Retreads vs New Tyres

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sat 6 Jun 2020 21:02
Retreads vs New Tyres - Engineer Andy

In the light of many people likely being a bit hard-up in the coming months and possibly the next few years, some may be looking to part worn or retreaded tyres as a cheap alternative to buying new tyres.

To that end, please find a link to a test from Polish magazine 'Motor', as reported in the Tyre Reviews website back in May:

www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2020-Retreaded-Summe...m

They tested a supposed well-known retread brand (TBH I'd never heard of King) against both a premium tyre (Conti PC6) and a budget ordinary (new) tyre (Debica Presto HP, again, I hadn't heard of it, but it could be a 'local' value brand of a main manufacturer [I didn't check]).

Needless to say, the difference in performance, and not just in the wet, was VERY stark. A shame they didn't test part worn tyres (ones they bought from a reputable supplier) to see what they were like. Still, worth noting the results.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 06/06/2020 at 21:03

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Sat 6 Jun 2020 21:14
Retreads vs New Tyres - dan86

I will only ever fit brand new tyres to my personal vehicles always a well know bran with a good reputation and good test results as it's the only contact with the road and always replaced before they reach 2mm,

I know of people who will buy part worn and see them as value but I see them as a false economy.

Our trucks at work are fitted with remoulds by a company called bandvulc (a British company) they're designed with the work we do on mind and have a really thick sidewall to prevent the tyre being worn down by kerbing it. They seem to last and have had no issues with them.

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Sat 6 Jun 2020 21:27
Retreads vs New Tyres - Big John

Blimey - it's been numerous decades since I bought a set of remould tyres, think it was on a Viva that crossply tyres on it - never again! They used to tramline terribly on road surfaces and lines and if it rained - Houston.

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Sat 6 Jun 2020 22:26
Retreads vs New Tyres - alan1302

They tested a supposed well-known retread brand (TBH I'd never heard of King) against both a premium tyre (Conti PC6) and a budget ordinary (new) tyre (Debica Presto HP, again, I hadn't heard of it, but it could be a 'local' value brand of a main manufacturer [I didn't check]).

Needless to say, the difference in performance, and not just in the wet, was VERY stark. A shame they didn't test part worn tyres (ones they bought from a reputable supplier) to see what they were like. Still, worth noting the results.

I suppose they did not test part worns as they will vary so much depending on the make and how worn they are.

Debica are a brand of Goodyear

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Sat 6 Jun 2020 22:31
Retreads vs New Tyres - mcb100
I haven’t seen any retread car tyres for sale in the UK for years, the advent of cheap new tyres drove them out of the market.
Having said that, back when I was rallying Colway (and others) had a range of rally tyres that I and many others used. The rejection rate on the tyre carcasses to be turned into retreads was high, and they were good quality at a fraction of the equivalent Michelin/Pirelli/Dunlop product. I think I’d still rather use a retread from a company like Colway than a new tyre from someone I’d never heard of.

Edited by mcb100 on 06/06/2020 at 22:43

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Sat 6 Jun 2020 22:59
Retreads vs New Tyres - bathtub tom

I used Kingpin remoulds for grass autotesting and trialing. They were the tyre of choice for trialers, being cheap and providing prodigious grip for a road legal tyre. Tyres frequently got trashed. They seemed to have a very soft compound and I don't know what they were like on the road. The company recently folded.

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 09:43
Retreads vs New Tyres - badbusdriver

Given how cheap the Chinese 'ditchfinders' are, i'm not sure even the forthcoming recession will be enough to resurrect the remould/retread market.

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 11:35
Retreads vs New Tyres - Terry W

Saving money on tyres with remoulds or ditchfinders should be the very last economy measure for the financially stressed. A bit better than a steering bodge using duct tape - but not much!

Reasonable quality tyres for everyday cars are cheap. Somewhere between £200 - 300 for a set of 4 which should run for 30k (say 3 years). If the tyres are £200 a corner you should sell the Ferrari or 4x4 etc not skimp on tyres.

Over 30k fuel (600-1000 gallons) will cost approx £3-5k, depreciation on a modest car £2-3k, servicing, tax and insurance approx £1k pa.

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 14:38
Retreads vs New Tyres - thunderbird

My first 2 cars were bought on remoulds and I replaced them with remoulds. Always bought Goodyear ones, about £2.00 each from memory, death wish remoulds were available at £1.00 each. We all bought them.

On my 3rd car it came with remoulds but one de-laminated and deflated on the A1 (scary moment) so decided to get a set of new tyres, proper new tyres this time. Local place suggested a set of Kelly (owned by Goodyear) radials, about £20 for 4, over double the cost of the remoulds. But soon I discovered the error of my ways buying remoulds. I used to get about 4000 miles a set from them, the Kelly's were still good when I sold the car after doing 20,000 miles. Over that mileage I would have spent about £40 on remoulds. Total false economy.

Looked earlier today and Kelly still exist, still part of Goodyear. A 205 55 16 is about £51 but it gets totally rubbish reviews. For £57 you can get a Uniroyal (highly rated by a mate) or a Kleber Quadraxer (highly rated by me after 2 sets and propper all season tyres as well).

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 15:35
Retreads vs New Tyres - Manatee

Kingpin perhaps? I had some Kingpins on my Landrover. Hard to say whether they were any good, it handled as if it was on casters anyway especially under braking when the rears would lock but that is a feature of old Landrovers.

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 17:52
Retreads vs New Tyres - Miniman777

Having been driving since 1972, my cars in the early days often had remoulds. Earnings were meagre, and it was what the budget allowed.

But there came a time, possibly early '80s where I realised using cheap remoulds and also cheap Chinese/Far Eastern brake parts, I was compromising my safety and that of others after a couple of scary moments in the Lake District. Plus it's false economy.

Nowadays, I would never buy cheap tyres. Always tend for a good mid-range or premium tyre, which on several cars has given very good mileage. I did buy an MX5 some years back, the previous owner stuck cheap Chinese Infinity tyres on to get it through an MoT before selling - first rain storm, the back end went on a roundabout. They were swapped to Uniroyal Rain Experts as per the front.

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Sun 7 Jun 2020 22:49
Retreads vs New Tyres - bathtub tom

I had Uniroyal Rain Experts fitted. There seems to be more air than rubber in the tread. For trials there mustn't be more than a 9mm gap between tread blocks, measured with a drill shank I reckon these are on the limit.

I admit they're brilliant in the wet and no noticeable difference in the dry, but how long do they last with such an air/rubber ratio?

Edited by bathtub tom on 07/06/2020 at 22:52

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Mon 8 Jun 2020 06:58
Retreads vs New Tyres - Tester

While not everything my Dad used to say about cars has stood the test of time, he always said never to muck about skimping on brakes and tyres. I reckon that's still good advice; presumably I could save a few pounds per corner by not buying Michelin Cross Climates (or substitute whatever your own preferred brand/type might be) but it's nothing in the overall cost of running a car responsibly.

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