Date:         Wed, 21 Sep 2005 11:13:26 -0400
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Tires (oh, yes)
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Well, really I was switching rims. However I had different tires on
my other rims, so I figured I'd say something about them.

On my Westy, I have been running BFG All Terrain T/A Ko tires, on my
Rhein 15" rims. As the tires have worn, they've gotten a bit noiser.
Still a good combination. Strong wheels, strong tires, and useful
when I go off road.

A previous owner had put some Bridgestone Dueler H/L's on the Carat 2
(15") wheels on my Tristar. Since that is not on the road, and the
wheels were just sitting there, I decided to switch them to the Westy
and try out the Dueler's.

First, the Duelers only have a Max inflation of 44 psi. That's a
negative in my book. Still they are a load index 100, and are light
truck tires with a max load of 1700 pounds, so they should be good
enough.

On the highway they are MUCH quieter than the BFG AT T/A's. Of course
they have a lot more tread right now, so I don't think they have an
equivalent amount of wear.

I'm not yet convinced enough to stick with them. I'll put some miles
on them, and then maybe get some Michelin Agilis for these rims.

The Carat 2 rims, are noticably lighter in weight (which was the main
reason for switching). I'll have to weigh them to find out how much
lighter they are than the Rheins. After a few tanks of gas, I'll find
out if the difference in weight translates to better gas mileage.