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Desser Monster Retread Review

woodmanrog

Well Known Member
As I promised a looong time ago (348.2 hours) here is my review of Monster retreads. When I installed them I immediately saw that the tread was deeper than on normal 500X5 tires. It also is apparently a harder rubber compound based on the amount of wear I was able to get out of them. I just replaced the tires this week with 348.2 hrs. and 392 landings, all on a hard runway. I would still be able to get probably at least 30 more landings with no trouble but it is conditional inspection time so I decided to change them out. I did swap the tires (Left to Right, Right to Left) at around 100 hours ago so as to get the maximum wear, especially out of the tire that was on the left wheel for 240 hours. (The outside of the tread was well worn). The most I had ever gotten out of new tread tires of all kinds until the retreads was about 150 hours. I'm pleasantly amazed and would recommend these as replacements for anyone.
 
also note, if you have the old style wheel pants you may have a rubbing problem with the monster retreads.


bob burns
RV-4
N82RB
 
I agree. These tires have been great for me as well.
They are much heavy then the standard tire. The rubber compound is definitely more dense.
As Bob said, be aware of the wheel pant clearance as I had to open up for clearance even on the new style wheel pant.
 
Thank you for the review.

I need tires and a friend at my field suggested the Dresser retreads to me yesterday. He has them on his 6A.

I'm very new so please forgive my ignorance. A few questions.

1. When replacing tires is it advisable to put in new tubes as well?

2. How about the Michelin Airstop tubes (cost more than the tires)?

3. I see them advertising a wheel balancer gizmo. I suppose I'll need to use one of those too?

Obviously a good time to repack the wheel bearings and take a good look at the brakes. Now to find some jacks and someone with some experience and time to guide me through this.

Sorry for the drift. Thank you for the timely review.
 
A few years back, a Desser guy at OSH told me that the Michelin AS tubes used to be the leader of the pack when most others were using rubber tubes, not the buna N or whatever it is that all manufacturers use now. He maintained all tubes are about the same now--except for price.
 
Thank you for the review.

I need tires and a friend at my field suggested the Dresser retreads to me yesterday. He has them on his 6A.

I'm very new so please forgive my ignorance. A few questions.

1. When replacing tires is it advisable to put in new tubes as well?

2. How about the Michelin Airstop tubes (cost more than the tires)?

3. I see them advertising a wheel balancer gizmo. I suppose I'll need to use one of those too?

Obviously a good time to repack the wheel bearings and take a good look at the brakes. Now to find some jacks and someone with some experience and time to guide me through this.

Sorry for the drift. Thank you for the timely review.


1. MOST recommend changing the tubes with tires. In practice, my tubes have been replaced once in almost 3,000 hours over 17.5-years. I use Michelin Airstop tubes. Original tubes needed air added every 30-days. Michelin Airstop tubes get air every year.

2. IMHO, the AirStop tubes are worth the money.

3. Wheel balancer? After almost 3,000 hours and 17.5 years, I have never used one on an aircraft tire / wheel. I have used Wilkerson retreads and or new Goodyear tires. Have a set of Dresser retreads on the shelf.
 
I use one of these from Harbor Freight. You would be surprised at how far out of balance the tires and wheels can be when mounted.
image_12894.jpg


http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-balancing-stand-98488.html
 
Nope...

. I did swap the tires (Left to Right, Right to Left) at around 100 hours ago so as to get the maximum wear, especially out of the tire that was on the left wheel for 240 hours. (The outside of the tread was well worn). .

Don't swap sides...it doesn't really accomplish anything.

Flip the tire on the same side so that the treads that were on the outside are now on the inside when you see the outer treads getting noticeably less than the inner ones.

Best,
 
I should have stated that I also flipped the tires before switching sides. The left tire always seems to wear quicker.
 
Ive also experienced great service from my monster retreads. I've run them on the Hiperbipe, RV-8 and now the Rocket has a set. Good stuff.
 
Ive also experienced great service from my monster retreads....

I'm also happy with my Monster Retreads. I had Desser send the tires along with new Michelin AirStop tubes directly to AntiSplatAero who I had my Cleveland wheels sent to.

ASA re-machined the wheels, installed their sealed bearings, mounted and balanced the Desser tires and tubes, and sent them back to me with a 24-hour turn around. THAT is great service. Plus, no more messy repacking of the bearings.
 
