I finally made a decision on wheels and tires; I ordered the 16 inch wheels
from Gowesty and Michelin Hydroedge 215/65R/16 tires from Tire Rack.

Thanks for all of the great input.  I feel much better about the load rating
of the 215/65R/16 as compared to the 215/60/16 that Gowesty offers.

Thanks again to everyone,

Warren in Santa Fe
88 Westy 2.2

On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 7:28 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:

> The 215/65-16 tire is basically a 27" tire as compared to the original
> 25.5". The native load rating for a normal tire is 98 which makes it
> adequate for a Vanagon. Truck series tires in this size will get you up to
> as much as a 109 load index. This size will have an acceleration and
> braking
> penalty. With some effort you should be able to squeeze it into the spare
> tire carrier. It is a great size for Syncros.
>
> If what you really want is handling, I suggest a 225/60-16. This is a
> popular tire size readily available and still a native 98 load index. The
> height is 26.5" which is a great compromise and fills out the wheel wells
> real nice. This size works great on 2WD and automatics. It will not get
> into
> the spare tire carrier.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Warren Lail
> Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 3:20 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Gowesty wheels
>
> Okay, I've gotten some wonderful feedback on the Gowesty tire/wheel combo.
> Some people love them, some people like them, and some people think they're
> dangerous.  There seems to be a broad consensus, however, regarding the
> tires.  Most people think that if I want the GoWesty rims to get them, and
> then have Michelin Hydroedge 215/65R/16 tires installed (available at Tire
> Rack).  So, it would be a bit more trouble, but do most of you think the
> 215/65R/16 is way better than the 215/60/16 that GoWesty offers?   I'm not
> sure why .. is the load rating different??  I'll do some more research on
> Tire Rack's website to find out.
>
> Thanks in advance, and I love this list (I've been lovin' it since 1998).
>
> Warren in Santa Fe
> 88 Westy Subie 2.2
>
>