At 11:17 AM 5/20/98 EDT, Scooter061 wrote: >Hello Folks, > > I have perused all the threads/messages on the tire issue and have >been thoroughly convinced to buy light truck tires. But I have a few >questions which don't seem to have been asked before.....and with my upcoming >trip to the Great North (AK), I have some concerns.....here they are: > > 1) Don't light truck tires by their very nature produce more road >noise? No, not necessarily. Road noise depends more on the tread pattern than the sidewall design. There is a variety of tread patterns available in LT tires.

> 2) With the high pressure and rigidity of the truck tires, doesn't >the ride > comfort suffer? The van will ride stiffer with LT tires than with soft cushy passenger tires. But the handling will be much better. Remember, the Vanagon is a truck--it's not supposed to ride like a Cadillac. Nonetheless, I think the ride is quite comfortable in my Westfalia with LT tires.

> > 3) Being consigned to retaining my 14 x 5.5 inch wheels, what is >the best > size light truck tire to use? You'll find that there is a somewhat limited selection of 14" LT tires. My advice is to choose the tire that you want and see if it's available in a size that fits. You should be able to find something in an LT195-14.

Mark McCulley