John,

I'm really sorry ... to challenge this,

but do we really want to encourage folks to 

put themselves and others into a vehicle 

that has tires that the manufacturer doesn't

feel are adequaltey rated ... just because 

"this doesn't meanthat all conditions outside

 the rating are inherently dangerous.".

Please I truly do not mean to be combative,

and if we didn't have several good tire choices 

available .... perhaps we would need to take such

risks.

But that's not the case ... there are several that

meet or exceed the minimum specs.

Why not simply use those tires.

I really don't get it.

larry chase

roadhaus.com

- - -

Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:13:41 -0800

From: jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>

Subject: Re: 15" Wheel/Tire Report - Caution

>I know that GoWesty feels these tire are appropriate ....

>

>They have a detial explanation on their web site that is very impressive.

In case anyone's interested, it's here

<http://www.gowesty.com/tire_wheeltech.html>

>

>But if the Manufacturing of the tire will not warranty it

>for this application ... What does that tell you?

Lucas of GoWesty asserts it tells you that they didn't test it. The fact

that they are applying a "one size fits all, specifics be damned" load

reduction formula indicates this is most probably the case.

>Does GoWesty know more than the tire manufacturer?

In the case of HydroEdge tires on Vanagons, I'd say GoWesty probably does.

As Lucas says, they've got over a million miles logged with those tires

without a single failure. The best test would be true experimental "test to

failure" or "test to maximum possible loading plus [x]%". In the absence of

that, I'd accept continuous long-term real-world usage stats over a

manufacturer's formula-based guess. Tire makers manufacture such a huge

variety of tires that they CAN'T test each individual design, but instead

must make an estimate. The estimate is, of course, invariably conservative

for reasons of liability. With the exception of catastrophic design

screwups (a la Firestone), you can count on everything being fine if you

stay within the rating; But this doesn't mean that all conditions outside

the rating are inherently dangerous.

John Bange

'90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"