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crushie
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2011
Posts: 878
Location: alberta
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 Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| Brian wrote: |
| eh, ko2s are just grooved ko1s. |
KO 1,2,3, or 4's, there not on the BFG .ca site in 195/75/14. 
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1974 VW Combi 1800 Auto. Weber 32/36 |
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Goldylocks
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2014
Posts: 31
Location: Denver, Colorado
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| Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Goldylocks wrote: |
| Brian wrote: |
| I agree, 195/75-14 BFG ats. Do it man. |
You think those BFG ATs would look good on a hightop, and give it solid control/handling? |
Got me some new wheels! I was initially concerned about extra stress on the steering box, but after driving with the new tires, it seems like just the opposite. The steering is so much more smooth now. Thanks richparker, brian, jes67, and others for the help. I appreciate it.
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Denver, Colorado
1973 Safare Hightop |
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Randy in Maine
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2003
Posts: 34890
Location: The Beach
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| Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| A couple of happy campers right there! |
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Brian
Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
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Rusty78
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2011
Posts: 7
Location: Orlando, FL
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| Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 2:30 pm Post subject: BFG deal |
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Discount tire is having a memorial day Sale for a $100 rebate today and tomorrow. I bought a set of bfg 195 75 14 all terrain tires for $630 out the door, which will be $530 after the rebate.
Just a heads up I'm case someone has been waiting for a deal on these!
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1978 Westfalia in the process of restoration and an EG33 engine swap. |
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crushie
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2011
Posts: 878
Location: alberta
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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Can you General Grabber AT2 owners pipe in on whether these
General Grabber AT2 in 27x8.50r14 effect your speedo?
Dam, compared to my Michelin LTX Tires these General Grabbers look like monster truck tires! 
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1974 VW Combi 1800 Auto. Weber 32/36 |
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Jmack223
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2014
Posts: 60
Location: BC
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Any thoughts on Triangle brand tires?? |
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GeorgeL
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2006
Posts: 7346
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| Jmack223 wrote: |
| Any thoughts on Triangle brand tires?? |
Well, they're Chinese, which means that they could be anything from great quality to made of cheese.
I have a set of Chinese tires on my bus that I tossed on several years ago while I was sorting out some tire wear issues. I figured out the problem (shock absorbers) and left the tires on. I'm still running them and they have given excellent performance. |
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Andy70Bus
Samba Member
Joined: April 22, 2010
Posts: 55
Location: Scottsville, NY
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:36 am Post subject: 1970 Westy |
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Hey folks,
For several years, the Hankook RA08 was the go-to recommendation for Bay Window Westies, but now I am curious to read these posts regarding the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO 195/75R14 tires.
I think the RWL would look better than plain black on my White '70 Westy, but the best all-round tire for a cross-country trip trumps simple looks!
Has anyone directly compared the two as far as handling, wear, steering box stress, etc.?
(Yes I am an old forum user and I searched first, but either I pick poor search terms or the results are overwhelming  )
Thanks,
Andy |
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Alan Brase
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2004
Posts: 4532
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:46 am Post subject: |
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I'd like that answer also. Did Michelin ever make a replacement for the Agillis? I had 2 sets, one a guy gave me that already had 60k miles on them. Perhaps its number was up because it was over 10 years old and had about 100k miles, but one finally developed a broken belt last year. Other 3 still fine.
But the Hankooks are better in snow and mud and rain, I think.
I, too am tempted by other Korean and Chinese with proper specs and cheaper, as I have to buy several pretty soon.
I wonder what brand George L bought? He says he is surprised.
Al
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Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home |
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Alan Brase
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2004
Posts: 4532
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:49 am Post subject: Re: 1970 Westy |
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| Andy70Bus wrote: |
Hey folks,
For several years, the Hankook RA08 was the go-to recommendation for Bay Window Westies, but now I am curious to read these posts regarding the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO 195/75R14 tires.
I think the RWL would look better than plain black on my White '70 Westy, but the best all-round tire for a cross-country trip trumps simple looks!
Has anyone directly compared the two as far as handling, wear, steering box stress, etc.?
(Yes I am an old forum user and I searched first, but either I pick poor search terms or the results are overwhelming )
One thing works well for me is that when searching, I click on "Posts" instead of "Topics"
I hope I said that right!
Al
Thanks,
Andy |
_________________
Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home |
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devesvws
Samba Member
Joined: January 05, 2004
Posts: 1540
Location: madison va
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| Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2015 6:23 am Post subject: |
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| winewagen wrote: |
From the desk of: The guinea pig for GoForm G325 tires.
