Date:         Wed, 19 Mar 1997 21:44:35 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         James Digennaro <limbo@bcn.net>
Subject:      RE: Vanagon needs new tires.

Harvey,
   I noticed you need new tires and were looking a Uniroyal Larado.  I
wouldn't put Larados on my bike.   I work for GM and the S-trucks
Blazers/Jimmys came stock, a few years ago, with those on it and within
a year the tread would show signs of weather cracking.  To the point
where they started to leak.  I've changed my share of Larado's.  Stay
away!   My suggestion, and this will start a war I'm sure, is to try the
Remmington XT 120, Dunlap GT radial Quailfiers or, the tire I'm using
now, an off brand made by kelley, the Super Star Radial GT.  I've used
all of them on my buses with great success.  I've gotten 50 to 60K miles
out of them and the handling is there.  I've found them very stable in
cross winds on the highway.  And the price is good, about 70 bucks
each.  I'm using size 205-70r 14. The size cuts the RPMs down slightly
and I think the width helps with stablity.  I expressed my concern about
getting a strong reinfored tire and my tire my told me that these tires
are a performance tires and will handle the load. So far he hadn't been
wrong.  The tread wear rating is  440, with a traction rating 'A' and a
temp rating of 'B'.  VW calls for a 185 75r 14 LT tire for the Vanagon. 
'LT' meaning Light Truck.  Alot of Volks like the Michellins and they
are a good tire, but 100 bucks plus per tire is just abit out of my
price range. I got the Super stars on sale at 55 bucks each.  I really
felt a diffence right away.  They tires I were using were some junkers
that were on the bus when I got it and boy you could feel the cross
winds and they rode harder.   Even now, I'm using some low budget snow
tire and I can feel the 'spongyness' in the rear.  I'm surprised my kids
haven't lost they lunch back there.  Good luck on your purchase.  Hope
my 2 cents helps.  Take care.
-- 
                            -Jim Digennaro
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