Interesting finding: Just looked at the Hankook RA08, which is a commonly recommended tire for our vehicles, on the Hankook web site. It, along with several other tires primarily listed as "touring" tires pop up when one checks for tires for a Vanagon camper. However, if one simply looks at the "SUV and light truck" category, the RA08 does not show. Checking "trailer" under that category brings up the RA08. So, I am a little confused. Someone on the list once criticized my Kumho 857 tires as being "trailer" tires, based on their reading of the Kumho web site. But at other locations on the Kumho web site, the tires are recommended for vans and buses. Inquiry to Kumho resulted in the explanation that the largest market for the 857 in the U.S. is as a trailer tire, but that the tire was in fact built and designed for vans and buses. Does a similar situation apply for the Hankook RA08? http://hankooktireusa.com/Product/product.aspx?pageNum=1&subNum=1&ChildNum=4&FnCode=043 mcneely ---- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: > I wasn't able to locate the load-inflation table for that specific tire but > that size regardless of the C or D rating is only good for about 1,200 > pounds at 40 psi. Compare that to a standard 215/70-14 which can carry 1,554 > at 41 PSI. Follow the recommended pressures on the door jam for the tire > size used or get the look up tables and adjust for actual load. > > Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of > Scott Daniel - Turbovans > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:52 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: New tires > > fwiw, > I'm driving an 85 Westy GL a customer just got.. > near showroom condition ..best I've ever seen........paid almost 14K for it. > > it's got nearly new Hankook RA08's on it. 185 R14C D load range ( 8PR ) > tire pressures are adjusted to 38 front 44 rear.. > and by golly .. > I am always saying D load range tires are too harsh on the front .. > but these do not seem to be that way at all really. > Didn't drive it very far.. > but overall ride and handling ........'not bad' .. > although .. > it is very 'boaty'..............any swevring and it feels very top heavy and > leans a lot .. > like it wants to be an 'understeering pig.' > > I told him we can fix that. > the first thing it needs.. > as do all 85 Weekenders and Westys .........is normal hieght front springs. > I have changed two of them to GL front springs.. > so they sit level ( they are almost 2 inches too high in front stock ) .. > and that will help quite a bit. > > Ride with these tires is good, no harshness in the steering wheel ... > like front tires do not seem too stiff.. > but being so high in the front, and 'jsut 14's with same size front and rear > tires ' ... > it's quite 'boaty' yet. > > fwiw .. > I am always suprised when people apparoch vanagon tires like it's all about > 'being a truck' ..and 'carrying a load' .. > one guy was even talking about if he was going to carry say 70 % of the > tires max load .. > he would adjsut tire pressures to 70 % of max allowed pressure. > > I say 'what' !!?? > I have always been a sporty driver first, truck driver last.. ( I've raced > in Baja and all that ) and I always and only tune for handling.. > i.e ..............good straight line tracking, good 'turn in' and good > cornering stability with not too much understeer. > When I do have a huge load, I up tire pressures of course.. > and don't expect it to handly too sporty then either, of course. > > they really are 'sports vans' ..... > they have a sporting type suspension ......coil springs, rear trailing arms, > A-arm front suspension ( so do Lamborgini's ) rack and pinion steering and > more .. > That ain't trucks in my world ! They're true 'sports vans' . > > lol, > scott > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:29 PM > Subject: Re: New tires > > > > Last fall, I did get a second set of wheels with some used tires > > already mounted. Two passenger load range regular tread tires and two > > Hakkapellita snows, but not the proper ones...they were sold to the > > lady as "these should do the job" but the load range was 'passenger > > car'.... > > > > I just went ahead and stuck them on my Van because I wanted to save > > my good snows for a trip south...and I figured, what the heck, driving > around > > my local area, if I had a flat, I could deal with it. All but one of > > those > > passenger-rated tires developed bulges or tread seperations within a > > month or two. > > That could have been because of their age or because the tire wasn't > > up to my driving conditions, which include dirt roads and sometimes a > > substantial load... > > > > So for my usage, I think I like the stiffer sidewalls and the best > > load range available. I don't really care about the ride smoothness, > > but I do care about tracking as straight as possible in gusty winds > > and around sinuous highways...and I don't like having a tire develop a > > tread bulge or other problems when I am driving far from home or carrying > a big load... > > > > I have found the Hakkapelittas went an amazing distance before > > getting thin, and on dry pavement a lot. I think I got about 35k > > miles from them...hard to say for certain as I had those others on for a > time.... > > Don Hanson > > > > On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 6:55 AM, The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com> > > wrote: > > > >> > If snow driving is really an issue you should use the Hakkapelittas > >> > for all four. Especially since the Hankooks are not that good even > >> > for rain. > >> > >> > >> I second Dennis's opinion that there is no substitute for snows in > >> all 4 corners if you are in a region where snow is common. No > >> all-season tire - not even the Hankooks - can compare with a good > >> directional snow tire when driving on snow and ice. The Nokian snows > >> are an excellent choice (although we don't carry them). We carry the > >> $99 Kumho Power Grip 185R14 directional snow tire for the more budget > >> minded - > >> http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=185KC11 > >> > >> I should add that snows are not necessarily a good year-round choice, > >> though (unless of course you live in a climate where they're > >> necessary). The rubber compound that gives a snow tire its extra grip > >> also wears faster, so you'll chew through tires faster than if you > >> used all-season tires during non-snowy months. I picked up a spare > >> set of used Vanagon wheels for my Westy so I could have two sets of > >> tires/wheels - a set of Hankooks and a set of snows > >> - > >> and swap them out in the winter. The investment in the snows is > >> largely offset by the fact that their use prolongs the lifespan of my > >> Hankooks (which are now only on the van 8 months a year), so in the > >> long run the only real cost was the used wheels. > >> > >> Finally, I must respectfully disagree with Dennis regarding the > >> Hankooks in rain. While they are only a so-so snow tire (which is the > >> case with any "all-season" tire), I have always found them to be > >> extremely sure footed in rain. In fact I would say they're among the > >> best I've used on wet roads (and I've used many over the years). > >> > >> As always, you can find our article on choosing the right Vanagon > >> tire at http://busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp > >> > >> - Ron Salmon > >> The Bus Depot, Inc. > >> www.busdepot.com > >> (215) 234-VWVW > >> > >> _____________________________________________ > >> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT > >> -- David McNeely |
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