Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 10:36:14 -0400
Reply-To: VW Doka <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: VW Doka <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: experience with GoWesty wheels
In-Reply-To: <4A1FF0CE.9040005@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I agree "in principle", and personally, I always run properly rated
tires on my T3s as well.
That being said, GoWesty sells a boat load of these tire/wheel
combinations (you should see their warehouse) and I've yet to hear of
any catastrophic failures.
Cheers,
Jeff
On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 10:27 AM, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net> wrote:
> I agree with Ron, I would never put a car rated tire on a Westy
> Vanagon. You might be able to get away with it on a passenger Van but
> not on a Westy. I always run at least load range C tires on my Carat
> Vanagon. To sell and recommend tires that are not properly rated for
> the Van is just asking for not only an accident but also a lawsuit. You
> can see how careful the Tire Rack is about matching the tires they sell
> with the vehicles they are meant for. This is not only to keep their
> customer's from having a tire related accident but also from keeping
> themselves from being sued for recommending an improper tire
> application. It has always made me scratch my head why Go Westy, a
> company that prides itself on knowing so much about Vanagons and Westys
> in particular, would recommend and sell a tire that is not properly
> rated for a Vanagon. People trust them because of their reputation, but
> this recommendation is a poor one at best.
>
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> www.vanagain.com
>
> The Bus Depot wrote:
>>>
>>> I am on the verge of ordering a set of the 16 inch GoWesty
>>> wheels and Michelin Hydroedge tires.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Michelin Hydroedge tires do NOT meet either Volkswagen or U.S. D.O.T.
>> specs
>> for safe use on a Vanagon. Please see the archives, read
>> http://busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp , and think VERY VERY carefully
>> before
>> putting ANY underrated tires on your Vanagon (regardless of what any
>> retailer, who of course has a profit motive because he sells underrated
>> tires, may claim). Those claims directly contradict VW's own engineers,
>> as
>> well as the government's safety standards.
>>
>> Sure you will hear anecdotal experience from people who use various
>> underrated tires and "never had a problem." (Especially since they want
>> to
>> justify their own decision to do so.) Similarly, 5 out of 6 people who
>> play
>> Russian Roulette don't have a problem, most people who smoke don't die of
>> cancer, and most people who never wear a seatbelt live to tell about it.
>> During average daily driving your underrated tire will probably handle
>> just
>> fine, because it's not being pushed to its limits. The stress test will be
>> when you can least afford it - during emergency evasive maneuvers when a
>> disproportionate amount of weight is transferred to a single tire. At
>> that
>> point, if the tire fails (and VW and the D.O.T. have already warned you
>> that
>> it may!!!) the consequences could easily be deadly.
>>
>> There are properly rated 16" tires out there, although I do not sell them.
>> (Many of my Eurovan customers use a 16" Kumho tire, although I don't carry
>> it and have not tried it personally. I do, however, carry 14", 15", and
>> 16"
>> Vanagon alloy wheels, and 14" and 15" tires.) Why play Russian roulette,
>> when there are plenty of alternatives out there that meet VW specs?
>>
>> - Ron Salmon
>> The Bus Depot, Inc.
>> www.busdepot.com
>> (215) 234-VWVW
>>
>> _____________________________________________
>> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>>
>>
>
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