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Wed Mar 07, 2018 7:40 am

nearly ALL Audi rims should have a spacer at least in the front.

do you have a 2wd or a Syncro van?

remove the wheel and tell us the sizes cast/stamped into the rim

there is an ET##
and an 6J or 7H or sumsuch too.

but plan on 8mm spacers and longer front lug bolts (if 2wd)

Wed Mar 07, 2018 7:55 am

Gus1973 wrote: On a side note, I’m told the antisway bar has been removed but it’s not a problem. Any input on that too would be great.
Best,
Angus

Anti-sway bar removed? If it’s a front anti-sway bar (rears are unusual) then replacing it will have the single biggest positive impact on handling possible. Night and day doesn’t describe it. My end link broke and I’d say the van is nearly unsafe w/out a front anti-swaybar. Go to T3, buy and install the anti-sway bar and be prepared to be amazed (and a lot safer)!

The doesn’t apply to the rear, but the rear wasn’t oem and probably fewer than 5% of Vanagons have been fitted with a rear anti-sway bar.

Also, this applies to typical, road oriented vans, not one used primarily for rock crawling.

As for tire pressures in the WRC3, I’ve dropped mine to 40 front, 46 rear. I can share more on that.

Wed Mar 07, 2018 8:02 am

Thanks, Dan and Jim.

I'll have the tire shop inspect the Audi wheel information, Dan, and I'll post the outcome. I'll ask to see if the previous owner knows the wheel information; they may.

Many thanks for your feedback on the anti-sway bar, Jim. Yes, it's the front. The mechanic had it on the hoist and pointed it out, and in the same breath said that many folks remove this bar for ground clearance offroad and that it should have no affect being removed (I'm switching mechanic by the way!). I live in Vancouver, BC, and I'm not familiar with the T3 reference? But I will investigate this and have it reinstalled. My apologies for posting a topic that is not related to this tire thread.
Cheers,

Angus

Wed Mar 07, 2018 8:03 am

Chris @ T3 is the man.

http://t3technique.com/suspension-and-drivetrain/vanagon-suspension/anti-roll-bar-(front)/

Wed Mar 07, 2018 8:16 am

Thanks, Chris!

Sat Jun 23, 2018 11:45 am

For those that went to the WRC3 8ply from a 6ply tire, did you notice any performance changes? Assuming you maintained the same diameter. The 8ply tire weight increase seems significant, but I don't know if that changes performance as much as diameter does.

For my situation, it would equate to a 3.5lb/tire increase in weight. (but will also lose 0.8" in diameter)

Moving from General Grabber AT2 205/75/15 to Nokian WRC3 205/70/15

Sat Jun 23, 2018 1:11 pm

Slimvest wrote: Moving from General Grabber AT2 205/75/15 to Nokian WRC3 205/70/15

the grabber is a passenger tire, that is not a match for a Vanagon, it is also 6% taller than stock

the Nokian is a Light Truck tire, much more correct for a Vanagon, and it is only 3% taller than stock, so it will have an acceleration advantage over the grabber

the Nokian is by far the better load rated tire for a vanagon..

If the Nokian sidewall says, 2094 lbs @ 65 psi, then stock equivalent would be to inflate to 40 psi front, 48 psi rear as a starting point.

Its a big advantage, for crosswind stability, to use 20% more psi in rear than front, per the doorjamb inflations.

Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:35 pm

some feedback after some long drives on my set of wrcs (195/60R16)

overall; pretty darn good. only downside is they are somewhat noisy. price of the treads i spose. very solid on corners. and maybe it is just the balancing, but van never felt so solid when going 120kmh (down hills, with wind behind, etc)

i'll update when the snow is here.

Mon Sep 03, 2018 10:23 pm

The increased noise of the WRC3 compared to the WRG3 is becoming obvious after 10K with them. It hasn't made me write them off yet even though I'm sensitive to noise. I still like them.

Tue Sep 04, 2018 9:42 pm

Hmmm... Several thousand miles into my set of WRC3 205-70-15, I find them delightfully quiet compared to my old set of WRG2 215-65-15 tires. Do you have 205/70/15s Jim? If so, what tire pressure are you running? I'm running 42 in the front and 48 in back.

Wed Sep 05, 2018 4:10 am

My WRC3s are 215/65 R16. I won't say the noise is intrusive but it is an added sound under certain confitions that I didn't get with the WRG3s (60 aspect ratio). It's most notable when changing direction and when decelerating and the engine noise subsides.

