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Big_E_Deluxe
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2013
Posts: 264
Location: Charlotte, NC
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 Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| thirtyseven wrote: |
Hi Erik,
Same as Williamblanda, they definitely ride well enough for me. Mine also weren't balanced, but couldn't tell if that makes a noticeable difference... No rubbing up front in any case.
Cruising mostly around 45/50mph, not a lot of highway too, and found Super Traxion not that loud. Anyway, front wind and my non-existent overhead vent gaskets make me forget what happens in the back of the bus 
Will go for a longer trip (1000+ mi) this saturday and for all next week, with most paved roads so could report after that as for handling and wear.
I was tempted to switch to 6.70 Super Highway for the rear too, might be better suited for overall gearing and road driving. |
Good to hear! Super Highway II's have the desired look I want for my '59 dbl door and the price is great. Would love a follow-up after your trip, thank you. Safe travels!
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Erik
1958 VW Beetle - "Max": https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1959 VW Bus - "Hans" - Double Door Panel (sold): https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746927
2014 Porsche 991.1 Carrera S |
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Ohio_Style
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2007
Posts: 610
Location: You'll never leave Sparta alive, Ohio
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ctroutma
Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2005
Posts: 158
Location: Atlanta, Ga
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| Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:26 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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FINALLY got the Grabber AT2 27/8.5/14 tires for my bus (will post pics soon). I think the only mention of tire pressure I've seen is 28-30 psi for rear and 30-32 psi for front. I also saw someone on IG with Grabbers running closer to 50. Tire shop put them on at 40 psi and the bus seemed to wander at high speeds a bit more than usual.
What's you preferred tire pressure? I do take mine down forest service roads frequently.
BTW - fit perfectly, no rubbing or any issues
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1965 EZ Camper |
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mandraks
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004
Posts: 7047
Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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| Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 11:45 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| ctroutma wrote: |
FINALLY got the Grabber AT2 27/8.5/14 tires for my bus (will post pics soon). I think the only mention of tire pressure I've seen is 28-30 psi for rear and 30-32 psi for front. I also saw someone on IG with Grabbers running closer to 50. Tire shop put them on at 40 psi and the bus seemed to wander at high speeds a bit more than usual.
What's you preferred tire pressure? I do take mine down forest service roads frequently.
BTW - fit perfectly, no rubbing or any issues |
i have noticed that overall people tend to run their tire pressure as high as the tire allows. (max load setting) even if they do not need to.
I have always run the tires as low as i could, much more compliant ride. just start kind of low and look at your tires regularly. if they start wearing on the outside, add a little, if they wear in the middle, go lower. a little deflection where the tire touches the ground is okay. Obviously this recommendation would be different for a MUCH faster car, or a commercial vehicle that runs 100k a year where longevity is more important. The way we driver older vehicles they usually age out before the thread is gone. start around 30 that would be my reco
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Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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ctroutma
Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2005
Posts: 158
Location: Atlanta, Ga
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| Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:55 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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Aired down to 30 front/32 rear and feels a lot better. Drove a few hundred miles on highway and gravel roads this weekend and felt great.
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1965 EZ Camper |
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Atlantic
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2008
Posts: 704
Location: Kalifornien
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| Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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just wanted to show this off:
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"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." [Voltaire] |
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oakman
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014
Posts: 1715
Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 3:05 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| oakman wrote: |
| buseric wrote: |
Can someone please confirm that an LT 215/75/15 will fit on an early bus with flat rear wheelwells? I want to be able to get the wheels on and off with out acrobatics or other stunts. So... I like the look of large tires for my next project and want to make sure a 215/75/15 will fit on early wheelwells? I see them working on late buses with lipped wheelwells, what about early pre-63? I do not want to roll or cut the wheelwell lip either.
also I think if you have a late big nut tranny installed in an early flat wheel well bus that it makes a difference on getting the rear wheel on and off with big tires. Can anyone confirm this as well? |
No problem getting these on and off this bus, did not need to deflate either. LT 215/75 15 BFG All Terrain. Original splitcase trans so I'm not sure about a later trans.
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A little update: The mango above is now running a big nut trans and the 215/75 15" BFG all terrains are a tight fit now. I had to deflate them a little to get them on the rear like others have said.
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Brandon |
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Ohio_Style
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2007
Posts: 610
Location: You'll never leave Sparta alive, Ohio
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EverettB 
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69809
Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| Ohio_Style wrote: |
| Crazy the difference in the early to late. My 64 had no problem with 30x9.50 all stock |
Flat wheel wells are a tighter fit, especially with 215s instead of 205s.
