Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 09:02:53 -0400
Reply-To: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject: Re: Review of Agilis 51 205/65-15
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Great review thanks Chris! Yesterday I put 215/65-15 Agilis
51s on the rear (I am still looking for hardware for the
front - so the van looks a little funny). I have a few
questions if anyone knows:
1) What pressure are you running front and rear in the Agilis
51s for a westy?
2) Anyone know of front and rear wheel locks to protect my
investment?
3) Anyone shoehorn these babies into thier front spare tire
holder?
4) Chris why did you pick the 205s over the 215s?
Thanks,
Chris
---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 21:54:20 -0400
>From: Christopher Berchin <ctb1@PEOPLEPC.COM>
>Subject: Review of Agilis 51 205/65-15
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>Yes, another tire review, but what the heck. I thought I'd
chime in.
>
>I just installed 205/65-15 Michelin Agilis 51's on my bus
with SA Sunburst
>wheels. Previously, the van had 195/70-14 car tires on
steel wheels. I
>won't mention the brand since they aren't at fault for their
non-suitability
>for the Vanagon. These tires came with my van when I bought
it, and I
>finally changed them.
>
>The van is like night and day with the new tires.
Previously, I had lots of
>impact harshness on every bump (and here in D-town, that's a
lot). Loud
>noise, and a lot of the impact went right to you sitting in
the van. It
>banged away quite a lot, which could get old. The Agilis
are far quieter
>and have far less impact harshness. It feels like the
suspension was dipped
>in rubber. I can't believe it's the same van. This alone
has given me a
>much quieter interior.
>
>Steering deadband is a bit narrower (in other words, there's
less play in
>the steering before something happens), but this isn't a
very large change.
>I actually expected slightly more change here. However,
crosswind stability
>has gone WAY up, if my test drive last night was any
indication. I was
>driving along the interstate at about 75 mph, and I could
see the wind. All
>the plants next to the road were bent over, and the flags
were straight out.
>However, the van just didn't care. Stable as all get-out.
One really big
>gust hit and the van twitched a bit, but not much at all. I
was amazed -
>with the other tires, I would have been all over the place.
Another case
>where I couldn't believe it was the same van. Note also
that I do not have
>my front sway bar connected - the end link broke, and I've
been waiting to
>put these tires on before I decide which size front bar to
put back on the
>van (I have both the 19mm and 21mm factory bars). I imagine
the van may get
>even a little bit more stable with the bar connected.
>
>Handling: Compared to the car tires, the van is more
neutral - less
>understeer. Less to the point where I want a front bar back
on it. With
>the car tires, it was nearly dead neutral without the front
bar, but with
>some ugly lean angles. My van isn't unstable right now, but
it is *just*
>that little bit too close to oversteer for my liking during
initial turn-in.
>However, the grip of these Agilis is WAY better than the
previous tires. I
>railed around one of my favorite test on-ramps at much
greater speed than I
>ever could have before. I was having quite a lot of fun,
pretending I was
>driving a really big Porsche 912. :)
>
>The only downside is that I'm now back to OEM tire diameter,
so my van got a
>bit slower. The smaller diameter of the other tires gave me
shorter
>gearing, and it accelerated a bit better and had slightly
more top end.
>However, I will pay that price for the vast superiority of
the Agilis in
>every other respect. And they look great, too.
>
>Bottom line - I'll pay whatever it takes to get more of
these once they wear
>out. My van is totally transformed with them. Very
impressive. I
>purchased mine from Military Tires
>(http://www.militarytiresales.com/main.asp?page=home) in the
fall - they
>were a bargain back then, as MT has since rasied the price.
However, as I
>said, I will pay what it takes to get more of these when the
time comes.
>Hopefully I will remain as pleased with them as I drive more
miles on them.
>This weekend will tell the tale, as I am road tripping in
the van. We shall
>see...
>
>Chris
>'84 GL
>The Race Bus
| 
