The International Cessna^® 170 Association

What experience have any of you had with retread tires on our light planes? The airlines and trucking industry use them in great numbers, but I have never talked to anyone with a C-170 type plane who used them. I am nearing a time when I need to replace my tires and just wondered what others experience has been with them.

I had what I thought was a large pile of used tires ready for retreading and by the time I found out what it would cost me to ship to/from and pay for retreading....I found I could buy new tires.
As for simple purchase of retreads... Retreads are good for airlines, flight schools, military because they wear them out quickly on pavement. Unlike you and I who wear them out over several years and run the risk of weather-checking/dry-rot. (Used tires that are re-tread/recycled might be several years old already and you'll have increased risk of weather-checking/dry rot.) Also, if you'll promise me that I'll not get a tire that some bozo ran over a chock or rock at high speed and that there is zero-chance of the plys being damaged...then I'll begin to consider the idea of buying retreads instead of simply paying another $10-$15 to get brand new tires with a warranty.....and which also come with new tubes and tire talc if I wait to get them onsale from Desser tire.

I've been using retreads for years on the Spray planes. 22X8.00x8's and
29X11X10's -- quite a savings and never have had a problem, but these are a little more expensive than the normal 600x 6's . I agree with GA on the little ones, probably not worth the shipping. but anything 8.50 and over would probably be.

This year at annual I decided to try two retreads. I talked to the man at Wilkerson after looking at their web site and reading about them on another site. Another of our local pilot uses them and likes them also The Wilkerson man told me the retread rubber gives longer life due to different material hardness. He also says that they use matched limited aged casins. I'll give a report on them in a couple of years but they look good to me.

Harold
N92CP

I have been using retreads on all my planes for the last 20 years and have NEVER had a failure or a problem with any of them. The wear has been excellent, the balance good, and the carcasses have all been good. I don't see them sending out a bad set of tires that won't last. I don't know if I've been lucky to get only good tires, but I'll take 20 years of luck any time while saving money doing it. By the way I have dealt mostly with Desser Tire. Jon

What size retreads have you used, and what has been the price and cost of shipping versus new?

Here's an article that explains why retread tires are actually preferable to new ones for aircraft: http://www.aviationtoday.com/cgi/am/sho ... mtires.htm

Note that the most interesting quotes come from a tire retreader, so take that into account as you read. But there seems to be a real basis for the assertion that retreads will wear a lot longer than the original tire did.

Best Regards,

John

Yeah, there seems to be some contradiction in the article. Mr. Wilkerson of Wilkerson Tire and Ken Faire of Desser Tire (both re-treaders) seem to contradict each other.
Wilkerson claims greater wear on retreads because the retreaded portion is "thicker" and "softer" than new tire treads, while Faire makes the opposite claim when stating that the retreaded portion meets the same dimensions as new, but has a "harder" composition.
I'm especially dubious of the "agricultural" user who Wilkerson claims buys new tires and immediately ships them to him to strip off new tread so they can be retreaded to get "10%" more landings!
Retreads are not to be overlooked, in my opinion, if you want to save a few bucks. (Gotta consider the overall cost including shipping and warranty, however.) But the number of stripped-off treads I see on the highway indicates they're not as reliable as new tires regardless of what the retreaders claim. Perhaps that's only non-aviation, but I doubt that the pedigree of blown aircraft tires are recorded accurately. A blown tire is a blown tire and it's removed and discarded. Not generally recorded as new or retread and reported to the public.
While we're a Cessna 170 organization and aren't especially subject to tire dimensional problems,...if you run wheelpants and/or fly a retractable gear airplane, be wary of using retreads that have "thicker" treads that can stick in the wheelwell and/or interfere with fairings.

I have used all sizes, but normally I get 700s, 800s, and 850s. I normally don't send in a carcass, just buy them outright and have NEVER paid as much as a new tire! Most retread caps you see on the highway are semi retreads. Talk about apples and oranges! George even you can do better than that to support your opinion. Jon

jon s blocker wrote:I have used all sizes, but normally I get 700s, 800s, and 850s. I normally don't send in a carcass, just buy them outright and have NEVER paid as much as a new tire! Most retread caps you see on the highway are semi retreads. Talk about apples and oranges! George even you can do better than that to support your opinion. Jon

What is this! Pick on George day?
Jon! What did I say? Quote: "Perhaps that's only non-aviation, ..."
Try reading it again.

gahorn wrote: Retreads are not to be overlooked, in my opinion, if you want to save a few bucks. (Gotta consider the overall cost including shipping and warranty, however.) But the number of stripped-off treads I see on the highway indicates they're not as reliable as new tires regardless of what the retreaders claim. Perhaps that's only non-aviation,

Exactly
I save about 2/3 the cost on the ag tires. they last about two years with hundreds of takeoffs and landings. we run 6 spray planes and usually replace 2 -3 sets a year. wouldn't attest to whether they last longer or not though. But I've never seen one even think about detreading. And we dont baby our airplanes taking off or landing. If you don't wear them thru the cords and the sidewalls don't weathercheck, you can reuse them a long time. Only blowout I ever had with one was once when I came back to the airport steaming mad and misjudged the elevation by about twenty feet and slammed it on the runway. Taxied it flat to the ramp, took it off and put another tube in it and went back to spraying . (a little humbler)

George I did read it again and I got out of it exactly what I got out of it the first time. You are trying to support your argument about aircraft tires with those on a truck or auto. Not the same thing. I understand you said, " Perhaps that's non aviation", but read in the whole context you are still using that to support your argument about aircraft tires, again I think apples and oranges. Anyway, not trying to pick on you, everyone has their opinion and experiences, and ours seem to differ in this instance. Just giving the members another objective look at this subject. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers Jon See you at Reklaw

jon s blocker wrote:George I did read it again and I got out of it exactly what I got out of it the first time. You are trying to support your argument about aircraft tires with those on a truck or auto. Not the same thing. I understand you said, " Perhaps that's non aviation", but read in the whole context you are still using that to support your argument about aircraft tires, again I think apples and oranges. Anyway, not trying to pick on you, everyone has their opinion and experiences, and ours seem to differ in this instance. Just giving the members another objective look at this subject. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers Jon See you at Reklaw

Is this really any better?

Yeah, there seems to be some contradiction in the article. Mr. Wilkerson of Wilkerson Tire and Ken Faire of Desser Tire (both re-treaders) seem to contradict each other.
Wilkerson claims greater wear on retreads because the retreaded portion is "thicker" and "softer" than new tire treads, while Faire makes the opposite claim when stating that the retreaded portion meets the same dimensions as new, but has a "harder" composition.
I'm especially dubious of the "agricultural" user who Wilkerson claims buys new tires and immediately ships them to him to strip off new tread so they can be retreaded to get "10%" more landings!
Retreads are not to be overlooked, in my opinion, if you want to save a few bucks. (Gotta consider the overall cost including shipping and warranty, however.) I doubt that the pedigree of blown aircraft tires are recorded accurately. A blown tire is a blown tire and it's removed and discarded. Not generally recorded as new or retread and reported to the public.
While we're a Cessna 170 organization and aren't especially subject to tire dimensional problems,...if you run wheelpants and/or fly a retractable gear airplane, be wary of using retreads that have "thicker" treads that can stick in the wheelwell and/or interfere with fairings.

Yup!

I was secretely hoping that was going to get really ugly and then I would think I was reading the NetJets forum at Flightinfo.com.