You get what you pay for, I wouldn't trust $50 tires, Asian junk, etc...
I have Hankooks (RAO8) on one bus and these on my main rig. First impression, the tread depth is much deeper than the Hankooks. The load ratings are identical to the RA08. These tires ride and handle extremely well, very responsive. I would dare say, they feel more "solid" than the Hankooks. The only negative is the road noise. It sounds similar to a school bus when coming to a stop. For half the price that is something I could live with. After 6,000 +/- miles, I would feel comfortable recommending them. Solid tire for a solid price. |
I was thinking about trying 2 of these 185 14 on the front with the older 195 14 hankooks on the back..you still like them??
_________________
THE FEW THE PROUD THE ORIGINAL VW WATERBOXER -> looking for a original 91 vanagon owners manual with 1991 on the cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmuiG2tUsP4&feature=share https://picasaweb.google.com/101290228103300323836/BostonBobFlywheelVideo#5543000332201103922 |
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Andy70Bus
Samba Member
Joined: April 22, 2010
Posts: 55
Location: Scottsville, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 10:33 am Post subject: BFG T/A KO 195/75R14 |
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Hey folks,
To follow up on my post earlier:
I went ahead and got myself a set of the BFGoodrich T/A KO's in 195/75R14 size. We just had a local Mavis Tire shop open, so I got them to price-match the tire against Sears' price of $135 each, and they gave free mounting, balancing, stems, etc. as a grand-opening deal. Then, BFG was running a $70 rebate program on a set of 4 tires, so I got the set installed for just under $500 once taxes and fees were included.
Initial response is : WOW .... just, WOW. It's like driving a whole different vehicle. I drove to a friend's lake house over the weekend, putting about 350 miles on in a variety of driving conditions and these things are sweet. To clarify, I used to be riding on an old set of Sears "Guardsman" passenger car tires that were 205/75R14 and the car was wont to bounce and wander everywhere, requiring constant "active" steering from the driver LOL.
To follow up, I also finally put in the time to clean and free up the adjusting screw for my peg-and-worm steering (been meaning to do that for years) and VERY CAREFULLY adjusted the steering to get rid of 45 years' worth of slop. VOILA I can drive with one hand - WHEE.
Isn't it amazing how easily an old Bus can make you so happy with a little sweat and care?
Andy |
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dirtkeeper
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2008
Posts: 3200
Location: Left of everywhere
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: BFG T/A KO 195/75R14 |
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| Andy70Bus wrote: |
Hey folks,
To follow up on my post earlier:
I went ahead and got myself a set of the BFGoodrich T/A KO's in 195/75R14 size. We just had a local Mavis Tire shop open, so I got them to price-match the tire against Sears' price of $135 each, and they gave free mounting, balancing, stems, etc. as a grand-opening deal. Then, BFG was running a $70 rebate program on a set of 4 tires, so I got the set installed for just under $500 once taxes and fees were included.
Initial response is : WOW .... just, WOW. It's like driving a whole different vehicle. I drove to a friend's lake house over the weekend, putting about 350 miles on in a variety of driving conditions and these things are sweet. To clarify, I used to be riding on an old set of Sears "Guardsman" passenger car tires that were 205/75R14 and the car was wont to bounce and wander everywhere, requiring constant "active" steering from the driver LOL.
To follow up, I also finally put in the time to clean and free up the adjusting screw for my peg-and-worm steering (been meaning to do that for years) and VERY CAREFULLY adjusted the steering to get rid of 45 years' worth of slop. VOILA I can drive with one hand - WHEE.
Isn't it amazing how easily an old Bus can make you so happy with a little sweat and care?
Andy |
Picture? |
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garybdmd
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2012
Posts: 26
Location: wv
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| Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 5:34 pm Post subject: I put 205 75 R 14's on |
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I just put 205/75 r14 on my 1969 Kombi.
Its my understanding that when rating tires the mean rating is noted, but as in any measurement there is a variance/standard deviation so the lowest variance allowed is 94% by law.
My tires are rated at 1521 pounds x .94 is 1430. 4 tires makes 5719 total and the kombi weighs 4800 pounds empty. so that's about 900 pounds I can add.
I got it for $55 a piece from Walmart and got a local garage to put them
on because Walmart couldn't balance them.
I have had no issues with rubbing or hitting fenders, I've bottomed it out
a few times while turning and no problem. They say the wider tire is harder
to steer but I couldn't tell. I had previously 186 R14 rated at 1530 pounds.
