 5y ago
It used to be done for passenger car tires. A quick search says one can still find recapped tires if determined. But why isn't it more common, when it was common about 40-50 years ago? Well, that time began to approach the time I spent as a mechanic, and the reason was cheap, imported tires that were starting to come out of Asian factories. I can sell you a retread, or you can have a brand new tire from some off-brand for about the same money, and guess which was chosen more often? This link seems to line up with what I remember from 40 years ago: https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/treadwright-blog/are-retread-tires-illegal https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/treadwright-blog/are-retre... If the Michelin's are built with retreading in mind, should work fine. After all, it always did before. :-)
hermitdev 5y ago
It's also common for semis to shed retreads at highway speeds. Having hit one on the highway, no thanks. We don't need more highway missiles and debris, which is precisely what would happen if retreads were common on passenger vehicles.
- Alupis 5y ago
  This was the number one problem with retreads for the trucking industry, and most mechanics viewed retreads as cheap (the bad kind of cheap), low quality ways to keep trucks rolling, preferring new wherever possible. Perhaps the tech has matured some, but I doubt it. You're still attempting to bond two different soft materials.
  - thereddaikon 5y ago
    I haven't done too much long distance driving since COVID hit but I remember seeing shed retreads last time I was on the interstate. I always thought it was amazing that semis could get away with shedding them and driving away leaving at the least trash on the side of the road and at worst causing a dangerous accident.
    - Alupis 5y ago
      Well, they don't really "get away" with shedding them. It's the equivalent of a blowout. Part of the reason they have such a bad reputation among semi mechanics.
mcguire 5y ago
Something like 45% of commercial tires are retreads and something like 90% of large fleets use retreads (https://www.worktruckonline.com/10128897/last-miles-growing-impact-on-retread-tires https://www.worktruckonline.com/10128897/last-miles-growing-..., https://www.tirereview.com/revisiting-consumer-retreads/ https://www.tirereview.com/revisiting-consumer-retreads/). On the other hand, I'm not sure about retreading tires with higher speed ratings.
- dylan604 5y ago
  yeah, that feels about right for all of the swerving required to avoid running over the retreads that have let go and now lay in the middle of the highways.

mikestew 5y ago

It used to be done for passenger car tires. A quick search says one can still find recapped tires if determined. But why isn't it more common, when it was common about 40-50 years ago? Well, that time began to approach the time I spent as a mechanic, and the reason was cheap, imported tires that were starting to come out of Asian factories. I can sell you a retread, or you can have a brand new tire from some off-brand for about the same money, and guess which was chosen more often? This link seems to line up with what I remember from 40 years ago: https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/treadwright-blog/are-retread-tires-illegal https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/treadwright-blog/are-retre... If the Michelin's are built with retreading in mind, should work fine. After all, it always did before. :-)

hermitdev 5y ago

It's also common for semis to shed retreads at highway speeds. Having hit one on the highway, no thanks. We don't need more highway missiles and debris, which is precisely what would happen if retreads were common on passenger vehicles.

Alupis 5y ago
This was the number one problem with retreads for the trucking industry, and most mechanics viewed retreads as cheap (the bad kind of cheap), low quality ways to keep trucks rolling, preferring new wherever possible. Perhaps the tech has matured some, but I doubt it. You're still attempting to bond two different soft materials.
- thereddaikon 5y ago
  I haven't done too much long distance driving since COVID hit but I remember seeing shed retreads last time I was on the interstate. I always thought it was amazing that semis could get away with shedding them and driving away leaving at the least trash on the side of the road and at worst causing a dangerous accident.
  - Alupis 5y ago
    Well, they don't really "get away" with shedding them. It's the equivalent of a blowout. Part of the reason they have such a bad reputation among semi mechanics.

mcguire 5y ago

Something like 45% of commercial tires are retreads and something like 90% of large fleets use retreads (https://www.worktruckonline.com/10128897/last-miles-growing-impact-on-retread-tires https://www.worktruckonline.com/10128897/last-miles-growing-..., https://www.tirereview.com/revisiting-consumer-retreads/ https://www.tirereview.com/revisiting-consumer-retreads/). On the other hand, I'm not sure about retreading tires with higher speed ratings.

dylan604 5y ago
yeah, that feels about right for all of the swerving required to avoid running over the retreads that have let go and now lay in the middle of the highways.