Date:         Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:13:41 -0800
Reply-To:     jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
Subject:      Re: 15" Wheel/Tire Report - Caution
In-Reply-To:  <012501c5289e$ed0a82c0$6400a8c0@t41>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>I know that GoWesty feels these tire are appropriate ....
>
>They have a detial explanation on their web site that is very  impressive.

In case anyone's interested, it's here
<http://www.gowesty.com/tire_wheeltech.html>

>
>But if the Manufacturing of the tire will not warranty it
>for this application ... What does that tell you?

Lucas of GoWesty asserts it tells you that they didn't test it. The fact
that they are applying a "one size fits all, specifics be damned" load
reduction formula indicates this is most probably the case.

>Does GoWesty know more than the tire manufacturer?

In the case of HydroEdge tires on Vanagons, I'd say GoWesty probably does.
As Lucas says, they've got over a million miles logged with those tires
without a single failure. The best test would be true experimental "test to
failure" or "test to maximum possible loading plus [x]%". In the absence of
that, I'd accept continuous long-term real-world usage stats over a
manufacturer's formula-based guess. Tire makers manufacture such a huge
variety of tires that they CAN'T test each individual design, but instead
must make an estimate. The estimate is, of course, invariably conservative
for reasons of liability. With the exception of catastrophic design
screwups (a la Firestone), you can count on everything being fine if you
stay within the rating; But this doesn't mean that all conditions outside
the rating are inherently dangerous.

John Bange
'90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"