OK - I still haven't = found the *perfect* tires for my '90 syncro, but I love talking about = it, so here's my 2 cents...
**Locating the =
Michelin MXT's:
I checked on this =
about 3 weeks ago - the Michelin MXT's 205/70R14 Reinforced tires =
can be ordered direct from Michelin in SC(?) through EuroTire in =
Fairfield, NJ @ 800-631-0080 for $96. EuroTire would ship them to me =
for something like $7 - 10 per tire. The gentleman I spoke with said =
that Michelin did have stock available.
**Other =
"cheap" tires:
Uniroyal Laredo AWP =
195/75R14's are available from BJ's Wholesale Club ( http://www.bjswholesale.com ) for about $48. They're =
"highway tread" load range "C" (50 PSI) tires. I =
bought a set lightly used and they seem stable and predictable @ 48 psi =
rear, 43psi front - though they do tend to hum/buzz at certain speeds. =
I'm not sure if this is due to a tire design issue or due to my =
particular tires being defective, but it really isn't too =
bothersome.
**Other =
"truck" tires:
Tires like the =
BFGoodrich Long =
Trail T/A, Firestone Wilderness HT, etc. - though they are classified =
as "light truck tires" - are not suitable for the Vanagon. =
They are load range B, 35 psi tires, and while many Vanagons I run =
across in parking lots, etc. do have "passenger tires" like =
these installed, from a safety standpoint, it seems a bit risky all in =
the interest of saving a (very) few bucks.
**185 R14 D's for a =
syncro:
My winter tires are =
studded 185 R14 D Nokian ( http://www.nokian.com/english/ ) Hakkapeliitta 10 LT's. The =
size seems fine, as does the stiffness. They are fantastic on snow and =
ice, though being so narrow, they don't seem as good as my 195's in =
windy conditions. I bought them through a local tire chain (Century =
Tire) and they are around $100 each, but I feel very confident in =
winter driving situations with them, so I think it was worth it. If the =
185 R14's are your gig, the Dunlop SP LT5 might be a good choice for a =
185 R 14 C or D summer tire. Nokian also makes the NRC - targeted at =
the "central and eastern European delivery van market" - =
might be appropriate for our little tire pigs.
**Tire Diameters, =
etc.:
If you go =
to http://powerdog.com/tiresize.cgi , you'll find a neat tire =
size calculator. You type tire sizes into a list box, then click =
"compute" and you get a chart with the actual dimensions of =
each tire size you've entered, plus a +/- percentage difference from =
the first on the list. For example, it reports that compared to the =
diameter of a 205/70R14, 185/75R14's are 1.5% smaller, 195/75R14's are =
0.9% smaller. I thought it was cool...
Hope someone found = this interesting!
Doug =
Fitz-Randolph
Yarmouth, ME
dfrandolph@talkam.net
'90 Syncro