Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2013, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 14 May 2013 11:00:03 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tires and Wheels-The Tread continues!
In-Reply-To:  <6EE7426A-2F23-4B35-AF24-D5DF6C91801D@SHAW.CA>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> In any case Dennis, I'll stick with opinion that higher sidewalls offer more > protection for your rims when you are driving on rough unpaved roads.

They do. A short sidewall is easily damaged not only by rough roads, but even the occasional big pothole that you encounter on normal roads. And it is not just the tire that is at risk; your rim can also be damaged. The "boy racer car" trend toward big rims and low profile tires has been an absolute windfall for tire and wheel retailers, who get to sell replacements whenever someone hits a nice sized pothole.

Quoting TireRack:

"While taller profile tires can be damaged by the more severe impacts with deeper potholes and sharper curbs, low profile tires mounted on large diameter wheels are the most susceptible to this type of damage. The driver of vehicles equipped with low profile tires should make special efforts to avoid potholes, curbs or other road hazards."

Quoting the L.A. Times (and Volkswagen):

"Engineers and safety experts say low aspect ratio tires -- which have shorter sidewalls -- are more vulnerable to road hazards, such as potholes and other obstructions that can test a tire's ability to flex at high speed, than their standard counterparts. Officials from Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone -- the three largest tire makers -- all acknowledged in interviews that their low aspect ratio tires are more likely to be damaged by impacts in normal driving. "They are more susceptible to pothole damage," said Bill VandeWater, Bridgestone's consumer tire products manager, in Nashville. "They don't have as much give before the tread contacts the rim. There isn't as much deflection capability as a taller tire." What can you do about it? Well, advice from manufacturers can be kind of silly. Take, for example, Volkswagen's suggestion. "Avoid driving on roads with potholes, deep gouges or ridges," it tells owners of cars equipped with these tires. In other words, keep the car in the garage."

A normal sized but appropriately stiff (in other words, sufficiently rated for a Vanagon) sidewall provides a good combination of handling, ride comfort, and protection against blow-outs and wheel damage.

- Ron Salmon   The Bus Depot, Inc.   www.busdepot.com   (215)  234-VWVW

_____________________________________________ Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.