VANAGON archives -- December 2005, week 2 (#308)

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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