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Date:         Wed, 15 Jul 1998 17:38:33 -0500
Reply-To:     ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Yi-Ruey Wei <ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tire question
Comments: To: Ssittservl@AOL.COM
Comments: cc: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Steven, Tire on Vanagon is another mistreated area by owners, tire stores, VW dealers and even the VWoA. You need to find the REINFORCED version of 185 R 14 or upgrade to 205/70-14 99T Reinforced (the load factor 99 indicates it is a reinforced tire. The regular 205/70-14 has only 92 to 95. The "P-metric" tires are even worse. You can only put in 35psi) or even the truck tires. Don't ever put more COLD pressure (means measure the tire pressure before you drive in the morning and use a good tire gauge) than the listed on the sidewall. It may blow up. Check with Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct and see what they have. My 87 Syncro came with the 205/70-14 97T Reinforced Michelin MXL and alloy wheels when it was new. The sidewall says the max. pressure is 40psi. But the tire pressure sticker on the Syncro is missing. I did the research at that time and found there are conflict information for recommended air pressures. The sticker which is missing on my Syncro said 36/front and 40/rear but the VW shop manual said 36/front and 44/rear. Of course I kept the rear tire to 40psi and felt like living dangerously. Finally at 20K miles on a trip back from Houston the right rear tire blew (This is my first experience to have the tire blew up on me on the highway. Believe me It was not fun!) I bought another Michelin MXL at NTW and got partial reimbursement by Michelin. Eventually the rest of 3 tires were blew out one after another (strangely, it was always at right-rear) and the last one damaged the tire well area severely at right rear. NTW helped me to get a free set of new 205/70-14 99T Reinforced Michelin MXT which replacing the defunct MXL from Michelin but I have to repair the damage by myself. The max. pressure on MXT is 45psi so I feel much better since then.

Yi-Ruey Wei 87 Vanagon GL Syncro w/leaking cylinder head 85 Jetta GLI w/160,000 miles Dallas ray.wei@us.pwcglobal.com

S Sittservl <Ssittservl@AOL.COM> on 07/15/98 02:55:41 PM

Please respond to Ssittservl@AOL.COM To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM cc: Subject: Tire question

My '88 Westfalia has Continental Contact 185 R 14 tires, which were put on about a year or so ago by the previous owner. The maximum pressure listed on the tires' sidewall is 40 PSI. However, the tire sticker on the van itself reccomends 43 PSI in the front, and 53 PSI in the rear.

I've got all 4 tires at 40 PSI now, but when I steer they feel underinflated to me. It's very subjective, though. I guess the main effect I feel is that, if I release the steering wheel after a turn, it doesn't return to straight on it's own - I have to turn it pretty hard. It feels like there's too much friction. In my other car, that usually means underinflated tires.

I seem to remember the previous owner said he kept the tires inflated to the van sticker pressure (rather than the tire sidewall pressure), but that sounds dangerous to me. Wouldn't that make the tire more likely to burst?

Since VW reccomends about 20% less pressure in the front than the back, should I lower my front tires to 32 PSI? I'd think that would make things worse.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

-Steven

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