Date: Sun, 11 Jun 95 17:37:43 EDT
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: ja@decws3.coe.wvu.edu (John Anderson)
Subject: Another tire alternative?
Looking around SAM'S warehouse club today I saw something sort
of interesting. Our store carries a (I know this is an evil
60's word) 7.00-14LT BIAS PLY tire that sure looks like it
would be an appropriate solution for splits or bays, don't
think Vanagon or EV owners would even consider it, now what
really impressed me is that the sidewalls though 4 ply nylon
are given a 6 p.r. and it has a C load range, 45 psi max inflation
1310 lb, max load. Even more impressive is that subjectively
to the feel the sidewalls are WAY, WAY stiffer than the Yoko 356's
8 p.r. things I put on the '71. I don't know how the sidewall
height works on bias ply tires but they eyeball about right, and
if 7.0 inches are 178 mm, a little narrow but they looked fine.
Now they are Kelly-Springfield but are VERY VERY nicely cast.
The only problem is the fact that they are a really agressive
M+S (and they mean it) mudding tread tire, I mean tread depth of
say .75", look like mini 18 wheeler tires. They are studdable
and would sure be the ticket for a well used off roader Westy
and might not ride that bad because although agressive the compound
seemed real soft. The real impressive thing is $45 each and they
sure look like they would last 50,000 miles if the ride wasn't
too bad. Now I don't know how sensible running a bias ply tire
is in the 90s (comments?) but I would urge anyone needing a budget tire to
give these things a look, as stiff as they are they have to be
a lot better than putting a non-reinforced piece of rubber on a
Bus. In fact next winter if I drive the Bus much I might think about
them, the tread pattern would be hard to beat, oh and anybody out there
with a 181? those Things got 14" don't they, sure would be a good
tire for a Thing used off and on the road.
Anyway just some usual ramblings.
John
ja@coe.wvu.edu
'71 Westy, '90 Corrado G60
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