Date:         Wed, 22 Nov 1995 08:35:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tires and Handling.


>Hmmn, seems the last time I had something like this as
>my heading I started a flame war, but now for some real questions.
>I'm wondering if anyone knows whether or not the proper front/rear
>inflation balance is more or less important than the reinforced tires.

When I got my '71 Bus, it had old, cheap, worn tires (ordinary car tires,
not C or LT or reinforced), and was all over the road. I immediately set
the pressures to 28F/35R, which didn't seem to help a bit.

Eventually I got four new BFG's, 215/75R14 (big!), but still ordinary
passenger-car tires, not reinforced. Now it handles great-- barely
blows around at all on freeways, tracks like it's on rails. Pressure
is 30F/35R cold. The difference is astonishing.

Differences between the old and new tires, is tire design (must vary
between manufacturers, obviously), and amount of wear. And size, which
in this case I don't think matters much.

I can't load the bus to its otherwise rated capacity with these
non-reinforced tires, but I almost never need to do that anyway-- if
I need to haul firewood or whatever, I'll rent a trailer.

YMMV.

Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '71 VW Transporter
                              '80 V6anagon soon