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Date:         Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:29:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: New tires
Comments: To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@busdepot.com>
In-Reply-To:  <039101cc881d$83bc8120$8b358360$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

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 >


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