The big thing I noticed when switching to the Monster retreads I can run my tires at a higher tire pressure without wheel shake / shimmy. When I first installed the Van's provided Airhawks I had to keep my tire pressure down around 27-30 PSI to prevent the wheel shake. With the Monster retreads I can put as much pressure in the tire as I want without the wheel shake.

I think there are two reasons the Monster retread is better;
1 - The main tire carcass is always a much better tire, first set were Goodyear Flight Custom II's and the second set were Michelin's.
2 - I believe (no verification or data to prove) they are balanced better from the start point.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Large Bubble on side wall of Desser Goodyear Elite II

Yesterday A friend on my field showed me how to change out a tire, pack bearing, replace brakes...

After installing the brand new Desser (Goodyear) Elite II (6 Ply) tires and mounting them back onto the airplane (RV-8), a guy from our EAA chapter came over and examined our work. While looking at the brakes he noticed a large bubble forming in the side wall of the Goodyear I installed from Desser. Definitely a no go, very glad we caught it as it would be no fun have that side wall blow out.

I will contact Desser and see what they do about.

Anyone else have a problem like that before?
 
Many years back, I had a non- monster tire cap start to peel up. I called Desser and described the condition and how they were only in service 3 months. A guy named Bob, I think, said he would send me a new replacement. He asked me to use the box the replacement came to send the problem tire back to him. He also said sorry for the trouble. I have purchased Desser tires ever since with no problems. Dan
 
Very Satisfied Customer!!!!

....We have used the Desser recaps as far back as I can remember, with virtually no issues. Most flight schools use them (Monster recaps) because of the abuse and high number of landings they routinely see. The extra thick, special wear compound rubber will provide two to three times the landings of any other tire we see, at far lower cost. We install several of these weekly on customer aircraft and find them to be very true, round and very close on the balance. I fly the RVs quite a lot (400+ hrs a year) and these tires have performed flawlessly for us as well. A great product, from an excellent company. Thanks, Allan...:D
 
Yesterday A friend on my field showed me how to change out a tire, pack bearing, replace brakes...

After installing the brand new Desser (Goodyear) Elite II (6 Ply) tires and mounting them back onto the airplane (RV-8), a guy from our EAA chapter came over and examined our work. While looking at the brakes he noticed a large bubble forming in the side wall of the Goodyear I installed from Desser. Definitely a no go, very glad we caught it as it would be no fun have that side wall blow out.

I will contact Desser and see what they do about.

Anyone else have a problem like that before?

I had the same thing happen with one tire upon installation on my RV-9. I took a picture and emailed it to them and they promptly sent another postage paid and had me return the defective tire in the shipping box. Great service! Tires are great but I wonder why a defective carcass didn't get culled before retreading.
 
Desser comes through with a replacement! Happy.

I had the same thing happen with one tire upon installation on my RV-9. I took a picture and emailed it to them and they promptly sent another postage paid and had me return the defective tire in the shipping box. Great service! Tires are great but I wonder why a defective carcass didn't get culled before retreading.

I emailed Desser over the weekend regarding the defective tire I received (significant size bubble/bulge in the side wall of a brand new 6 ply 500-5 tire for my RV-8).

I sent a couple of pictures of the defective tire to Desser. I was told the issue I experienced was rare.

I'm very happy to report I received an email response from the reps at Desser this morning and a new tire is on its way with a tracking number as evidence. I will remain grounded until I get the new tire installed.

Indeed great service at Desser.
 
Desser Retreads

I changed out my mains to Desser retreads (not the monster) from ones Van's supplied after about 100 hours or so.

I wasn't able to balance one of the tires supplied by Desser without a massive amount of balance weights. I call Desser and they immediately sent out a new tire and I shipped the other back at their cost.

I have about 150 hours on the tires (probably about 75-100 landings) and have some unusual wear on one tire (what I call elliptical wear). Spoke with Desser at Oshkosh and they couldn't explain it. Flipped this tire last December. Might need to replace the set this December. If I do I will be using the Monsters this time. When I originally spoke with Desser they suggested the standard retread because they thought the Monsters would last so long that they would rot out before wearing out based on my flying hours/year.

I would not hesitate purchasing from Desser again.
 
