Date:         Wed, 17 Aug 2005 06:48:00 EDT
Reply-To:     RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Tire Report
Comments: To: vanagon@egroups.com, limbolist@egroups.com,
          The_Bug_Pack@yahoogroups.com, ev_update@yahoogroups.com
Comments: cc: roadguy@roadhaus.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Tire report - Euro-Metric Radials - M&S - 205  70R/14 95T - Tread: 2 ply
steel + 1 ply Polyester - Sidewall: 2 ply  Polyester - Max load 690 kg ~ 1521 lbs
@ 300 kps ~ 44 psi max pressure -  Treadwear 340 - Traction A - Temp B.  I
know, not a common tire but they  have come up on the Lists before.  These tires
should be avoided is the  summary.  I acquired them with a set of 14" CARAT
alloy that I bought from  Chris Turner.  The tires were brand new and seemed to
have the proper load  rating although only a 2 ply sidewall as indicated on
the tires.  I decided  to use them and see how they worked.  At first they
seemed just fine making  their first road trip to EveryBus 2004.  Sometime during
the summer of 2004  one of them had a belt problem that made that tire out of
round and caused  vibration.  I swapped it out for the spare as the set had 5
new  tires.  As time went on I noticed that the side walls were showing more
and  more signs of lumpiness but still drove and handled just fine.  Well, over
the past month they all have become pretty much lumpy.  Now they all  seem to
have some level of belt separation and lumpiness which has induce much
vibration at different speeds.  Short of it is these tires are useless  for a
Vanagon Westy.  They are being removed and replaced with a set of  Michelin LTX
195's as soon as the they arrive at COSTCO Ottawa.  Price of  $138.99 CND
installed & balanced I was quoted was the best deal in  town.  Just more fuel for the
tire fire !

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat & Lionel  Trains
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or http://frankcondelli.com
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12,  2005