Date:         Sun, 25 Sep 1994 09:55:47 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Wes Neuenschwander <wesn@eskimo.com>
Subject:      Re: Need Vanagon Tires

On Sat, 24 Sep 1994, J. Walker wrote:

> 
> >However the Michelin 205/70R14's I've got on my '91 Westy have another
> >problem:  They cause the van to squirm and shift side to side in windy
> >weather or traffic turbulence, sometimes severely.  I've had to reduce my
> >speed to 40-50 mph on occassion, just to maintain control.  Feels almost
> 
> uhhh. this sounds just like the non-reinforced michelins that i had ...
> that hydro-planned so badly. are you sure they are 'reinforced sidewalls'?
> it should be stamped on the side of the tire.
> 
> i never had that problem on the 91 bus with the 205/70r14 reinforced tires
> (michelin mxl's).  but then, it was NOT a camper and the extra weight might
> be a factor here.
> 
> >from anyone else who's had/solved this problem - it's scary!!
> 
> the only other thing i can think of is
> 1. check the air pressure. maybe too low?
> 2. remote possibility that the tires were made/marked wrong and do NOT have
> reinforced sidewalls?  i mean, ANYTHING is possible, right?
> 
> joel
> 
They are indeed stamped "reinforced", but I'll try to verify that they 
comply.  I watch the tire pressure pretty carefully, typically running 
them at about 36# (vs. the 32# recommended).  I've experimented all the 
way up to 40#, the maximum rating of the tire.  Part of the problem may 
be due to suspension, it does seem to bob and weave more than my '82 
and this would undoubtably affect the steering, as well as applying 
additional lateral forces to the tires (and of course can be pretty damm 
disconcerting in itself - it's sort of like an airplane in turbulence).  
Initially I thought it might be due to the aerodynamics of the '91 camper 
- in addition to the extra height, the '91's have that damm air dam below 
the front bumper and I thought it might be responding to the turbulence 
of headwinds/crosswinds/traffic more than the '82.  In any case, its 
given me some real white knuckle rides!

 --------------------------------------------
Wes Neuenschwander
Seattle, WA

(wesn@eskimo.com)