I've had Monster retreads on my -7A for 3 years. They're not wearing quite as well as the Air Hawks I had on for several years prior to the Monsters. I just flipped the tires on their wheels to even out wear.

I've noticed that the Monsters have developed noticeable cracking in the grooves between ribs which one of the Desser guys at Airventure blamed on low tire pressure. That could be but I've sought to maintain pressures between 45 & 50 psi. The Leakguard tubes that Desser sold me with the tires lost enough air that I needed to take the main wheel fairings off at least once a month to add air to keep the pressures up.

I couldn't resist the discount offered by Aircraft Spruce at Airventure so I bought a couple of Goodyear Flight Special II to use next along with some Michelin Airstop tubes.
 
Yes they are bigger! I didn't make the opening in the bottom of the wheel pants bigger right away and while hitting some uneven ground bumps, tore some of the side material off the pants. I rebuilt them last winter and made the gap larger, about an inch on the sides and about half an inch on the front and backs. No problem now even with some hard landings.

PS: a good reason to only paint your wheel pants one color, easier to repair!

I love my monster retreads!
 
Width of wheel pants

I encountered a flat tire today when landing and am wondering what width and length the Monster retreads required. I did read one post where one inch was removed on each side and a bit fore and aft but absolute measurements would help. Thanks.
 
Monster risk

Purchased two this summer for my RV8. One was so badly out of balance that it was a problem. Customer service would not exchange it, but rather said have it balanced. Balancing ate up most of the savings. It still vibrates slightly if I let the ground roll go a little fast before rotation.

Never had this problem with any of the previous Michelins. I won't buy these tires again when it's time for replacement.
 
I encountered a flat tire today when landing and am wondering what width and length the Monster retreads required. I did read one post where one inch was removed on each side and a bit fore and aft but absolute measurements would help. Thanks.

Mark, Don't think you will get an absolute number since everyone decides their own clearances. Some like the gap tighter than others. When I went to the monsters I just had the dremmel available and kept removing material until I was satisfied. I think I ended up removing about 1/2" front and back and maybe 1/4" on the sides.

Bill
 
Purchased two this summer for my RV8. One was so badly out of balance that it was a problem. Customer service would not exchange it, but rather said have it balanced. Balancing ate up most of the savings. It still vibrates slightly if I let the ground roll go a little fast before rotation.

Never had this problem with any of the previous Michelins. I won't buy these tires again when it's time for replacement.


I just installed some and also noted the vibration from out of balance. They are also massively bigger than the others and forced me to remove on of my nut plates until the tires wear a bit and give me more clearance around the wheel pants. We'll see how they wear in and how long they last but so far more vibration and more gear leg shimmy when taxiing.
 
Balancing!!!!

.... All the tires on our aircraft need to be balanced and trued if needed. The monster recaps are a little larger and a lot heavier! This being said, it only stands to reason that an out of balance condition will be proportionately larger in line with the increased weight. All the extra weight is on the outer diameter as well, and also makes it far more noticeable. These tires are all on very good quality casings, and of very high quality, We sell and service several each week and never have a problem with them. When trued and balanced properly, these will render at a minimum two or three times the life expectancy of any other tire available. Thanks, Allan..:D
 
I encountered a flat tire today when landing and am wondering what width and length the Monster retreads required. I did read one post where one inch was removed on each side and a bit fore and aft but absolute measurements would help. Thanks.

I use the "rule of thumb" Mark - I want to be able to stick the big joint of my thumb between teh tire and the wheel pant opening all the way around. Not scientific, but has proved adequate.

Works for me - your thumb size may vary.....
 
I decided to spend more money and bought Michelin Aviators and the fancy tube. So I will see what money will buy. After all you can't take it with you.

Also, I did not want to add weight nor mess with the wheel pants. I just want to fly.

Report to follow. I did have significant left gear shimmy during taxi. Maybe that had something to do with the flat? Hmmmm... but I don't feel the shimmy when landing.
 
I decided to spend more money and bought Michelin Aviators and the fancy tube...Report to follow.

How do you like them?

I hear what everybody is saying about Monster Retreads wearing longer but the weight penalty seems excessive. Has anybody weighed these? Any report on the actual weight difference between say, a stock Vans tire? I got 500 hours out of Van's tires so I can't complain about that. Twice actually - looking for my 3rd set of tires at 1000 hours on the Hobbs.
 
