Date:         Thu, 20 Mar 97 11:23:21 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Al Knoll <alf@hpptc38.rose.hp.com>
Subject:      RE: UniLaredos, Yoko 370G LT etc.

In the realm of tire selection you need to know how much your van weighs on 
a per wheel basis.  Not what it says in books or on various stickers but what
it weighs loaded as you use it.  If you carry spare anvils, chainsaws, bridge
timbers or such you need to factor that into the weight.  Best way to do this
is to visit a public farmers scale and simply weigh the rascal loaded with
people and stuff and gas and water and dogs and kids and...

Then you'll know exactly what the ground pressure requirements for front and
rear really are.  Now start looking for tires.  

If you have a westie syncro and you carry more than your credit card and a
package of ramen for your outings you may be surprised to learn that the 
rear wheels support slightly more than 2900 lbs.  An easy division gives you
the load of ~1500lbs per wheel.

If the tire you own is rated at 1400 lbs per wheel at max (MAX..Get it) you
are under tired and potentially in jeopardy of tire failure.  

If I recall, the UniLaredo is rated at 1325lbs max per wheel.

The Y370G is rated 1710 lbs /wheel @ 65psi.

I returned my laredos to Price/Costco with regrets as they were otherwise an
acceptable tire.  The Y370Gs are head and shoulders a better handling tire
for MY purposes (snow, offroad, loaded transport).  

If you're hauling across US50 outside of Austin NV on a downgrade loaded in
summer temperatures and you lose a rear tire, the $150 you might have saved 
won't even pay the towing charge.  

For my nickel, I'd rather have a little extra margin and YMMWCV.

>From the yoko spec:

Yokohama Part No:       37047
Part No:                LT195/75R14 8 Y370 XL OE BTL TL
Unit weight     23.10
Tread Depth     11
Tread Width     5.3
Ply rating      8
Load Range      D
Measured Rim size               6
Alternate rim size              5.0-6.0
Inflated overall width          8.1
Inflated overall diameter       25.6
Loaded Static Radius            11.9
Loaded Revolutions per mile     818
Mileage Warranty Miles          50,000
Warranty Type                   A

Load carrying capacity is 1710 lbs at 65 lbs of air pressure, 1530 lbs
carrying capacity at 55 lbs of air pressure, and 1435 lbs of carrying
capacity at 45 lbs of air pressure.

$77 ea mounted and balanced with free rotation etc.  Americas Tire Store
in Sacramento CA.

I run mine at 45/52.  The stiff sidewall gives fine handling, much better than
the simply overstressed Laredos IMNSHO.

Now LT tires are rated entirely differently than P (passenger car) tires and
the yahoo who said the H or whatever rating on a P tire makes up for the load
carrying capacity is misinformed.  A vanagon westie is a truck insofar as the
vehicle weight is concerned.  I have no use for tires that will sustain 130MPH
for hours.  Nowhere to do that sort of thing out here and certainly not in a 
2.1L WBX.  Now a Range Panzer is another story (230BHP) 125MPH but I can't
afford one.
--
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         ___  / __   __/   ____/         Al Knoll HP Performance Technology /
        /    /      /     /             Center    Roseville, CA, USA 95747 /
       _____/      /     /             916.785.9453    (Telnet 785-9453)  /
      /           /     /             email:  alf@hpptc38.rose.hp.com    /
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