

| Subject: | Re: Tire choce for vanagon with 14 inch wheels |
| From: | The Bus Depot |
| Date: | Thu, 4 Sep 2008 12:58:03 -0400 |
> > 185R14C was standard for narrow steel wheels but many 86+ came with > > wider alloy wheels. > Hmmmm, am I gonna have a problema w/ the Haakka 185's on my alloys? No. 185R14's are appropriate for 5.0 to 6.0 rim widths, and both the steel wheels and the alloys fall within that range. Actually I recommend the Hankook RA08 185R14's for Vanagons with or without factory alloys. In fact I have run them on my own Westies, with alloys, for 15 years now. The difference between a 185R14 and a 205/70/14 is width; both are the same height but the 205 is slightly wider. All things being equal, a slightly narrower tire such as the 185R14 will be better on wet roads, as it will be less prone to hydroplaning. A slightly wider tire will sacrifice wet weather traction in favor of better dry-weather traction. Personally, it's during severe driving conditons where I am most concerned about my tires' handling; my Vanagon feels very surefooted on dry roads regardless. So the 185R14 is the better solution for me. Also it happens to be a heck of a lot cheaper than a comparable 205/70/14 tire. My Tires page has a lot of information on choosing the right Vanagon tire, and dispells a lot of myths: http://busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp - Ron Salmon The Bus Depot, Inc. www.busdepot.com (215) 234-VWVW _____________________________________________ Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »