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Date:         Wed, 19 Jun 1996 16:15:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@gi.com>
Subject:      Re: performance tires

>Regarding tyres on a Porsche engine van, I recently read an article that >took your typical NA family slush bucket, and went from 14" garden variety >tires to 16" low profile performance tires of the same diameter, slightly >wider. >Even the authors of this performance oriented mag were totally stunned >at the dramatic improvement in performance,and handling. They were totally >blown away with the difference.

>From my own experience I must agree. I own such a slush bucket-- a '66 Mustang. Owner's manual calls for 185-14 tires (radials didn't exist in '66), and I shudder to think what the car must have been like on them. When I got it in '92, it had some worn 185R14's on it, and handling was somewhere between poor and dangerous. I put new 215/60R14s on it, HR rated, and the improvement was surprising-- handling is now up to the "pretty good" level. Or it would be if the d*mned thing could stay aligned. Worn upper control arm pivot shafts, I think-- I rebuilt everything else.

>PS: Do Type II's slide, or roll first? IF roll, which tire lifts first? How >do >you tell? How soon before the second tire lifts, and how do you tell?;-)

I've wagged my '69 bus's tail a few times on gravel, and once in 50+mph wind gusts in Colorado. There, it skidded without flipping. What it would do in a sharp curve on a good day, though, I couldn't tell you. /\ / \ \ \__ _ \ \o\ |_0 \ \o\= ~~~~~~~~~~~||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ______________________________________________________________________

Steve Maher smaher@gi.com '80 V6anagon w/Chevy 2800 '66 Mustang Coupevertible

Check out the cars at http://www.wp.com/IrishMafia ______________________________________________________________________


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