Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:49:22 -0800
Reply-To:     David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: spare tire compatibility?
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BAY179-DS1E2AA746C22DFC722C068A0BB0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Where on earth do you get 16" or 17" wheels for a Vanagon? On Saturday, January 18, 2014 7:37 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: That size is an upsize yes, upgrade! I don't think so. Especially for stock driveline it is at the upper limit of what will even work. The 89's have short springs so you may have to deal with rubbing on the front fenders or do a spring change. Brakes! Yep that upgrade will be needed for sure. Manual transmission will suffer overtime. It takes horsepower to move the vehicle at speed. Wind resistance makes for a constant load. Horsepower is a function of engine speed and torque, (force or pressure). Since these transmissions often break parts as much as wear them the increased torque requirement from the speed reduction does wear and break parts faster.  This same effect also strains the engine in the same way. Actual top speed will be reduced. No more easy cruising at 75. You will get to down shift a lot more in hill driving. For an automatic you get to move into torque converter seal failures due to fluid overheating. If you get a flat or blowout in the front and you have to get onto any type of soft shoulder you may not need the spare. You may need the recovery truck to pick the van back up. Seriously, from experience 27" seems to be a good limit for these vans especially in mostly stock form. The difference from 27 to 18 is drastic. 16 or 17 wheels lets you get there with more tire choices and the lower sidewalls make for a better handling van and makes things much safer in the event of a tire failure. 225/60-16 is a very good choice. Even VW went to this size at the end of the Eurovan error. Due to reasonable cost and availability of the AR95T wheels I have number of customers running 225/55-17 and they are extremely happy.  Both these sizes are readily available when traveling. Dennis -----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Andre Fiedler Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2014 1:25 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: spare tire compatibility? Hello all, I am in the process of upgrading the tires on my 2WD 1989 Westy to 215/75R15 size (diameter 27.8").  My current spare is 185R14 (diameter 25.7").  I am wondering if using this spare for a short drive in case I were to get a flat would potentially cause engine or drivetrain damage of any sort due to the difference in tire diameters? Thank you. Andre Fiedler


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