Not to mention how cool that would look...

On Sep 4, 2008, at 12:12 PM, BenT Syncro wrote:

> Jeff,
>
> It really goes beyond tire threads. Any rear engined vehicle with a
> majority
> of the weight to the back, will have likely have poor handling in
> crosswinds. When there isn't much weight over the wheels that you
> steer
> with, it will not take much to divert your steering. Tires with stiff
> sidewalls will help. Putting the engine over the front wheels helps
> even
> more. As a compromise, you can lower the front of your VW to
> transfer some
> of the weight forward. Well, that and stiffer tires.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> BenT N. Dawind
>
> On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM, Jeffrey Olson <jjolson@gwtc.net>
> wrote:
>
>> To add a bit of context/story to the discussion.  Back in 1974 when I
>> had my first bus, a 1966 SO-42, I had new cheap passenger radials on
>> it.  Cool I thought.
>>
>> One of my strongest memories driving the bus was crossing the Bay
>> Bridge
>> into San Francisco in a stiff side wind.  I was in the lane just in
>> from
>> the right lane.  Suddenly, I found myself driving in the right
>> lane.  It
>> only took a fraction of a second to get hit broadside with a gust of
>> wind and be blown sideways a full lane over.  To this day I am
>> haunted
>> the the thought that I usually travel in the right lane - roll of the
>> dice...  I have a better understanding from the numerous tire threads
>> why this happened...
>>
>> Jeffrey Olson
>> martin, SD
>>
>> John Rodgers wrote:
>>
>>> To add to Ron's comments --
>>>
>>> One of the big issues with tire for Vanagons is that of Sidewall
>>> stiffness. Vanagons are trucks,not automobiles. Vanagons are slab
>>> sided,
>>> non-aerodynamic vehicles prone to being pushed all over the place
>>> in any
>>> winds, plus they tend to be a bit top heavy unless there is a load
>>> sitting on the floor inside. So a stiff sidewall is a necessity.
>>> The old
>>> Michelin MXT's had stiff sidewalls and the vehicle handled well. I'm
>>> currently running a Michelin 205 75/R14 Commercial Truck Tire on
>>> steel
>>> rims and the side walls stand up when there is little air in the
>>> tire.
>>> Darnedest thing I ever saw. But on the road it handles like it was
>>> on
>>> rails - except in very wet conditions. When it is pouring down rain,
>>> they tend to lose traction easily. But this is typical of truck
>>> tires
>>> when there is no heavy load on them. After all, truck tires are
>>> designed
>>> to perform  differently than automobile tires.
>>>
>>> But again, a key element in selecting a tire for a Vanagon is the
>>> sidewall stiffness. Without that stiffness, the van's handling
>>> will be
>>> squirrelly and  in wind will be all over the road in inclement
>>> weather.
>>>
>>> John Rodgers
>>> 88 GL Driver
>>>
>>> The Bus Depot wrote:
>>>
>>>> 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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
> --
> BenT