Jeff, You really should have 5 matching wheels and tires which you keep in a rotation, so that they have close to equal circumference. Otherwise, if you have a flat, you would have very excessive VC lockup (unless you then removed the drive shaft) and would put undue stress on the transmission and potentially cause some parts to fail. This even applies to your current tires. The need for the matching set of tires has been discussed extensively on the Syncro lists, although there will probably be a reasonable amount of discussion in this lists archives also. I got my Syncro with a relatively new VW transmission in it because the PO wouldn't listen to the dealership that kept warning him to run the same size, manufacturer, and model of tire on his van. He trashed the tranny. And all his tires were the same size, just not the same manufacturer and model, and state of wear. What if you have a flat, now, or even worse with the setup to which you plan to switch? Most of us wouldn't want to have to remove the drive shaft and be without 4WD capability. So, I think you need to re-figure you cost of wheel and tire purchase and approach wheel / tire replacement with the new numbers. -- Sam Walters Baltimore, MD |
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