opinions on retread tyres

[DropKickMurphy]

hi all,

i'm after some opinions on retread tyres, my part-worn michelin's are going to need replacing before too long and having found the experience of buying, taking delivery of, and fitting them a pleasure i went on the search for anothe rpair of part-worns earlier today.

during the course of this search i came across an outfit which is reasonably local to me who specialise in re-treading tyres. now i am not a total novice to this sort of thing and am well aware that aircraft and lorry tyres are re-treaded multiple times for myriad reasons, and on the face of it there is a convincing argument for using these on environmental grounds.

now, what do you lot think? good for the wallet and environment? or ticking timebomb?

i'd like to hear from anyone who has fitted these in the recent past, and what questions to ask/what to look out for. the company in question is legitimate, but dont have any testimonials i can see on their website.

the cost for 2 re-tread tyres starts at £45, and the pictures they have of them show the tyres were reputable brands (Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Continental) before being re-treaded, so my gut reaction is that the quality of the non-tread part should be reasonably high.

one final thing, these tyres are apparently E20 cleared, which i'm led to believe to be the european standard for these sort of things.

they have 8mm tread and the vendor states they have been re-treaded using "bead to bead moulding and a hot oven" rather than Glue and cold rubber. again anyone with experience of either of these types please let me know your experience.

the vehicle in question is a 2000 Mondeo Mk2 estate, if it makes any difference. i'm after 2 tyres for the front wheels as the rear tyres are some firestone 300's with loads of life left in them.

thanks

DKM

[fat controller]

I'd have thought you could get a brand new tyre from one of the semi-budget manufacturers for that sort of money - I would shy away from fitting real budget stuff, if you know what I mean, but some of the more mid range stuff is pretty decent (as my current Falken's are showing me);

Remoulds used to be commonplace, yet with the ever increasing demands on safety from both the public and the industry, they aren't seen any more - that in itself must tell a story?

I understand the argument that if its good enough for a plane, its good enough for a car - but there is a hell of a lot more chance of a car having its tyre sidewalls buggered by being kerbed!

I'd be very wary indeed.

[phil miller]

i cant see why you would want to, a lorry tyre has a mega thick face so CAN be retreaded many times a cars tyre face is not thick enough, the wire is only about 2/3 mm below the min tread depth, buy part worns or even Autogrips but please for the love of god DONT GET THEM RETREADED

[DropKickMurphy]

thanks for the feedback guys, and i take your points about kerbing and the thickness of the tyre face - like i said this isnt something i know a great deal about; i have several friends who swear by part-worns (and i'm coming round to them) but re-treads are a new one on me.

i believe there were several apocryphal tales of re-treads de-laminating at speed which rather tarnished the reputation but wondered whether things had moved on in recent years and they were now seen as a viable option. certainly for between £30 and £50 i have a great deal of choice on ebay for part-worns, so will probably follow that avenue.

and in case mr Michelin himself is reading this, the reason i'm not keen to put new rubber on the wheels is that i'm not sure how the car will fare in the next MOT (due in May), since its resale value is ~£750 and the clutch is definately beginning to go home which will cost £400 to fix when it dies, i'm reluctant to spend any more than is necessary. i do however deem safety to be necessary, both for myself and other road users.

anyone else with an opinion or experience please feel free to comment further.

DKM

[mikeybutch]

Cant believe this is legal cos it must weaken the tyre.Only tyres that are designed to be retreaded ie commercial ones are safe

[fat controller]

What size tyres are you needing?

[SuperCharger28]

I would never buy retreaded tyres again. I fitted re-treaded tyres many years ago to my old volvo and at high speeds on the motorway (70+) they melted and I ended up in a barrier at the side of the motorway. I was lucky to get out alive.

Don't put your safety at risk for a couple of quid as I once learned. I now will only buy top quality tyres. Do not compromise on safety in any way.

[Guest 2]

Considering that the only thing between you and the ground is your tyres, retreads wouldnt be my number one favourite.

Id rather spend on buying either a midrange new tyre than buying a retread hi-end tyre.

[DropKickMurphy]

Hi Guys,

i'm after some 195/65/15's for the mondy, nice common size

thanks for the input, especially your experience SuperCharger28, i know they used to have a bad reputation but wasnt sure if things had changed more recently - i assume not!

I will keep a look out for some decent part-worns, though a pair of Avon ZV5's (which i found to be excellent on my Golf) brand new are only £120 ish fully fitted, so i'd be looking to spend no more than £60 for part-worns.

thanks all

DKM

[fat controller]

Falken ZE912 - brand new, £66 fully fitted at your location of choice. These are the tyres I have fitted to the Passat, and they've proved an excellent buy. Surely better to spend £12 more and have brand new tyres?

If its worth anything, I've used etryes a couple of times, and know of friends who have too - never had an issue.