The General Grabber AT?????

[Pat]

I used to get bandag treads which were a cold process of Bridgestone tyres and got good results.I have spoken to my local tyre man but he does not recommend doing it but I run Cooper A/at tyres and it seems like wasting a lot of meat when our tread depth does not pass a warrant of fitness.Thanks for the info.

 

[moggy1968]

as far as I am aware recutting car tyres is illegal in the UK. trucks will generally only do it on their trailer tyres.

look at all those blown out carcasses on the side of the road, do you really want that on your driven or steering axle with your family on board?

I've had it happen on the back axle of a tranny van and on my landcruiser rear axle at it took some serious holding on to. I was just lucky there wasn't much traffic on the motorway so I could use all three lanes!

If it happens on the front axle, you're just a passenger on your way to a big accident.

 

[clivehorridge]

I'm not a fan of retreads, but I think they're ok if you get a good set.

I had a set of offroad knarly tyres that were retreads, and after a bit of asphalt use, they got a bit hot and then disintegrated! Big chunks of rubber flying off them

I certainly wouldn't want them on a road car, but on the truck? Why not, if you don't go too fast

 

[clivehorridge]

There's a big difference between re-cutting and retreads though. Don't get the two mixed up. Retreads is a manufacturing process utilizing a pre-used casing. Re-cutting is just what it says, using a cutting tool, usually done by hand.

 

[Dark Dude]

Many, many years ago, when I drove a two door ex West Midlands Police Range Rover, my wife and I visited a factory which "manufactured" and supplied retread tyres direct to the public. We were taken on a tour of the entire factory floor and were mighty impressed at what we saw. I wish I could remember their name. Damn! Anyway, we brought a set of 16" all terrains and they were very, very good as well as being whole heap cheap. We only had a problem with one tyre falling apart and that was exchanged, no problem but what we really liked about driving on retreads was it's green credentials which went quite nicely with our rebuild Range Rover. It just made for a perfect combination. Alas it didn't last long. As the greed went up so the quality control went down and before you know it retreads became more than a dirty word. That was more than 20 years ago and I'm afraid to say nothing has changed. I'm quite happy with my GG AT2's and now wouldn't consider a retread unless I saw a massive increase in overall quality control from the market. Anyone live in Shrewsbury who could visit the Kingpin factory there and report back?????

 

[clivehorridge]

A 2 door ex West Midlands Police Range Rover? Was that one with those awful beige coloured hard plastic sets?

It was odd in the old days when I used to work at Landrover, the Police orders were the most basic vehicle made. So much so that when trims and other components were upgraded, the Police used to special-order the downgrades, back to the previous model.

 

[Pat]

One of my trucks used to run between 19-21ton all up it was a 6 wheeler and the tyres were Bridgestone rag casings and as I said at that time I ran them on the front like just about all carriers in nz,however I spoke to the Bridgestone folks recently and they no longer do tyres under 20" and probably like you all say they are probably not worth the risks.quality ain't what it used to be.

 

[Doodle]

There's more value in truck casings and they are sturdier, hence why they tend to get reused.

 

[Dark Dude]

No Clive, mine was a five speed long stick with a V8 petrol engine which I had converted to a 2.5 Peuguot oil burner out of a GPO van, which was then intercooled. The interior was re-done by a company called Nationwide in Redditch and it was my pocket rocket. The suspension was uprated to Old Man Emu shocks and springs and we used a combination of poly and rubber bushes to tighten up the steering. I swear by the time we finished, the car steered on rails. Man, did me and Sharon have some good times in Fiona.......

A 2 door ex West Midlands Police Range Rover? Was that one with those awful beige coloured hard plastic sets?

It was odd in the old days when I used to work at Landrover, the Police orders were the most basic vehicle made. So much so that when trims and other components were upgraded, the Police used to special-order the downgrades, back to the previous model.

 

[chapel gate]

I remember sitting watching my dad re-groove his land rover tyres when I was a kid. can remember the smell of burning rubber now.

I saw the machine in the shed the other day. will get a pic.