Date:         Thu, 3 Aug 2000 11:50:25 -0400
Reply-To:     pokeswagon@blazenet.net
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "(Donna Cassano)" <pokeswagon@blazenet.net>
Subject:      I HATE TO SAY - tires
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

OK, I know everyone gets their shackles up a little whenever the topic
of tires comes up, but no one could be more sick of tires than me. I've
been going round and round on this tire thing for 4 months now - pun
intended.

I got a set of Bridgestone Dueler ATs for my Westy and loved them until
it rained. They are great for the off road camping that I do the most.
They held strong on the dry highway when gusts and semi's would pass.
But once the roads got wet I was skating around with the slightest
breeze. I was running them at the 50psi they are rated at so I backed
them down to 40 front and 45 rear as recommended on the door sticker.
This helped some, but it still gets a little squirrely on the wet
highways with gusts and trucks.

I've been back to Sear's several times trying to find and alternative
that will give me excellent off-road traction and keep me safe when
driving on wet highways. They have that "customer satisfaction"
guarantee, however they haven't been able to come up with anything in
the 14" size. I paid almost $550 for a  set of 5 and I feel for that
much money these things should be perfect (but am I being too
idealistic?). I know I can get a set of no-names that will perform just
as good for half the cost, however Sears wants to charge me $50 to
re-mount and balance my old tires. Hmmmph! Anyway, thinking that maybe I
should start saving $$$ to buy 15" wheels that will afford me a wider
selection of off-road possibilities. But saving $$$ is not high on my
list right now as I am preparing to become unemployed for my
cross-country excursion.

So PLEASE, is there anyone out there that can recommend a good
alternative to the Bridgestones in a 14" size that will do well on the
highway AND be aggressive enough for my off-road camping adventures? I
know a lot of you use the Mich LTX, but they just don't look aggressive
enough for me. Can anyone attest to the contrary? I don't want to get
stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Advice/suggestions GREATLY appreciated.
Peace - donna
'84 Westy (Pepe)