Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 21:36:17 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Tires again
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good vanagon tires are near $ 100.
there are ones you can find online at discount tire places..
might get down to 89 plus shipping.
C load ones front and rear are fine.
the main recomendaton is .......strong recommendation, to not run D load
rating tires in the front ( akd 8PR ) ..
all C's is fine.
D's in the rear and C's in the front works excellently ...
and is on the tire sticker on 90 and 91 synco's ..or at least a few I've
seen.
I just looked at a 91 GL.
says 185 R14 C front and rear .
at very high 43 front, 53 rear psi.
( i'd probably start out 36 front, 42 rear maybe. )
I never put 50 psi in any vanagon tire.
I have started many trips with a big load and 48 psi on the rear cold.
and an hour later on the freeway ...let out 5 psi or so ( hot ) ..ah ...how
nice !
to high tire pressures are not 'better.'
not in terms of ride and handling.
the 91 GL sticker also mentions 205/70 R 14 reinforced.
no one has those that I know.
the closes is the same size in H speed rating.
I really dislike the harshness of H rated tires and always have.
I just some 215/65 R 15 102H rated tires..
those are really sports sedan tires, not vanagon/light truck.
two wil be ok on the rear ..but not the front.
they make the van bounce around on pumps and more steering correction is
required.
a really properly set up vanagon takes almost no steering correction going
down the road.
I just drove..
it was uncannily smooth and steady..
86 Syncro Double Cab ..stock engine ..non-walk through in front, seat 3 in
front, 3 in rear.
and it had 27 X 8.50 R14 LT tires on .
a *super nice * size iun 14 btw.
a little hard to find these days.
but that's asesome 14 inch tire..
27 X 8.50 R14 LT..
that van .......drove like a porche or a mercedes..
followed the road by itself I swear,
and ..never quite realized this ..
with the engine outside of the box the people sit in ..
it was super quiet inside.
don't let tire stores sell you wrong tires..
the love to do 185 R14C D laod rating tires, 4 of them.
because C's are harder to find.
Don't let them.
you will give a lot of smoothness in the steering wheel and on bumps in the
front with D's or H rated front tires.
I have .btw...about a dozen vanagons, and counting all my vehciles perhaps a
hundred mounted and balanced tires..
so I can try out lots of tires and combinations.
all LT's are sweet.
all C load rating tires are fine.
all D's front and rear suck,
and D's rear, C's front is extra good. .
if money is an issue, for a spare ..not one of your 5 tires is good enough
for a spare ?
Flat tires don't seem too common ..
and certainly not on new tires.
you always want more stability in the rear ..
that's why rear tire pressure is higher by 4 to 6 lbs or so.
if you have a stiffer rear tire that increases the effect..
which helps it be less of an understeering 'bus' and gives more neutral
handling..
and much better straight line stability.
seriously.
you can also have wider rear rims..
wider or bigger rear tires ..
but just a stiffer rear tire helps quite a lot, run at 4 to 6 psi higher.
if I run my Adventurewagon with Michin Agilles 205/65 R15 C's ( C load
rating ) ..
when I put on my Hkipalidda rear studless tires in the same size but D load
rated..
the van immediately tracks down the stright highway better..
turn-in is about the same..
and cornering stability is noticeable better.
you always want 'more' in the rear.
and too harsh, too high load rated tires in the front really suck.
if I sent you out in a van back-to-back with D's on the front,
then again with C's on the front..
the difference would be amazing ..
for half sensitive driver's anyway.
they did predict btw, a year ago that tires would go up.
I got some Thunderer brand made in Thailand 185 R15 D load rated tires for
the rear last august ...
nice wide well made looking ones too ..
$ 113 each last August,
148 each a couple of months ago. Those will run on the rear of a vanagon a
good long time too.
if half kept care of.
but tires prices might be going up.
the H rated's I got on a deal from my VW dealer..
( just had to try them out ) they are from japan a year ago ..pre-tsunami,
pre freak out.
I like that.
I should do a video or sumpin' someday ..
vanagons do not have to be understeering pigs at all..
they actually can, when set up and driven right ..
drive like a rear wheel drive 2WD sport car ..
they respond to acclerating through turns a little ..
if there's enough power they can just barely start to use power at the rear
wheels to guide it though turns..they will just slightly 'rotate' in a
corner under power ..if driven with real skill.
their suspension btw..
there are two mercedes benz cars in my yard..
70's era ..
a vanagon has the exact same suspension design .
front a-arms and anti-roll bar,
rear trailing arms, and coil springs all around.,
the benz's also have a rear anti-sway bar and coil springs,
but they don't have rack and pinion steering like vanagons do.
Vanagon truly do have sports car type syspenson on them.
they are not trucks at all.
the are 'sports vans' , truly.
and they can benefit greatly from smart tire selection.
185 R14 D laod rating front and rear ..
is a very common combination and not a good one at all in my opinion.
and experience, and I know what i'm talking about.
what fun !
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "A PETER MARSH" <apetermarsh@MAC.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 6:51 AM
Subject: Tires again
> Dear List
>
> Now I have to get serious about tires.
>
> The tires on my 91 VANAGON are all ten plus years old so I need five new
> tires. Looked at lots of tires but only a few with load C or D and
> needless to say bloody expensive. Shipping to 34103 adds up to another
> $100 I just don't have.
>
> So the question to my frugal pensioners in the list is WHO has the best
> deal?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Peter Marsh
