Date:         Sat, 19 May 2001 17:05:07 -0000
Reply-To:     Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@hotmail.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@hotmail.com>
Subject:      Re: Tires, Load Range and Pressure-Does it matter?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Rich -

Not too surprising.  It all depends on the GVW of the vehicle.  My Westy is
something like 5300 lbs.  According to the Chevrolet web site, a new S-10
with the Z-85 package has a GVW of 4600 lbs.  They specify P rated 235/70R15
size tires which probably have a maximum pressure of 35 psi.  You would have
to look at the owners manual on his vehicle to get the specs for it.

Your Hakkas are stronger than needed, which doesn't hurt, and will handle
the pressures the VW recommends. It sounds like the Chevy original equipment
tires were just strong enough to carry the load.  After all, they wouldn't
spend any more money than they have to!

A lot of Vanagon owners are not obsessive and run around on passenger rated
tires. More of them will have problems than those of us who read the sticker
by the door.

You pays your money and you makes your choice - just know what you are
choosing.

- Mike Finkbiner
'87 Westy
Moscow, Idaho


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date:    Sat, 19 May 2001 10:36:23 EDT
From:    Rico Sapolich <JKrevnov@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Tires, Load Range and Pressure-Does it matter?

I do not know of what relevance this is, but . . . Yesterday I was at the
ballfield talking to another baseball dad (a baseball dad is like a soccer
mom with a set of balls and who thinks winning the game is more important
than just having fun) when the subject of tires came up.  We ended up
looking at the ratings on our respective cars.  He was surprised to see that
the Hakka's on my Syncro were rated for 1850 lb.  I was more surprised to
find the Goodyear's on his full-sized Chevy 4X4 pickup were rated only for
1160 lb. max.  This really puzzles me because they are the original tires.
He had about 3 0 kMi. on them and they were wearing well with at least 1/4
inch remaining until the tread wear indicators would be reached.   He did
say that they spin easily on wet asphalt macadam.  Why would such
macho-looking tires be, in reality, so wimpy?  And, could it be we Vanagon
owners are too obsessive about the ratings of our tires?

Rich
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