The Tire Sticky FAQ

[aeromech]

Nov 27, 2017

Just to let everyone know, the price of the Hankook RA18 in 195R14 has recently dropped. I just paid $348 delivered for a set of four through eBay. In August the same set of tires cost me roughly $470 via eBay.
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Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Ride_On]

Another update on the Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires and CLK rims, now with over 2,500km under our belts.

The tires are awesome - zero complaints. I just used them in conditions that they'll hopefully never see again and they excelled - sub-zero (sorry, sub-32), snowy, slushy roads, wet roads and dry roads. I was very impressed with how well the tires handled. If you are a winter driver, buy winter tires. For normal conditions, I couldn't be happier.

For the CLK rims - one small update on the rears. There is a retaining bolt on the rear drums that needs to be removed in order to get the wheels flush. You can get them flush with lots of effort in the star tightening pattern, but you're just causing the bolt to press into the aluminum of the rim. Oops. No blood, no foul - we're good now.

[championbaum]

Hey are you guys running the 27x8.5r14 General Grabber AT's on stock rims? Just making sure they aren't too wide before ordering.

Edit: Oops on a 78

[eazyvw]

Just picked up a set of Hankook Vantra RA18 off of Amazon for $85 a piece. Now to take the wheels off and find a tire shop that will mount them so I can get my bus out to the shop.
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- Ian
'71 Tin-Top Camper - "Wilford" (SOLD)
'77 Tin-Top Camper - "Tom Hank" (SOLD)
'86 Transporter - "Diglett" (FOR SALE)

[vwwestyman]

[cdennisg]

[championbaum]

Thanks guys, appreciate the info. Will be purchasing tires as soon as I get it back on the road.

[eazyvw]

[championbaum]

[cdennisg]

[richparker]

$65 gets a set of 4 tires mounted and balanced around here, regardless of they were purchased.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[vwwestyman]

I'm pretty sure Tire Rack has deals with installers, and that tires can be shipped directly to the shop so you don't have to pick them up at your house and haul them to the shop.

My local place was willing to dismount two of the General Grabber tires I had on my Thing and mount them on my Bus rims so I could see if I liked how it steered, and then later remount them on the Thing rims. I just had to pay the labor each time.

Later they mounted one of my old Bus tires on the Thing's spare rim.

They even had to track down an adapter to be able to balance tires on the Thing rims, but they did do it.

So yeah, I'm surprised anyone would say they won't mount tires brought in. Though I stopped buying tires from Tire Rack and started buying from the local place years ago, because of service like this.
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Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[cdennisg]

For the record, I have never bought tires online to have mounted locally. I buy all of my new tires at my favorite local shop. But I have had them mount many, many used tires for me over the years, sometimes they do it for nothing. That is what buying 8-10 new sets of tires from one place over the years will get you.
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nothing

[wcfvw69]

[KentABQ]

[CarlosZ]

I used to work at America’s Tire Co./Discount Tire Co. in the 90s and we would mount and balance any road worthy tire brought in by a customer. Labor (mount and balance) is $$. ATC/DTC mounted them for free if you bought from us. Any decent ship should be able to balance any wheel, VW wheels aren’t anything special.

You’ll usually feel (in the steering wheel=front, seat of your pants=rears) the out of balance tire when driving around 65mph. Some cars have such poor suspension and steering that you may not feel an out of balance tire.

[cdennisg]

Tens of thousands of miles behind the wheel of a VW bus, and the last two sets of tires (BFG all Terrains and Cooper Discoverers) required no balance and did not vibrate. I have run a few used sets of Goodyear 195/75R14 LT from the USPS trucks with no balance, too. Same result.

I have a nice set of Starfire 27x8.5r14 on my 68 single cab, but have not hit the road with them yet. I did not balance them. If they vibrate, I will have them balanced.

I rarely drive a bus over 60MPH. Maybe that is the difference.
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nothing

[wcfvw69]

[SGKent]

walk into your local friendly tire shop that sells the brand tire you want and ask them politely, "I know you have overhead and need to make a profit to keep the doors open, but how close to Internet prices can you come - in general?" If they show a willingness to play, which most will say yes to, if so reach in your back pocket and pull out a printed copy of the quote online you got WITH SHIPPING and tax if any. Hand it to them and say "these are the ones I am interested in, how close can you come, complete with mounting and balancing?" My guess is that their price will be within $15 to $20 of that price - and they will warranty a tire if you have a problem, and the money stays in your community and feeds local families who play with your kids in school. They may have to order the tires so be patient if it takes them a couple of days to get them. 15 years ago brick and mortar didn't like to come close to matching online prices from reputable sellers but these days it is a fact of life if a business wants to stay open. They do it to businesses they buy from too.

And, if the difference of $15 or $20 is whether you will build a relationship with a store, then my thought is that in the long run you won't save money because when a tire fails, or there is a problem with something - no one will be there to help. We've bought tires at $10 more for all 4 than online, then had the business wink and hand us a coupon from a tire manufacturer worth a $75 rebate so it actually cost us $65 less locally than online. Its like the coupons your doctor hands you for prescriptions - "here are a few coupons, give one of these to your best customers who buy our tires .... ."
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[airschooled]