I wanted to try a common tire because if they work ok, and cost effective, then why not. I hadn't driven the bus for 2 years at least so it only gets about 500 miles on per year. I will repost if I have any problems.
Douglas Xtra Trac II Tire 205/75R14 95S 1521 pounds 55.50 205/75-14 6.1in 13.1in 26.1in 82.0in 773 2.3% difference from 195/75r14 (from tire calculator)
Anyhow, I've read tons about different tires etc and how you need to get a close to the original as you can. However, I don't think changes of 2-3% really should have a whole lot of effect. If so, that's pretty bad engineering. But as little as I drive, I'm not so worried about it. |
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garybdmd
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2012
Posts: 26
Location: wv
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| Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 5:35 pm Post subject: will follow posts |
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| will follow posts |
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cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20278
Location: Sandpoint, ID
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| Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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gary, the issue with properly rated tires for your bus has nothing to do with the % difference in diameter than it does with STIFF sidewalls. Even though your tire has a manufacturer spec that claims it is close to what you need, what you really need is a stiff sidewall.
The weight rating on a tire designed for your bus is not as relevant as the number of plies in that sidewall. It will make a huge difference on winding roads, crosswinds, and in emergency accident avoidance maneuvers.
Food for thought.
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Alan Brase
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2004
Posts: 4532
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
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| Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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AND somewhere is a sticker or a chart that tells you inflation pressure and those passenger tires will not even hold that much air safely. I've driven these cars with the same tire specs ever since 1982, on perhaps 15 different Buses, Pickups and Vanagons (same wheels and tires) perhaps 600,000 miles. At any time I realized the stability seemed poor, I would pull over and find a low tire on the rear. It could still be at 25 psi, but just did not feel as rock solid as it should.
And it should.
The difference between having 185r14C tires at 50psi and passenger tires at 35psi is about the same as the difference driving the 185C's with 35psi and the passenger tire FLAT.
Well, maybe not quite that much but it is a big difference.
There is no way you can put proper sized passenger tire on it and have it stable. Maybe if you put on huge ones like 225/50-16.
And your math is faulty also. The rear axle has WAY more weight than the front statically, so to even it out, you have to put the load far forward.
Al
_________________
Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home |
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richparker
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2011
Posts: 6983
Location: Durango, CO
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| Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: I put 205 75 R 14's on |
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| garybdmd wrote: |
I just put 205/75 r14 on my 1969 Kombi.
Its my understanding that when rating tires the mean rating is noted, but as in any measurement there is a variance/standard deviation so the lowest variance allowed is 94% by law.
My tires are rated at 1521 pounds x .94 is 1430. 4 tires makes 5719 total and the kombi weighs 4800 pounds empty. so that's about 900 pounds I can add.
I got it for $55 a piece from Walmart and got a local garage to put them
on because Walmart couldn't balance them.
I have had no issues with rubbing or hitting fenders, I've bottomed it out
a few times while turning and no problem. They say the wider tire is harder
to steer but I couldn't tell. I had previously 186 R14 rated at 1530 pounds.
I wanted to try a common tire because if they work ok, and cost effective, then why not. I hadn't driven the bus for 2 years at least so it only gets about 500 miles on per year. I will repost if I have any problems.
Douglas Xtra Trac II Tire 205/75R14 95S 1521 pounds 55.50 205/75-14 6.1in 13.1in 26.1in 82.0in 773 2.3% difference from 195/75r14 (from tire calculator)
Anyhow, I've read tons about different tires etc and how you need to get a close to the original as you can. However, I don't think changes of 2-3% really should have a whole lot of effect. If so, that's pretty bad engineering. But as little as I drive, I'm not so worried about it. |
I ran the same size P tire for 2 years. They sucked especially in the wind, so much "windwag" it dangerous to drive at times. I switched to 195R14c Hankooks and what a difference. Better all around handling and stable in the wind. If you don't drive it often you might be ok, if you drive it daily you will notice the lack of sidewall stiffness.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
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Manfred58sc
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2009
Posts: 3382
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:51 am Post subject: |
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Ok, I got some Chinese "Roadclaws" and so far so good. They are 195's with 8ply. I researched them and lots of 1 ton Toyotas use them all over Asia. $330 delivered. I'm finding that the UV kills the tires before I can wear them out. I never hear this discussed but tire store owners sure talk about. Things have changed in world of solar radiation, there needs to be a UV rating on tires.
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Fat chick owner/operator |
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