Brian:

When I bought my Syncro, it was mounted with some C load range tires called
"Jupiter"  (It sounds like these are the ones you have in the rear).  I have
there receipt from the PO, and they were about $65 each from a small local
tire store.  They were OK tires - lasted about 30,000 miles or so.  The ride
was fine, and the road noise was not bad.

That being said, if you spend 50% more on a quality tire like the Michelin's
you can probably expect to get 100% better mileage out of them.  This
represents a higher up-front investment, but a lower cost-per mile driven
(and you get a better tire).

Buying tires is like putting a roof on your house - a big investment, and
not terribly exciting.

Brent Christensen
'89 GL Syncro Westy
Santa Barbara, CA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> Of Brian Cochran
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 1:35 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Why is the tire choice so complicated?
>
>
> Hi everybody,
>
> I need tires badly!! my westy was purchase with almost bald
> tires (in the
> middle-overinflated) in the rear. (Juliper or something - load C) and
> cheapies in the front (probably dangerous)
>
> Now I tried and tried to do this without bringing up the tire
> subject, I
> really did! I've researched the archives, visited various
> tire company web
> sites and phoned local tire dealers.
> I can't get the Y370, that once seemed the tire of choice.
> And I don't seem
> to hear anything definitive about these Y356's (or 354's
> according to that
> poor Yokohama web site)
> I have heard about the Michelin LTX M/S, but everyone happy
> with these??
> what to those cost?
>
> Now here's a GOOD question: Why do I rarely see any
> discussion about the
> continental contacts????  I'm guessing they must really be
> terrible, but
> that's the only tire (according to the books,rules,etc) suited for the
> vanagon. I had a tire dealer tell me, "the vanagon was
> designed around the
> continental." Right. . ., you all know the vanagon was really designed
> around the auto-repair industry and that's just a line of
> bull from someone
> over-stocked with continentals. Or is it?
>
> THe "tire selector" options on the Yoko and Michelin websites
> don't show
> anything they make for the vanagon, and that makes me
> nervous!! One would
> think they would push whatever is close-enough..
>
> I am not going to spend over $400 on MTX's.  Forget it. I'm
> poor. Yesterday
> I shelled out $58 for a Oil breather tower, today I'm hoping
> to get that
> silly chrome window molding installed by someone, that is, if
> I can get it
> to start!
>
> sorry for the ranting, but I've been trying to SMARTLY select
> tires since
> March and everytime I try to sit down and do this I hit a
> brick wall (mostly
> due the the recent discontinuing of the Y370's).
>
> All insights on this will be helpful. I'm sure other tire
> company options
> are out there, too! Please share all the reasons ($, ratings, noise,
> versitility, availablity, etc,etc).
>
> Thanks
> Brian Cochran
> seattle,WA
> 84 westy
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