Date:         Thu, 23 Jan 2003 12:53:53 -0800
Reply-To:     Harald Rust <harald_nancy_vw@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Harald Rust <harald_nancy_vw@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Where to put the better tires?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Recently I talked to a friend in Europe.
He had his car, a small Renault 5, inspected by the
Tüv, the biannual required German road worthy
inspection.
It passed, but the inspector told him to switch the
front tires, which had more tread left, to the rear.
The logic is that it's worse if a car breaks out
(slips out of control) with the rear end.
He said it's harder to get the vehicle back under
control if the rear end slips than the front.
The Renault is a front-wheel drive car.
He said it didn't make any difference in that regard
if it's front wheel or rear wheel drive.
This doesn't have anything to do with tire chains.
Those are always installed on the driving wheels.
Just thought that was kind of interesting.
Personally I used to install the better tires on the
front, thinking it would give me better steerage.
I did end up in the ditch once on a slushy road with
an '81 vanagon westy. The rear end swung around and
passed me by.
The vanagon made two 360 degree turns. I managed to
keep it out of the oncoming traffic, only to end up in
the ditch. That vanagon camper was still fine.
The tires on the rear were marginal when that happened
to me.
Any opinions welcome, differing or otherwise.
as posted on
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vw-camping/
Harald
'90 westy

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com