Date:         Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:49:11 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Tire troubles: Resolved satisfactorily..
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

hi all,

A few days back I "piggy-backed" a tire dilemma onto another thread, my problem being weird handling.  After stupidly ignoring the accepted wisdom that having two different brands of tire on the same vehicle,was not good, I was forced to admit that "They" are right..

 I bit the bullet and got the second pair of new tires I was trying to avoid buying..  Late last fall after first snow, I had to get some fresh rear tires to make my hill in the snow, so I went to Les Schwab here in the Northwest and got some Wildcat M+S in the same size and construction as the Michelins I was running.  Since two of the old Michelins still had some life, I thought I might get by leaving them on the front, since all the numbers matched, same ply, same load range, same size,etc etc.  Not so.  The handling was downright scary, with the van oversteering and darting around unpredictably..  So I went for a second pair of the Wildcats from Schwab and all is now good again.  The van goes straight, is better in the wind gusts than with the Michelins and with the Wildcat tread has better snow and mud drive..  Interestingly, we found one of my front wheels was really dented up.  A big flat spot on it from a rock or hole..Something to be said for steel rims...
  Don Hanson