One side is a little bit tighter too, like things are not perfectly centered left to right.
I'm going from memory but I think it's the left side that's tighter?
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Last edited by EverettB on Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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oakman
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014
Posts: 1715
Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| EverettB wrote: |
Flat wheel wells are a tighter fit, especially with 215s instead of 205s.
One side is a little bit tighter too, like things are not perfectly centered left to right.
I'm going from memory but I think it's the left side that's tighter? |
That's interesting, the left side was definitely tighter on mine.
| Ohio_Style wrote: |
| Crazy the difference in the early to late. My 64 had no problem with 30x9.50 all stock |
I've been running the same tires and wheels on my 65' and they go on and off with no issue.
The early flat wheel wells go down like an inch and a half lower. The thicker doglegs go down about an inch lower I think.
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Brandon |
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earlywesty
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2004
Posts: 2357
Location: In the woods, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:02 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| oakman wrote: |
| oakman wrote: |
| buseric wrote: |
Can someone please confirm that an LT 215/75/15 will fit on an early bus with flat rear wheelwells? I want to be able to get the wheels on and off with out acrobatics or other stunts. So... I like the look of large tires for my next project and want to make sure a 215/75/15 will fit on early wheelwells? I see them working on late buses with lipped wheelwells, what about early pre-63? I do not want to roll or cut the wheelwell lip either.
also I think if you have a late big nut tranny installed in an early flat wheel well bus that it makes a difference on getting the rear wheel on and off with big tires. Can anyone confirm this as well? |
No problem getting these on and off this bus, did not need to deflate either. LT 215/75 15 BFG All Terrain. Original splitcase trans so I'm not sure about a later trans.
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A little update: The mango above is now running a big nut trans and the 215/75 15" BFG all terrains are a tight fit now. I had to deflate them a little to get them on the rear like others have said. |
thanks, that is what I expected. I am running big nut on my 58 westy and have noticed a bit of wiggling needed even for 195R15s. |
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earlywesty
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2004
Posts: 2357
Location: In the woods, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:04 am Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| EverettB wrote: |
| Ohio_Style wrote: |
| Crazy the difference in the early to late. My 64 had no problem with 30x9.50 all stock |
Flat wheel wells are a tighter fit, especially with 215s instead of 205s.
One side is a little bit tighter too, like things are not perfectly centered left to right.
I'm going from memory but I think it's the left side that's tighter? |
I also noticed one side is tougher. I thought I was going crazy |
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:10 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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I just converted my front beam to ball joint, and installing bay window rear suspension in now so tires are also on my list and I have a 60 doublecab so flat lip rear wells are on my truck. I was planning on the 215/75/15 but I was hoping that they would fit without any issues.
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:41 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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Here is what my truck looked like before I started the suspension swap
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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Here is the front with the bay beam and the same tires now
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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Here is a wheel and tire mounted on the rear.
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pyrOman
Fire Master
Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12408
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| realmechanic wrote: |
Here is the front with the bay beam and the same tires now
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You'll find out that beam will need to be lowered some! Either with drop spindles or adjuster on the top torsion tube at least. Unless you like the "reverse rake" look! Or you'll need to swap the CV joints and rear stubbs with bigger ones to be able to raise the rear beyond the extreme limit of the "stock" phatchick ones! 
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Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise. |
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| I am curious to see what it looks like when its back on the ground on all fours with the transmission and engine back in it. I kind of figured I may need to do something to the front even if its was to go with a size shorter tire to level it out a tad. |
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cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20271
Location: Sandpoint, ID
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 4:50 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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| realmechanic wrote: |
| I just converted my front beam to ball joint, and installing bay window rear suspension in now so tires are also on my list and I have a 60 doublecab so flat lip rear wells are on my truck. I was planning on the 215/75/15 but I was hoping that they would fit without any issues. |
Are you asking if it will fit? Not sure if anyone here has tried it yet. An early bus, with bay IRS and some fat ass tires.
My guess is you will have some issues that may only be resolved with altering the offset of the wheels. You might just have to buy a tire for a test fit.
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nothing |
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realmechanic
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2005
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 6:18 pm Post subject: Re: Large tire/big meats - Stock suspension Bus thread |
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I am sure I will figure it out. I am done installing the suspension and I have to extend the e brake cables and bleed all the brakes. I already have a rebuilt transmission with bay window axle flanges, and new axles. I am hoping
The 215/75/15s will fit and not rub if not 205’s it will be. |
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