Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:36:56 -0500
Reply-To: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Subject: Re: Tri-Star or 16" Fender flares was Re: " plastic wheel arch
extensions"
In-Reply-To: <f5.5f766153.30cefc80@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 11:17 AM 12/12/2005, you wrote:
>In a message dated 12/12/05 11:01:02 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>gruengeist@GMAIL.COM writes:
>
>
> > that is,
> > assuming they'll fit 2WD late model vans with full body molding, etc.
> >
> >
>
>i dont think they will fit vanagons with the full fiberglass skiritng..
>though the Tri-Stars DID have the front fiberglass doortrims..so... they may
>fit on vans with the partial skirting? Derek Drew has a set of
>Flares on his
>'91 syncro westy but i dont know if theyre tri-star flares or 16"
>flares....Derek??
JordanVw: hey derek...sorry to bother you.. but the fender flares you
have on your syncro westy..are those the Tri-star fender flares, or
the 16" syncro fender flares?
Derek Drew: I stock the 16" fender flares but not the 14" fender
flares. I generally disapprove of the 14" fender flares. I am
ordering a 14" fender flare for a guy in Taiwan though.
JordanVw: and whats the difference between the tri-star flares and
the 16" syncro flares anyway? are the tri-star flares still available?
JordanVw: the 14" flares are the Tri star ones, right?
JordanVw: do you have to modify/cut the body to install them?
Derek Drew: I *think* the tri-star flares are still available, but I
noticed that David Marshall lists them as NLA. I am going to try to
order one of these in the next week. Tri-star flares = 14" flares.
The only difference is that the 14" flares restrict, severely, how
large a tire you can put on there. The 16" flares don't, but you need
to remove some metal to fit the 16" flares.
JordanVw: oh..ok
Derek Drew: The metal that you remove, of course, does not show. So,
it is a trivial thing to cut them, I feel.
JordanVw: ok.. where do you have to cut the metal? only on the front
wheel arches? or the rears too?
Derek Drew: My guess is that you cut at both places. The factory OEM
wheelwells are actually mis-shaped to accomodate larger tire sizes,
and reshaping them is a good thing for strategic reasons, and I feel
also, that the new shape is also cosmetically better aligned with the
shape of the tire.
JordanVw: ok.. thanks derek.. there is currently an ongoing
thread today on the vanagon list about these flares (you may have
seen it?) and you may want to post and add your wisdom/experinece
with the flares to the comments on the list..
>chris
________________________________________________________
Derek Drew Washington, DC
derekdrew@rcn.com Phone 202-966-7907
Email me for viscous coupling s (Cell 703-408-1532)
'90 Syncro Westfalia...
...seen off-road at
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/Syncro_Madness_Area.htm
...seen with 30.5" tall tires at
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/vanagon/images/dereks245_75_16.jpg
Note: most valuable Vanagon sites on the planet (for owners) are:
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon
http://gerry.vanagon.com/files/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro
http://www.vanagon.com
http://www.syncro.org
Many of my Syncro list postings consolidated
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/messagesearch?query=212-580-6486
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/messagesearch?query=202-966-7907
My refrigerator article:
http://www.vanagon.com/info/articles/Refrigerator/Reefer_Madness.htm
All About 16" Wheels And The CV-900.htm
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/vanagon/All_About_16-Wheels_And_The_CV_900.htm
All About Viscous Couplings
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/vanagon/viscous_couplings_vanagon_syncro.htm
How To Live With Heavy List Volume--Mail Filters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/7403
My article that shows how to deal with insurance companies:
http://gerry.vanagon.com/files/auto-insurance-madness.html
To read some material about how to add a front differential lock to your syncro
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/13105
To view Wolfgang's incredibly informative wheel article
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/fitbigtiresonvanagon.htm
To view Tim Smith's incredibly useful gearing calculator
http://users.rcn.com/derekdrew/syncrotireandgearratios.xls
To view two articles about how to think about improving your gears at
transmission rebuild time
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/7207
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/7221
To view an overview article about choices in larger sized tires see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/11535
To view some 16" Trailing Arms that enable much larger tires see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syncrolist/files/Wheels%2C%20Tires%20%26%20Gearing/Wheel%20%26%20Tire%20Photos/16_Inch_Trailing_Arm.jpg
My article about belt protectors and CV joint protectors
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Syncro/message/6112
SYNCRO OWNERS WHO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD:
You only get to change your ring and pinions once every 10 years
because that's how long the average syncro transmission goes before
its next rebuild. If you want bigger tires and more ground clearance
start planning your higher number ring and pinion sets right
now so you
can take advantage of your next trans rebuild.
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