How do you like them?

I hear what everybody is saying about Monster Retreads wearing longer but the weight penalty seems excessive. Has anybody weighed these? Any report on the actual weight difference between say, a stock Vans tire? I got 500 hours out of Van's tires so I can't complain about that. Twice actually - looking for my 3rd set of tires at 1000 hours on the Hobbs.

They make a different retread that isn't as thick of a tread and it presumably weighs less.

Larry
 
Tires!

?We install, true, and balance a lot of tires, 12 weekly, and must say most of
the mains are the Desser retreads. The most popular and trouble free being
the Elite series. They are usually pretty true and close in balance. They represent
a considerable cost savings at purchase, and usually last about two times as
long. One would think that an aircraft tire (name brands) would be manufactured
to the highest standards possible. Unfortunately this is not the case! It appears
the opposite is the norm, and all the extra cost buys you nothing. The Desser
Elite recaps are built up on top of the line casings, and are not only thicker but a
much harder rubber compound, that has far superior wear resistance as well.
The difference in weight between the original Vans tire (Aero Classic) and the
Desser Elite is 1.5lb. and a very small price to pay for all advantages they offer.
We like, use, and highly recommend this product. Thanks, Allan...:D
 
My experience with Monster retreads leads me to not use them again.

My OEM Airhawk tires and tubes from Vans were flown for 727 hrs. and made 501 landings over a 6 year period. Then I installed Monster retreads with Leakguard tubes which were flown for 552 hrs. and made 338 landings over a 5 1/2 year period. I could have lived with that except that the Leakguard tubes required air every 2 to 3 weeks, having dropped by 5 - 10 psi. The treads on the Monster retreads also developed deep cracks between the treads that Desser wouldn't even discuss with me. That less than stellar customer service and the leaky tubes had me check other alternatives.

On a King Air that I had been flying, we always got better service from Goodyear rather than from Michelin tires. So, with the discounts offered at Oshkosh and my willingness to pay up a little more for better products, I purchased Goodyear Flight Special II tires and Michelin Airstop tubes. These have been in service for 121 hrs. and 83 landings over the past 14 months and I have not been disappointed. In checking the air pressure every 2 months or so, they have yet to decrease more than 2 or 3 psi. I fill them to 50 psi. There have been no balance issues or shimmy problems with them.

My average flight time between landings of about 1.5 hrs. reflects the fact that I fly cross-country almost exclusively with virtually no traffic pattern touch-and-go sessions.
 
Jose from Desser just told me on the phone that they have *-NO-* 5.00-5 (or even 6.00-6) retreads in stock, and they don't expect any for the next 6-8 weeks! This includes both Monsters and Elites. Something about problems getting casings in these sizes to keep up with demand. They did offer a ~15% discount over their normal prices for new tires though since I had already placed an order for retreads and they can't fill the order anytime soon.
 
If you happen to be local to Desser and have a set of worn tires around, they will recap yours pretty quickly.
 
1. MOST recommend changing the tubes with tires. In practice, my tubes have been replaced once in almost 3,000 hours over 17.5-years. I use Michelin Airstop tubes. Original tubes needed air added every 30-days. Michelin Airstop tubes get air every year.

2. IMHO, the AirStop tubes are worth the money.

3. Wheel balancer? After almost 3,000 hours and 17.5 years, I have never used one on an aircraft tire / wheel. I have used Wilkerson retreads and or new Goodyear tires. Have a set of Dresser retreads on the shelf.

Gary,

I was reviewing this thread as it?s nearly time for another set of tires on my RV-8. I noticed I never acknowledged and thanked you for your response to my post. I sincerely value your experience and opinion and usually take the time to read all your posts here on The VAF knowledge data base.
I?ve learned so much since that question. The learning never stops.

To you and all those like you, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge. It?s sincerely appreciated.
 
I'm also happy with my Monster Retreads. I had Desser send the tires along with new Michelin AirStop tubes directly to AntiSplatAero who I had my Cleveland wheels sent to.

ASA re-machined the wheels, installed their sealed bearings, mounted and balanced the Desser tires and tubes, and sent them back to me with a 24-hour turn around. THAT is great service. Plus, no more messy repacking of the bearings.

