Glad to know someone else is running the Michelin XCA's besides me. I
put them on my Vanagon GL. The tire seems to perform well, not to noisy,
and though it's diameter is a smidge bigger than the MXT's that I had
before, there is not any noticeable change in how it sits, rides, or
acceleration. The one thing that I seem to have noticed is that the
vehicle is the tiniest bit more squirrley in a cross wind than with the
MXT's. These XCA's are hell for stout in the re-inforced sidewall, as
this is an 8 ply tire,  but even so the taller sidewall may contribute
to that just a bit.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Todd Last wrote:

> If you want an interesting conversation, call Michelin, tell them you
> have MX4 or X-one tires on your Vanagon and want to make a warranty
> claim.
> Conversely, ask anyone recommending an MX4, or X-one tire for your
> vanagon, to guarantee in writing that they will warranty any failure
> resulting from putting a tire on your vanagon that does not meet the
> stated load rating.
> I think the answers you get will speak for themselves.
>
> Before I ended up getting Michelin XCA tires for my Westy, I spoke with
> a number of reps at Michelin.  All said straight out, with different
> degrees of emphasis, that the MX4 and X-one tires are not to be used on
> a Vanagon.
> One misunderstood me and thought that I already had MX4 tires on my van
> based on a recommendation from a tire store employee. The rep's reaction
> was to give me instructions to immediately take the van to the nearest
> tire dealer where they would be "exchanged for the correct tire."
>
> Larry makes an extremely important point. If you are considering a
> passenger car tire (P-Metric) you must reduce the load rating by 10%.
> Another thing to remember is that the load rating is at maximum
> inflation. Inflations less that maximum will reduce the load capacity an
> equivalent amount.
> (This is because the weaker sidewall of the passenger car tire.)
>
> So, let's take a Michelin MX4 205/70x14 - maximum load rating 1521lbs at
> 44psi.
> Reducing the load rating by 10% because this is a passenger car tire,
> you get an adjusted load rating of  1368lbs at 44psi.
> (If you went by the inflation sticker on the westy and inflated the MX4
> at 30 and 40 psi, your load rating would be reduced to:  932lbs and
> 1231lbs respectively.)
>
> My westy states that it has a GAWR of 2646lbs and 2866lbs front and
> rear. This translates to a maximum load of 1343 and 1433lbs
> respectively, so clearly, the Michelin MX4 will be overloaded on a Westy.
> (This may not be the case on a standard Vanagon.)
>
> Lastly, at least on my Westy, the tire sticker has two tire sizes, one
> load range C (a truck tire) and one with 'reinforced' sidewalls.  So, it
> sounds like a passenger car tire would not be a wise choice.
>
> I encourage people to study the facts and make their own informed
> decisions..
> For me, the last thing I want to be doing is wondering if my tires can
> handle a fully loaded westy while negotiating  a mountain pass with
> gusty cross-winds.
>
> todd
> '88 Westy
>
>
> TJ Hannink wrote:
>
>> --- Larry Chase <lchase@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Bob,
>>>
>>> CAUTION ..... PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING BEFORE
>>> PURCHASING THE MICHELIN
>>> X-One OR MX4 TIRES THAT GOWESTY SELLS
>>>
>>> 1. Look at the tire specs at Tirerack or Michelin on
>>> these tires. They
>>> are LOAD Rated around 1510 lbs.
>>>
>>> If you look at Vanagon.Com load rating
>>> RECOMMENDATIONS you will see that
>>> a minimum of 1609 lbs is recommended.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> The spec on Vanagon.com is correct for a passenger car
>> tire, but not a light truck or commercial type tire. A
>> a minimum load of 1,433 lbs. (or a '93' or 'C' rating)
>> is required for a Vanagon when using a commercial or
>> light truck tire. A 10% safety factor is required in
>> the P-Metric standards when using a passenger car tire
>> on a light truck or van. (www.tiresafety.com) That
>> works out to a '97' (or 1,609 lb) load rating.
>>
>> The MX-4's will meet the load requirement but without
>> enough of a safety factor, so Michelin, TireRack.com
>> or any other decent tire manufacturer or distributor
>> won't recommend them.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> =====
>> TJ Hannink
>> Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition
>> Winter Park, Florida
>> http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers
>> http://photos.yahoo.com/tjhannink [Vanagon] Album
>>
>> __________________________________________________
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>>
>