Date:         Sat, 11 Dec 1999 07:49:38 EST
Reply-To:     RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         RAlanen@AOL.COM
Subject:      Yokohama Tire report - update
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

    Back to my Yoko tire story.  I finally got in touch with the dealer here
in Ottawa, Continental Tire, and he ordered four new Y370's for me.  So,
yesterday, after I was told they had arrived, I go there to get them
installed and find out if they're gonna give some compensation for the
problem tire and loss of some 30,000 km of use on the other three tires.
Well, turns out that AFTER they get all of the tires on my Westy removed, the
new tires they got were Y370 passenger not LT's !  So, no tires to put on.
They look around trying to find some Y370 LT's and cannot.  Out of
production.  Out of stock.  So then I ask about the Michelin Agilis and he
knows nothing. Phones the Michelin rep and they say, "can't get them".  Then
they try to sell me four Yokohama Super Diggers at $116.00 each.  Since the
Y370's were on sale for $80 each I was not impressed and pushed for some
rebate on my old tires which have about 30,000 km wear left on them.  They
contact Yokohama for a ruling and Yokohama says, "no way, there's no road
hazard on LT's".  They are saying the problem tire has a belt shifted due to
hitting something.  Well, I don't remember hitting anything, maybe I was
asleep at the wheel !  So, at that point I decide to keep driving on my
current Y370's, with the bad tire on the back and THINK about this for a
while before jumping off the bridge again !  So now I am trying to contact
Yokohama Tire Corp. directly, myself and see if they will not do something
for me.  The Yokohama Super Digger is supposed to be a better tire option for
the Vanagon.  Any of you tried these ?  I never heard this tire discussed on
the list !  I'm gonna go on a personal hunt for the Michelin Agilis since I
see a recent post from Alistar Bell up here in Canada that he has just been
successful in ordering four.  I may not get any compensation out of Yokohama
if I go that direction but maybe I end up with better tires !  More stories
for the Vanagon tire tread in the archives !!

Cheers

Frank Condelli
'87 Westy
Almonte, Ontario
Visit me on the web........> <A
HREF="http://members.aol.com/RAlanen/index.html">Frank, Rita & April's Website
</A>