Thanks Al, and you are so right. I did not mean to�imply my list is a complete one. It is just a start, and there is much more than I mentioned. A brake upgrade is a good idea, even with stock tires! I put '91 front brakes on my '85, along with the bigger wheels, and didn't notice much difference, so I guess for me the two cancelled out. Audi brakes are an even�better choice, but need some mechanical knowledge, and some scavenging skills.

________________________________
From: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Mon, April 19, 2010 3:26:42 PM
Subject: Re: Why go to big tires?

As Evan mentions below, the change in effective wheel/tire diameter gives
less 'thrust' at the road surface since the torque is acting over a greater
moment arm (distance from the center of the wheel to the ground).� There is
also the inverse problem, the braking force/torque is also reduced by the
same amount, so your braking, already a bit iffy sometimes gets worse.
Pensionerd. (Al Knol)

>
> There are downsides, also, that need to be watched out for. Increasing tire
> diameter lowers your effective torque at the road surface. Since we are SO
> torque limited to begin with, you may not want to go to the biggest tires
> you can fit in the wheel wells. There are wheel bearing life issues, not to
> mention speedometer accuracy problems.
>
> Ask careful questions, decide on your trade-offs, and make your change. Any
> increase will help. And even if you keep the same effective rolling
> diameter, but on 15" or even 16" wheels, it will be noticable.
>
> Evan Mac Donald
>