Date:         Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:54:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: 14 inch year-round tires with very good winter performance??
In-Reply-To:  <CA+n284N9H5cddi1icrV3q+scuH46SS8mkie8sWdY12vVzTciwg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 5:01 PM, pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@gmail.com>wrote:

>  My goals are:
> real winter performance (severe service emblem)
> good for year round use (long tread life).  Ideally, not as loud us the
> C2's. fits my factory steel wheels and has the load rating necessary for a
> very stable ride.
>

Your info is the same as what others have encountered, the Hakka CS is
discontinued.  Or at least not available in the US.  And Nokian apparently
does not make some of their other winter tires in 185 or 195R14 sizes.  I
went to 15" wheels to deal with this problem but that is not the most
economic solution.

One positive note on Nokian tires.  Last fal I and others reported that
Discount Tires could no longer get Nokian tires because of the new
marketing arrangement between Nokian and Tire Factory.  But Discount is
still showing Nokian tires on their website.  So today I stopped at my
local Discount Tire and asked.  With a couple of phone calls and a lot of
snooping on the computer the local manager concluded that indeed he could
get Nokian tires but it would take a little hunting on his part.  He agreed
that the situation was like this:  A good manager that knows what he is
doing at your local Discount tire can probably get you Nokian tires.  And
the drama continues.....