Date:         Mon, 2 Jun 2003 19:57:07 -0400
Reply-To:     Ed Carroll <ecarroll@MAINE.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ed Carroll <ecarroll@MAINE.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: Nokian tire opinions
Comments: To: "Brian T." <nobleman36@YAHOO.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Just to set it straight, Nokia is the tire, Nokian is the cell phone. Just
to keep the tire guy from thinkin' yer a looper from the start.

Anyway, we've got Hakkapellita C2s on the front and Hakkapellita 10s on the
back of our '87 Westy lite camper. They both have aggressive mud and snow
type tread. I wouldn't have done the mix and match, but that's the way it
came about 20,000 miles ago, and if tire sets for these buggies were cheap
the topic wouldn't come up every week. So that's what we drive.

Excellent mud and snow traction. No wear that I can discern. But I would
have to disagree with a couple of previous posts: Ours are loud, loud, loud.
Like wearing rumbling corduroy pants that just won't wear down. The tire
rumble actually sets up a sympathetic rattle in the rest of the van at some
speeds. It has made me wish for the $400 it would cost to put summer
specific tires on it -- and that's a lot of beer!

Bottom line: I'd buy Nokias again in a moment.

Question: The heavy lugs of these present treads have a noticeable, ALMOST
cupping-like offset that makes them feel like a rough surface when you rub
your hand along them. They are properly inflated, properly installed and the
front end does not pull to either side. I've driven behind the van and
there's no noticable issue with camber, etc. But the treads feel like a
Vibram sole bent into a sharp arc; they are blocky. This has to have
something to do with our extraordinary noise level, but does anyone have any
suggestions? A simple balance and rotate, maybe?

Ed Carroll
87 Westy lite (Wolfsburg edition, whatever)