Hi Frank:

Good luck on your hunt.  I thought I'd mention that the 1 800 MICHELIN folks
(US #, I don't know how/if you can get through from Canada -- maybe an ATT
or other US Long Dist Company access?) -- were very willing to call dealers
for me directly and/or find the nearest warehouse and put everyone in
touch...at least 2-3 of their phone people offered this.  You MIGHT just try
calling THEM and see if THEY'LL do all the work for you!

Nothing to lose:-)!

Tony

>From: RAlanen@AOL.COM
>Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Yokohama Tire report - update
>Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 07:49:38 EST
>
>     Back to my Yoko tire story.  I finally got in touch with the dealer
>here
>in Ottawa, Continental Tire, and he ordered four new Y370's for me.  So,
>yesterday, after I was told they had arrived, I go there to get them
>installed and find out if they're gonna give some compensation for the
>problem tire and loss of some 30,000 km of use on the other three tires.
>Well, turns out that AFTER they get all of the tires on my Westy removed,
>the
>new tires they got were Y370 passenger not LT's !  So, no tires to put on.
>They look around trying to find some Y370 LT's and cannot.  Out of
>production.  Out of stock.  So then I ask about the Michelin Agilis and he
>knows nothing. Phones the Michelin rep and they say, "can't get them".
>Then
>they try to sell me four Yokohama Super Diggers at $116.00 each.  Since the
>Y370's were on sale for $80 each I was not impressed and pushed for some
>rebate on my old tires which have about 30,000 km wear left on them.  They
>contact Yokohama for a ruling and Yokohama says, "no way, there's no road
>hazard on LT's".  They are saying the problem tire has a belt shifted due
>to
>hitting something.  Well, I don't remember hitting anything, maybe I was
>asleep at the wheel !  So, at that point I decide to keep driving on my
>current Y370's, with the bad tire on the back and THINK about this for a
>while before jumping off the bridge again !  So now I am trying to contact
>Yokohama Tire Corp. directly, myself and see if they will not do something
>for me.  The Yokohama Super Digger is supposed to be a better tire option
>for
>the Vanagon.  Any of you tried these ?  I never heard this tire discussed
>on
>the list !  I'm gonna go on a personal hunt for the Michelin Agilis since I
>see a recent post from Alistar Bell up here in Canada that he has just been
>successful in ordering four.  I may not get any compensation out of
>Yokohama
>if I go that direction but maybe I end up with better tires !  More stories
>for the Vanagon tire tread in the archives !!
>
>Cheers
>
>Frank Condelli
>'87 Westy
>Almonte, Ontario
>Visit me on the web........> <A
>HREF="http://members.aol.com/RAlanen/index.html">Frank, Rita & April's
>Website
></A>

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