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CREGAN Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2008 Posts: 230 Location: Leduc, Alberta - CANADA
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: 14 inch Tires - 185, 195, 205 |
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I know this is a topic that has been discussed alot and I researched very carefully from the info on the multiple tire threads, but I was wondering what exactly the difference is in getting tires that are 185, 195, and 205? Do they look bigger and wider as you go up in size? I read the Bus Depot info and it helped but I really want to ask the other experts on the forum.
Reason I ask is because I am trying to decide between Hankook RA08's and Vredestein Comtracs to put on my beautiful factory alloys. I currently have 185's on there and they look a little like pizza cutters. I don't want to upgrade to 15' rims so I want to put a slightly bigger looking set of tires on that will only be used for summer conditions. I have researched the Nokians and I think they are more winter than I need. Any advice? Thanks.
Craig |
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D Clymer Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2005 Posts: 2978 Location: Issaquah, WA
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 12:10 am Post subject: |
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185/80/14, 195/75/14, and 205/70/14 are all similar in overall diameter. the 185s are tallest at 25.6" and the 205s are shortest at 25.3", but for all practial purposes they are basically the same diameter.
I would go with 205/70/14 tires for the best appearance. These tires from Tire Rack have an XL load rating and a maximum load per tire that is slightly higher than the Michelin MXL 205/70/14s that VW equipped the Vanagons with when they were new.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=G...mpare1=yes
They might be worth a look. 195/75/14s also look decent on the stock Vanagon alloys, but I agree with you that the 185s look like pizza cutters. Let us know what you decide.
David |
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funagon Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006 Posts: 1308 Location: SLC, UT
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:50 am Post subject: |
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I find the 205's give the best gearing for the vanagon. If I drive on 185 or 195's I notice the loss of power. Other drivers don't seem to notice, but I think it's a big deal. The 205's also look better, if you're concerned with making a vanagon look cool.
When I first tried the General Altimax 205/70/14's I didn't like them, but after going through some other tires I've decided that the Altimax are not bad for the price. My only complaint with the Altimax is that they don't handle as well as the expensive 205/70/14 Nokians I used to have. But for $50 per tire they're acceptable. _________________ 1990 GL 7-passenger
2.2 liter WBX |
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CREGAN Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2008 Posts: 230 Location: Leduc, Alberta - CANADA
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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funagon wrote: |
The 205's also look better, if you're concerned with making a vanagon look cool. |
I think you meant COOLER. Thanks for the input.
Craig |
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CREGAN Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2008 Posts: 230 Location: Leduc, Alberta - CANADA
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:28 am Post subject: |
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Anyone else? I was also hoping to hear about why you chose the sizes you did and wether you are happy with the looks and performance. Thanks.
Craig |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7757 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:03 am Post subject: |
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I chose 185's because they meet spec and are CHEAPEST!
(Putting $ saved aside for rebuild...next year? Or sooner? *crosses fingers*) _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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buildyourown Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2009 Posts: 1668 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:15 am Post subject: |
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Here is a great calculator
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
FWIW, Nokian makes a summer tire that is very high quality.
I have the winter biased CS's and they are very good in the dry. My van never sees snow (on purpose) and I still think they were a great choice. |
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OilNBolts Samba Member
Joined: May 12, 2007 Posts: 438 Location: Kentucky
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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Gee I wish I'd seen those Generals before I bought my last set of Hankooks. I also prefer the look of the 205/70 size tire. The 185s do work well, but look mighty small on such a large vehicle. I've just worn out a set of Cooper all-seasons that make the bus sound like a halftrack. _________________ Current fleet: Vanagons, two '88 GLs and an 89 Bluestar. Beetles, '63, '64, '72 convertible. Plus, four Subarus and three Prius. Too many cars. |
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djaydubya Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2008 Posts: 40 Location: Durango Tucson Bisbee
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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I just put on some 195 RA08's on my steelies. I'm very pleased so far. They are very quiet and sit about a half inch taller than my old Bridgestone 195's. My pressures are 48 in back and 42 up front and it feels much better than the 50 I used to run. I'm running a 2.2 so the bigger tire matches up well with the extra power. I don't know if snow is a concern or not where you live but if it is than the 205's are going to be a problem. I hate the look of the 185's too but they would probably be better in snow. The 195 Hankooks I got were an all season tread as opposed to a summer tire that the 185's came in. I camp off road in Colorado all summer so I was looking for a more aggressive tread. I purchased from tireseasy.com. I haven't heard good things about the snow capabilities of the Hankooks but that is all here say. For my purposes, if it's snowing, the Westy is in the garage. Good luck, those 205's look like nice tires...and proper load rating, too! _________________ 1991 Westy GL Auto
2004 GW 2.2
"It was the least I could do... so I did it." |
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CessnaJon Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008 Posts: 677 Location: Senoia,GA
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 4:00 am Post subject: |
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I just installed BFG 195/75/14 AT.I love them-they look cool and ride good. _________________ 1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
LR-JET, Gulfstream 159 |
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chimivee Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2009 Posts: 741 Location: Orange, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: 14 inch Tires - 185, 195, 205 |
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CREGAN wrote: |
Do they look bigger and wider as you go up in size? |
If it's helpful, here are some pics of the Altimax tires:
_________________ -James
86 Syncro Westy, etc |
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CREGAN Samba Member
Joined: April 26, 2008 Posts: 230 Location: Leduc, Alberta - CANADA
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Alright, started doing some local researching. The local Kal-Tire guy basically laughed at me when I told him the size and specs I was looking for but phoned the warehouse and someone dug up these Ultrex Tires:
http://gobigo.ca/tires_cord_ultrex_AS4_tour.php
Not really that interested in them because with the quote they come to $665.99. If I am going to invest that much I might as well get Bus Depot to ship me some tried and true tires up, because it is probably cheaper.
