Posted by Charles Aarons on January 10, 1998 at 20:03:48:
In Reply to: retread and save????(HELP) posted by joey parker` on January 10, 1998 at 15:53:04:
The best tread for off-road (mud) that is still OK for dry and especially wet & icy pavement is that Michelin XL directional "NATO" tread which is of course only available on the Michelin tire. It's not available as a retread. I've retreaded a set of Michelin 9.00-16s with a Bandag type "Waste hauler lug" treads. They are 26/32" deep and look real good for mud on fresh snow. The rubber is a lot denser (harder) than the original tread so I'm going to have them siped (they have a machine that slices razor thin grooves diagonally across the tread every 1/2" or so) for much better traction on ice and rain. I wouldn't recommend retreading the military casings. Most tires have nylon or polyester fabric (your militarys are nylon) and that is probably weakened by the retreading cooking process. The Michelins are all steel, obviously heat proof. Maybe take your tires to the nearest Bandag or other heavy truck retreading place and see what they think. Ask to look at that tread design I mentioned. Maybe you could find a set of worn-out but retreadable Michelin casings.
Charlie.