Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 18:23:18 -0800
Reply-To: harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Big snow tires on automatic westie
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Some of you might find this interesting.
Subject: 1990 westy with auto tranny and oversized tires.
Planning to spend a weekend in the mountains, we went ahead
and had a set of all-season radials mounted on a spare set of
steel rims. From previous experience, I decided the
Michelin MXT's were not up to the slushy and snowy
conditions to be expected. (I still think it's a great summer tire)
First I had one LT 195/75R-14 c installed, and decided it
looked too small, compared to the 205 MXT's on the alloys I
was used to. So we had the only other acceptable set in stock
mounted, 27/ 8.50R-14c 6 ply reinforced sidewall, takes 50 psi
and has a winter type studless tread pattern, but is rated all-season.
Just what I was looking for. Figured that in addition
with cable chains, these should be ok in the snow,
and I also could use them year-round.
Great. Inflate them to 45psi and off we go. Into the Washington Cascades.
First impression:
The van feels taller. The wheels look big, but fit just fine
with enough space for cable chains.
The tires do make a gentle humming sound, but the ride comfort
seems to be the same. The van has a tendency to wander only a little
more than with the MXT's. But still it tracks very well.
Ran into some 50 mph winds on I-5. The vanagon felt rock solid.
Does not lean at all. Feels like its sitting on bricks. Same in turns, and
off and on ramps. The engine revs significantly slower, because
of the larger diameter of the wheels.
Measuring the circumference of the two tires one finds
75.75" for the Michelin MXT 205 70 R 14
86.75" for the wildcat all season 27 / 8.5 R 14
That is a whopping 14% more for the wildcat .
The speedo should be off by 14% now. That means:
40 mph is now 45.6 (comfortably in second gear)
70 mph is now 79.8 (still in the solid green with auto tranny)
and 75 mph is now 85.5 mph (halfway in striped green zone)
No wonder no one was passing me on the way back.
Low speed acceleration is similar as before. (in town).
But on a couple of the more steep stretches on Blewett pass with
a heavy layer of snow and slush on the road the rpm
dropped to 2900 in third, and I manually (it's an auto tranny)
shifted into second gear, at about 45 and the rpm would go back up
to 3600 which I used for climbing the steepest grades.
With the MXT's I used to climb those grades in third gear in the summer
with no snow on the ground at ~3200 rpm. Decided I can live with that.
We churned our way through the Cascades. Ran into a snowstorm,
and had to wait for an avalanche to be cleared off the road. All this in
lots of powdery white stuff, but didn't have to use the chains at all.
I think the larger diameter tire is less likely to get stuck.
Spent the night in Leavenworth, got a pizza and watched the
Icefest fireworks. The Cascades are very beautiful in the winter after
a fresh snowfall. A visual smorgasbord.
The new set of wheels made driving in the snow a pleasant experience.
Across Stevens Pass on the way back, had to chain up. (or get a fine)
We were surprised how well our 2wd westy handled in the deep
snow and slush.
Harald and Nancy
Olympia
Some thing to consider:
If you have a vanagon with the alloy wheels, and are using steel rims,
you have to get different lug nuts and lug bolts for the front and rear
wheels.
(ball type seat)
If you use the orig. alloy type nuts and bolts on steel rims the wheels
could come loose. I found some at a junkyard (VW bus) and a FLAPS.
Have fun.
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