The tires are Bridgestone Dueler A/T 693.  I think they have been replaced
by 693II.

I have a 12V compressor for my bicycling buddies that need roadside
assistance. So I could do the deflate thing.  I will check out the steering
shaft clearance.

Thanks.

-Dick-

-----Original Message-----
From: Gene P [mailto:olgreywoof@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:19 AM
To: Dick Wong
Subject: Re: New owner questions-Syncro ownership costs.

Dick--

You haven't said which tire you have, but the BFG TA/KO was the big tire in
that 27 x 8.5 - 14 size for years.  It's no longer made (in 14") but there
is a General Grabber that looks like an exact match.  Same tread pattern.  I
had to replace 2 a couple years ago so that's what I have now -- 2 BFGs and
2 General Grabbers.  I have a 2WD so the issue of exact matching isn't so
important, but without reading the sidewall, I don't know how you (or your
van) would know the difference.

As for the spare in the clam shell, yes it's tight, but you don't need to do
any of that cutting and extending to make it work.  I deflate the tire some
to make it more compressible.  Carry a 12 Volt pump.  If you have a flat,
pull the spare first and get the pump started on it while you jack and pull
the wheel.  I want that pump with me anyway!  As you are stowing the spare,
do notice the clearance between it and the steering shaft -- you don't want
any rub there.

You can read about tires for hours on the Vanagon Archives:
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon

I don't want to touch off another group discussion, but the perfect tire and
the perfect oil are probably the hottest topics on the list.

Good Luck with your beast,
Gene

On 11/29/2012 12:31 AM, Dick Wong wrote:
> You're right, tires are cheaper than a VC.  I guess I'll go shopping
> this weekend and see what I can find for the spare.  If I can't find
> the same tire, I hate to toss out a set of A/T light truck tires that
> only have about 11K miles on them.
>
> -Dick-
>
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2013.0.2793 / Virus Database: 2634/5927 - Release Date: 11/29/12