Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 08:36:12 -0800
Reply-To: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Tires--Les Schwab Z800 Ultra
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Kent,
While narrower tires may be advantageous in some snow conditions, you are
wrong to promote them as just plain (always) better in snow.
There are many, many, many different kinds of snow. There is a whole
spectrum of snow from new snow that is very light and fluffy to old snow
which is compact and dense. And there is ice and there is slush. There is no
one tire that is best for all these conditions. And of course, the
conditions change from day to day. In some conditions a skinny tire would
perform best. It some conditions a fat tire would perform best. But, really,
unless you're going way skinny or way fat, you're probably better off, as
far as snow is concerned, to focus on the tread pattern (and performance
test results) than the width of the tire.
My 2 cents,
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
Lake Tahoe
-----Original Message-----
From: David Raistrick <keen@FINALLY.ATLASTA.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, March 06, 1999 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: Tires--Les Schwab Z800 Ultra
>On Sat, 6 Mar 1999, Larry Burt wrote:
>
>> 215x70. I like the idea of all that extra rubber on the road to cope
>> with rain and snow and mud and wind. Any thoughts on this particular
>> tire and going to that size? Should I stick with 205/70 or even 195x75
>
>I dont know anything about these particular tires, but I DO have a comment
>on what you said about the extra rubber, to cope with rain and snow..
>
>The wider your tires, the more prone to hydroplaning they will be.
>Skinnier tires seperate the water, larger tires cant push it all away...
>
>And snow? Large tires are a definite .minus. when it comes to snow.
>Again, the skinnier tire cuts through, where the fat tire crushes a larger
>patch of snow down, and turns that into ice...
>
>But, that's your call.;)
>
>later...david
>--
>David Raistrick '69 Westy-Ichigo
keen@finally.atlasta.net
> '82 Westy-Maxine (Mom's)
> '66 SO-44 Westy (It runs! I drove it!) in Augusta Ga
>
-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Christensen <lkchris@USWEST.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Sunday, March 07, 1999 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: Tires--Les Schwab Z800 Ultra
>re: "... extra rubber on the road to cope with rain and
>snow and mud and wind ..."
>
>Stock Vanagon sizes are either 185-14 or 205/70-14. Bentley
>manual states chains cannot be installed on 205/70-14
>(clearance problems).
>
>Regardless of whether chains are ever installed, LESS rubber
>on the road is better for snow traction (more psi on the
>ground). About the only real advantage a Vanagon owner
>might get from larger tires is the possibility of more load
>rating. That might be useful once--offset by the fuel
>economy penalty of moving bigger, heavier tire every day.
>
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