Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1998 21:20:23 -0400
Reply-To:     David Katsuki <dkatsuki@WORLD.STD.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Katsuki <dkatsuki@WORLD.STD.COM>
Subject:      Re: Snow tires for westy?
Comments: To: SamSco@AOL.COM
Comments: cc: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
In-Reply-To:  <fe69b999.361968b0@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I started using Blizzacks a year ago on our Westy, and it is as others have
related - they just go and go.

One caveat that the tire man related to me - be sure that you take them off
before it gets warm and put them on after it gets cold, 'cause the super
grippy rubber is also super soft when it's warm and tire life will be
dramatically reduced.

As with all car snow tires, the pressure rating is lower than the stock
vanagon tires, so you can't put 40 lbs in 205-70s in the back, the way you
should for best tread wear on a vanagon (I think the limit spec on the side
wall is 36lbs).   This means that the outsides of the tread will wear
faster than the center on the rear tires.

Also - very important - be sure to put the same kind of tires on front and
rear, or handling will get either 1) somewhat worse, or 2) very scary,
depending on the relative slip angles of the tires front to back!

Dave



At 08:47 PM 10/5/98 -0400, SamSco@AOL.COM wrote:
>Bridgestone Blizzacks (x4) have served me well over the years in these hills.
>It's like 'little frisco' around here.  In snow, most cars come down hill
>diagonally.  Blizzacks give you that extra grip on the ice (soft compound).
>When snow tread was exhausted, they actually were decent as all-weather tires
>(as advertised).  I'm ready for another set.
>
>Sam
>Outside Philly
>'91 Carat
>