PIREP from me.... After 3 1/2 years of normal wear & tear on my Desser Monster retreads, it was time to replace them. There were still good treads remaining on the tires on the inboard sides. I was pleased overall with their performance. But on the downside, the Monster retreads are VERY much heavier than standard tires, and were significantly out of balance...requiring quite a few weights on the wheel. Those made a heavy wheel even heavier. I replaced them with Goodyear Flight Special II tires from aircraft spruce for only $99 each.... They required no balancing weights at all.

Kudos to AntiSplat for their sealed bearing inserts on the main wheels, and to Michelin for their GREAT Airstop tubes. I usually only needed to top off the tire pressures one or two times a year with the Airstops.
 
retreads out of balance quickly

Waldo is right on when he says desserretreads "were significantly out of balance...requiring quite a few weights on the wheel." When i installed the tires they were balanced correctly, or so I thought.. I just rotated the retreads after 18 months and noticed they were warped and virtually impossible to balance with 8X 1/4oz weights. My Vans tires never became warped just worn out treads. So Although the (mains) treads on the retreads are better than the Stock Vans tires they are warped enough that I'll need to replace them far sooner. keep in mind that I still have the stock front tire -treads starting to show a need to be replaced after 600 hours. They were balanced and never rotated. They are not warped.
I'll try the Wilkersons based on feedback and see what develops with them.
I will not buy another retread from Desser, and that is coming from a huge fan of them and Cee baileys!
 
Just another data point. My Desser retreads were heavier and slightly larger. They required some balancing but not excessive. I flipped the tires at mid-tread and are still using them. I'm happy with them.

I got 265 landings on the original tires that came with the kit. I'm at 716 on the retreads and counting.
 
data point

Operating a family flight school over the years, we used the Desser retread exclusively. Never had an issue with balance or defects.

I can tell you that the retreads lasted nearly twice as long as the name brands...

Just another data point...
 
I just tried to buy some Monster Retreads from Desser last week. I was told there would be around a 90 day delay as they didn't have the treads in stock. Ended up buying the cheap tires to get me through as I need new tires on NOW! Disappointing. Cheap tires cost more than the retreads! I'll get some Monsters on order soon.
 
There is a better option

Following the threads I purchased Wilkerson tires- at $60 a tire I figured worst case scenario I replace next year. When I called Wilkerson to ask if the tires needed to be balanced, they sent me to a tech guy who spent 30 minutes patiently telling me how to find out in detail, but "probably" not as the tires come balanced. I verified and they sure seem pretty well balanced 'As-is"
I am installing the tires presently- but will give a review in the future- my Desser's became warped and totally out of balance in 1 year- I tossed them and figure its worth trying a different retread.
 
First time i've hear negative feedback on the Dessers. I bought mine 3 years and they are not even 1/2 worn yet. I would say its more like 1/4 worn. I love them for the price.
 
I've used Desser Retreads for many years on all of my airplanes and have never had an issue with them, in balance, wear or anything. I highly endorse them.

If you can get them, the Monster's are the best and, as others have said, tend to last a lot longer than OEM brands.

I personally find I get about 50% more landings with them. I was averaging about 300 landings on Custom III's, but about 450 on the Monsters on my Baron. I expect my smaller and much lighter RV will go many more landings by comparison.
 
Monster problems

From my viewpoint I think "inconsistent" might be a good description of the Monster retreads. Some pilots have good experiences and some not so good.
Never had to balance a tire prior to purchasing these tires. I had to put 1 3/4 oz on one and 3 1/2 oz on the other.
So yes, I'll probably get more landings on this set of tires, but don't forget to include the possible cost of balancing into the total cost of the tires.

Additionally, Desser didn't seem interested in talking about my problems with vibration. Won't buy them again.
 
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Tough tires

I used the Desser Monster Retread tires on my trip around the world last summer. I chose them because of the thickness of tread and perceived durability when heavily loaded with a massive amount of fuel on board (think 127 g). I added about 1/2 oz of weights to balance the tires. They did not let me down once.
 
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Balancing tires

When you guys talk about balancing the tires, is that static balance or dynamic balance? I have not been able to get a shop that could do a dynamic balance. Maybe it is not needed!!
Just curious.
Thanks.
Johan
 
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