Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2015 15:17:53 -0400
Reply-To: ANTONY MARSH <apetermarsh@ME.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: ANTONY MARSH <apetermarsh@ME.COM>
Subject: Re: Tires & Rims in (Western) Canada - Calgary
In-Reply-To: <CA+az7_5Vkv+aaVRh6E+vb3j1ni3HEYpuUXTYWJvk7CWVZxOFPA@mail.gmail.com>
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I also use the same tire. Absolutely great. Never had a challenge at all.
Thanks Dennis.
A set of five 14's will go on my SYNCRO for normal road use when the Reno is complete and don't yet know what 16's I will put on for swamp jaunts down here in swamp land.
Keep smiling
Peter Marsh
Naples FL
Sent from my digital leash
> On Apr 18, 2015, at 14:44, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> Some time ago, at recommendation of Dennis Haynes, I bought a set of 5
> General Altimax RT 205/70R14 HD. This is a heavy duty passenger touring
> tire. I liked them so well, that since then I have bought sets for all my
> other vehicles. It's a perfectly good tire, even for VANAGONS, but there
> are some caveats.
>
> Tire inflation per VW IS NOT ADEQUATE. On a Vanagon pressure must be very
> near maximum for the tire. Otherwise the van will drive like a snake going
> down the highway.
>
> It's not a winter tire. Stay out of snow..
>
> It's not a rough/back country tire.
>
> Pavement only with the ocassional encounter with a good surface dirt road -
> ocassionally!
>
> It's a perfectly good tire for Vanagon Tintops.
>
> If you check the weight specs, I think this is an OK tire for WESTY'S ,
> DEPENDING on how you have yours loaded.
>
> Syncros - not a good tire under any circumstances.
> Get something else.
>
> Ron Salmon Tire FAQ'S at BUS DEPOT had it exactly right. Failure to keep
> proper inflation is the cause of most tire failures.
>
> Back in the early day's before I knew much about all this, on a trip up the
> ALASKA HIGHWAY, before it was paved, when it was still 1400 odd miles of
> gravel road, I blew out six tires. It was mostly because of my own
> ignorance. I let the tire pressure get low enough that rocks would
> penetrate the side walls. Back then, a radial tire with its side wall belly
> simply wasn't the thing to have on that rocky road. I thought muliple
> spares were a good thing, and my tires were new MICHELINS. I might have
> made it all the way to ANCHORAGE had I routinely checked inflation. What I
> really needed were stiff-side walls - truck tires. Those rough roads
> worked those tire so hard that they would lose air more rapidly than
> normal. After that experience, I keep a tire gage in the van and check
> pressure once a week, and after any long run taking more than a tankful of
> gas. This is one time inflation pays off. I learned, and in 1971 again
> drove the highway and never had a single tire problem
>
> I have never had a failure on the ALTIMAX, and if you can live with these
> caveats, it's good tire at a good price. Last set I bought costs me $65/ea.
> Balanced and installed. My warranty from my favorite little tire shop is
> full tire replacement, no questions asked. But then, I do buy a lot of
> tires, and thus far have never had a claim on one of their tires. Though
> I've never asked, this MUST be a personal thing. Proof is in the pudding,
> however, so to speak.
>
> It's funny - this is a little hole-in-the-wall tire shop, with an endless
> string of customers, a great many of whom are repeats. You will initally
> have to wait in line here. Dumpy little spot, right in the middle of the
> roughest area of the city, but they must be doing something right because
> their customer line never seems to end, and they hustle buns to keep up.
> While waiting I have seen everything from Grannymobiles to chauffered
> Rolls to major tricked out Pimpmobiles. It's all pretty amazing.
>
> Though there might be a drug connection, I have never observed any thing
> remotely suspicious. Even so, it's still amazing.
>
> John
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