Another local shop is selling Federal Ecovan Tires for $125 each and they only come in 185's. I really want to go bigger with the investment.
Anyway, I am going to make a pitch to the Banker (My Wife) and see about ordering some BD 205 Vredesteins.
Craig |
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Randy in Maine Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2003 Posts: 34890 Location: The Beach
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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I would rather have tires that meet the standard and are stiffer in the sidewall , than car tires ones that look a little wider.
You really want to see a load index number of 100.
Just me though.
(And for the record I do own the Bus Depot 205/65/15 Vredestiens and like them a lot). |
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IH1972 Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2010 Posts: 8
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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Randy in Maine wrote: |
I would rather have tires that meet the standard and are stiffer in the sidewall , than car tires ones that look a little wider.
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I agree and question the wisdom of using car tires on what is basically a truck.
I'm currently running a set of Bridgestone RD603's in 185R14, but these have now been discontinued. |
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Mountain Westy Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Idaho
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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When talking about different tires, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. 185, 195, and 205 all refer to the section width of the tire (tread). A larger number for section width will give you a wider footprint. This tire size calculator can be helpful in comparing different size tires.
http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp?submit=yes&vehicle=yes |
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woodingreenwood Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2010 Posts: 50 Location: Greenwood, CA
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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I ended up getting 185 14s from America's tire co. - they were the Yokohama "van" tires - they look stock, but WOW what a huge dramatic change in handling, roadfeel, and even alignment!!! The tires I replaced were probably at least 15 years old.
I would rather get the GoWesty 15 inch wheels (easier to find tires that fit), but for about $500 installed, I am just fine with these! _________________ 1987 Westfalia, 139,000 miles with Automatic Transmission and tiny spots of rust. |
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grambo Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Old Hangtown, USA
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:18 pm Post subject: Nokian 195r14 |
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I purchased a set of 195r14 Nokian Hakkapeliitta CS tires for my 90 2wd westy in the fall. They are have a slightly larger diameter than the stock 184r14 size- about .8 inches IRIC - and look great. I like the size as it gives slightly higher clearance while maintaining a relatively narrow footprint which can be good for snow traction.
The tires have been great, both in the snow and on dry pavement, as well as on dirt roads. If you have underrated tires now, I highly recommend getting appropriately rated tires (not passenger tires and with C or D load rating) in any of the sizes you mention- you will truly be amazed at how your van handles with them.
All other things being equal, with 195r14 you will achieve slightly lower RPMs for a given speed compared with 185r14, but your acceleration will suffer and you will be forced to downshift sooner when climbing hills. Tires without the middle number are usually (but not always) "80", i.e. 195(80)r14. Good luck- and since it may be a safety issue, don't be afraid to spend a little more for a quality set of shoes. |
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singler3360 Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2009 Posts: 1191 Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject: Re: Nokian 195r14 |
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grambo wrote: |
I purchased a set of 195r14 Nokian Hakkapeliitta CS tires for my 90 2wd westy in the fall. |
A third vote for these tires! |
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elpedro Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2009 Posts: 63 Location: Chico, California
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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woodingreenwood wrote: |
I ended up getting 185 14s from America's tire co. - they were the Yokohama "van" tires - they look stock, but WOW what a huge dramatic change in handling, roadfeel, and even alignment!!! The tires I replaced were probably at least 15 years old.
I would rather get the GoWesty 15 inch wheels (easier to find tires that fit), but for about $500 installed, I am just fine with these! |
Oh man, 15 years - you were way into borrowed time on those. I try to keep it to 7 years or less, regardless of miles. I had those Yokohamas on my bay-window bus, they were just fine. Now I have the 185R14 Hankooks on my Vanagon, and they ride sweet on the California highways. _________________ ...Peter...
89 Vanagon Bluestar to-be-named
71 hardtop westfalia Brave Little Toaster *sold* |
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Krautwagen Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Lakewood, CO
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:27 am Post subject: |
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I have a set of Michelin 195/75r14 LTX M/S on my 2wd Carat. I also have a set on my Ford Explorer in a different size. Got a great deal on them at Costco. Anyway, I like the look of the tire, and they handle really well. Living in Colorado snow traction is a must, so I also like the siping on these tires. Nice deep tread that will last a long time too, just keep them rotated.
Last summer:
_________________ Andy
Lakewood, CO
1973 Type 1 Bug
1974 Type 1 Bug
1999 Eurovan MV |
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