40 psi front/46 psi rear has been working out well.

Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:05 pm

Joined the WRC3 club today with a set 205/70R15. Definitely more crisp than my old General Grabber AT2, but time will tell. It's just money... :lol:

Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:04 pm

I had a set of WRC3s installed before a trip to Baja California. Great ride, great sidewall confidence, but by the time I got back to Washington, 1/3 of the tread was gone. As an "all-weather" tire, the rubber is softer and wears faster. I am running Yokohama Geolandars (all-terrain) three years old and still have plenty of tread.

Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:02 pm

Corwyn wrote: I had a set of WRC3s installed before a trip to Baja California. Great ride, great sidewall confidence, but by the time I got back to Washington, 1/3 of the tread was gone. As an "all-weather" tire, the rubber is softer and wears faster. I am running Yokohama Geolandars (all-terrain) three years old and still have plenty of tread.

I put the Geolanders in the same category as the Grabber AT2. Load rated too low for me in the 205/70R15 size. Not sure what size you're running. I only drive 5k/year so even if I only get 25k out of the tires, I'll be ready to try something new by then.

And as I said, it's only money! :wink:

Fri Jan 03, 2020 9:06 am

I just ordered Nokian WRC3 205/70r15 tires to replace the Nokains WRG3s I've had for four years. So far I have the origional 14" alloy wheel with the origional Michelin 205/70r14 tire for a spare. It's old now. Wondering what people are using for a spare with the WRC3s since they are directional? Would still love to store the spare in the clamshell. Thank you!

Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:10 pm

I have a 205/65-15 WRC3 on a steel wheel in an original clam shell. I also have a 205/65-16 WRC3 on an alloy wheel in a modified clam shell (retaining bars removed and replaced with bolts). Since they are directional, there is a 50/50 chance they will be running in the wrong direction when installed in an emergency. I don't intend to drive more than a few hundred miles with the tire running in the wrong direction, if the spare is needed.

Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:35 pm

peffleyjeanne wrote: I just ordered Nokian WRC3 205/70r15 tires to replace the Nokains WRG3s I've had for four years. So far I have the origional 14" alloy wheel with the origional Michelin 205/70r14 tire for a spare. It's old now. Wondering what people are using for a spare with the WRC3s since they are directional? Would still love to store the spare in the clamshell. Thank you!

I bought a generic load rated tire off Tire Easy (I think) and have it on the 14" rim. I can't recall the size at the moment, but I tried to get as close to the Nokian 205/70r15 dims I could. I did still have to alter my carrier tray hinges with u-bolts to drop it a bit though. The tire was pinching a coolant hose just enough to make the van run hotter.

Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:07 am

I run 215/65 R16 tires and keep an original size spare (replaced it two years ago so it's fresh) in the clamshell. I basically treat it as a doughnut and only expect to use it until I repair or replace the flat tire.

Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:40 am

It looks the size availability of these tires in a D/8 ply has increased since the thread was created. Tires-easy currently appears to be carrying 205/65R16 (26.5 inch diameter) and 215/60R16 (26.1 diameter). For a stock 2.1 westy (no lift), is there a downside to going with the wider tires? As I see it, the wider tires might be assumed to corner and accelerate a bit better at the cost of less cushion on rough terrain and aesthetically would not fill the wheel well as well.

For reference on my stock 2.1/MT Westy I'm currently rolling with the Hankook RA18 195R14 (D ply, diameter 26.2). I'm content with the acceleration of these tires around town and I feel reasonably safe on the slow lane of the highways around here. However, I am looking for better traction for gravel roads and would also like to take the van out in the winter months from time to time, hence my interest in the WRC3.

Thanks for the knowledge.

Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:23 pm

Quote:
It looks the size availability of these tires in a D/8 ply has increased since the thread was created. Tires-easy currently appears to be carrying 205/65R16 (26.5 inch diameter) and 215/60R16 (26.1 diameter). For a stock 2.1 westy (no lift), is there a downside to going with the wider tires? As I see it, the wider tires might be assumed to corner and accelerate a bit better at the cost of less cushion on rough terrain and aesthetically would not fill the wheel well as well.

I would consider tire weight and rolling resistance too. I'm on 205/70R15s and my mileage and acceleration are both lower/slower when compared to the 3-season tire I had formerly (Nokian Entyre) in the same size.