Retreads

[kellymoe]

For those on a budget. I just bought some retreads from www.high-tec-retreading.com I was low on $$$ and needed new tires fast. Just got them yesterday and have not mounted them yet. They are a BFG MT knock off. $290 for 4 delivered to my door. I have always been skeptical about retreads but after reading alot of posts here on Pirate and several other forums I read alot of good things about this company and read very few complaints. Seems everyone who uses them likes them. I got the 235/85/16
I will post a pic or two once I get them mounted.

[wilsby]

Do they have the same load rating as the original, and what does the rubber hardness feel like?

[sachilles]

a nice write up on my local 4x4 board about them (http://www.neow.net/retread.html)

[kellymoe]

Do they have the same load rating as the original, and what does the rubber hardness feel like?

Load rating is E and the rubber feels a little softer and from reading other forums it sounds like a softer rubber compound which should work great on the rocks. I am a little bummed that the sidewalls are only 2 ply. Are the BFG's 3 ply sidewalls?

[GreenPig]

Load rating is E and the rubber feels a little softer and from reading other forums it sounds like a softer rubber compound which should work great on the rocks. I am a little bummed that the sidewalls are only 2 ply. Are the BFG's 3 ply sidewalls?

I have a set of the exact same size. Yes, BFGs are 3 ply, although some people might tell you that that doesn't mean shit (Two out of my three sidewall failures were BFGs). If you wanted a "3 ply" sidewall BFG, you should have asked if they had any in stock. My casings are old Michelin LTXs. Not the strongest tire in the world, but they've done very well. Be wary of airing down too low; you could seperate the tread fom the casing.

[kellymoe]

I have a set of the exact same size. Yes, BFGs are 3 ply, although some people might tell you that that doesn't mean shit (Two out of my three sidewall failures were BFGs). If you wanted a "3 ply" sidewall BFG, you should have asked if they had any in stock. My casings are old Michelin LTXs. Not the strongest tire in the world, but they've done very well. Be wary of airing down too low; you could seperate the tread fom the casing.
I have gone thousands of miles in the desert over some of the sharpest lava rock and fractured granite using Pirrelli Scorpions and Desert Duelers with no sidewall failure and so these should be fine for what I will be using them for. I dont plan on airing down much lower than 20-25 psi but that is alot for a tire that says to use 80psi for max loads. I usualy air down for rough washboard roads and drive faster :D guess I will have to see how these work out.

[GreenPig]

I don't go below 20psi with my wagon and it does just fine, but I don't plan on going lower. I like these tires and think they'll last.

[pm]

I have a set of the exact same size. Yes, BFGs are 3 ply, although some people might tell you that that doesn't mean shit (Two out of my three sidewall failures were BFGs). If you wanted a "3 ply" sidewall BFG, you should have asked if they had any in stock. My casings are old Michelin LTXs. Not the strongest tire in the world, but they've done very well. Be wary of airing down too low; you could seperate the tread fom the casing.
I've had five sidewall failures with BFG (AT & MT), and just one - with PepBoys Futura Enforcers.
IMHO, Michelin LTX is one of the strongest tires out there, at least, sidewall-wise. While trying to get the same seat-of-the-pant ride feeling out of 245/75R16 LTX and 235/70R16 XPC, I had to air LTXs down to ~22-26psi.

[pm]

I usualy air down for rough washboard roads and drive faster :D guess I will have to see how these work out.
LOL
how does that work on the way from Death Valley to Big Pine? I've aired down to 20psi f/r, and drove in the 2nd gear at 40-45 mph (no brakes on washboard, and need something slow down when a wash appears 30 ft ahead). One mud shield fell off, and these 35 miles also cost me both cats.

[kellymoe]

LOL
how does that work on the way from Death Valley to Big Pine? I've aired down to 20psi f/r, and drove in the 2nd gear at 40-45 mph (no brakes on washboard, and need something slow down when a wash appears 30 ft ahead). One mud shield fell off, and these 35 miles also cost me both cats.

On the Saline Valley road you have 30 miles of rough washboard and I have found airing down and going faster realy smooths the ride out a ton. Dont know how these retreads are going to handle the airing down so maybe I will have to just drive slower :( Too bad, I like speed on backcountry desert roads.

[Bluewater]

For those on a budget. I just bought some retreads from www.high-tec-retreading.com I was low on $$$ and needed new tires fast. Just got them yesterday and have not mounted them yet. They are a BFG MT knock off. $290 for 4 delivered to my door. I have always been skeptical about retreads but after reading alot of posts here on Pirate and several other forums I read alot of good things about this company and read very few complaints. Seems everyone who uses them likes them. I got the 235/85/16
I will post a pic or two once I get them mounted.
Did you get them with green diamonds?

[pm]

I've been looking at the same tire source when I gave up trying to find XZLs. Paul Kleinkramer (IIRC) had a set of mud-retreads on his D1, and he was not too optimistic about them. But - at $290 a set, the price can't be beat!

[geberhard]

Seems interesting, would like more info on them runnning on rocks and at low pressure (i.e. 10 psi or less). Would get whatever is the biggest for 16.5, I think they go up to a 37" size. Interested in calling them and checking if I were to sent a set of boggers they would retread those puppies...

[kellymoe]

Did you get them with green diamonds?

No, if I lived somewhere where it snowed I would have gone that route.

[PTSchram]

I'm buying brand new mastercrafts for not a whole lot more than that mounted and balanced. Seems to me that for the slightly higher cost, there is no advantage to the retreads.

I used to be a die-hard BFG man but after running some cheapie mudders, I'm sold on a new brand.

[kellymoe]

I'm buying brand new mastercrafts for not a whole lot more than that mounted and balanced. Seems to me that for the slightly higher cost, there is no advantage to the retreads.

I used to be a die-hard BFG man but after running some cheapie mudders, I'm sold on a new brand.

Thanks for posting the info on Mastercraft now that I have already bought my tires:flipoff2:

[Ronin007]

I'm buying brand new mastercrafts
Being manufactured by Cooper tires did you find them cheaper than the compareable Discoverer model tire?

[PTSchram]

Being manufactured by Cooper tires did you find them cheaper than the compareable Discoverer model tire?

Long story short, the tire distributor's son in law is a very close friend of a client... Don't know about the Discoverer, but the Courser was the most aggressive I could get from them.

BUT, now that I've suffered a sidewall slice failure, I'm back to looking for new cheap tires, maybe taller this time :flipoff2: Off to look at the site listed above!

[kellymoe]

Finaly got the tires mounted. Have been driving on them for the last week on the highway. So good so far. I would post a picture but I keep getting told the file is too large. The picture program I was using got erased and am using Kodak Easy Share and cant figure out how to reduce the size with that program.

[PTSchram]

If high-tech retreads had some taller tires, I'd give them a shot. I found the selection to be way too limited for my interests. Of course, everything else seems too expensive.

Looks like I'm back to Mastercrafts or maybe set of 235/85 retreads.

[Simon]

I picked up a set of Toyo M-55 235/85/16 retreads a few years ago and have been happy with them. Someone ordered them and then bailed out of the deal so I got them mounted and balanced for $200.

However, as soon as I get new rims, I'll be unloading them for something with a bit better traction to offer.

They appealed to my Scottish heritage.

Simon

[kellymoe]

A couple of pics of the retreads.

[DRED]

89 bucks for a 315/75... :eek: