Date:         Fri, 23 Sep 1994 11:36:13 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         H Steven Dolan <dworkin@netcom.com>
Subject:      Rotating XZX Vanagon Tires and Ownership Qualification


On Thu, 22 Sep 1994, J. Walker wrote:

> i've run the michelin XZX 185/70SR 14 reinforced 6-ply for about 20 years and
> have been very satisfied with them. however, if you do not rotate them (front
> to back ONLY ... otherwise they get all upset!) at least every 10,000 miles,
> they start making a roaring noise, like wheel bearings.

Thank you, thank you!  You may just have saved me 8 hrs up to my armpits 
in axle grease.  I was getting ready to do my wheel bearings because 
of the whine.  I'll try tire rotation instead.  At least it keeps me out 
from under the car for another month.

BTW has any discussion occurred on minimum ownership qualifications?  A 
friend just told me he was looking at a bus about the same age as mine 
('78) and I honestly had to recommend he not buy it.  He happens to be 
the sort who takes his car in to get the windshield washer fluid added, 
and I couldn't see him being happy with an old VW.  I love my bus, but I 
recognize that it is a hobby in addition to being a form of 
transportation. Maybe with the newer water-cooled busses things have 
changed, but I would bet (mostly from reading this list) that things have 
not changed much, and that fun as they are VW's are still labor 
intensive, and require TLC, though they are easy and relatively 
inexpensive to work on.  Other opinions?

					H Steven Dolan
					dworkin@netcom.com