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dogcoves Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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For the last 4 years I have been driving on Michelin Agilis on my 87 Westy with 15" SA Rhein rims which have been fine for coastal central California weather. It is getting to be time to think about new tires, wondering if anyone has tried the Continental Vanco 2 - they are load range C size 205/65R15 _________________ Current VW: 1987 Westfalia
My Past Volkswagens:
1958 karmann ghia
1963 Beetle
1963 Westfalia
1966 Westfalia
1970 Beetle
1970 Westfalia |
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Phishman068 Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007 Posts: 1867 Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:15 am Post subject: |
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I have the 15'' continental snow tires suggested by Karl mounted up and i've put a few miles on them so far. Currently I can say I'm blown away. They transport the vanagon from a vehicle that I always considered to be bad in the snow (with Some worn down Nokian snow tires on it) to a vehicle that seems to do legitimately well!
I haven't spun a tire yet. I've driven on ice, through 6'' of powder, and through plenty of packed down snow. So far I am very impressed.
They even handled acceptably in huge wind.
There aren't enough miles on them to be conclusive yet, but so far I'm happy with them! |
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Brungeman Samba Member
Joined: July 25, 2010 Posts: 187 Location: Pittsburgh
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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Phishman068 wrote: |
I have the 15'' continental snow tires suggested by Karl mounted up and i've put a few miles on them so far. Currently I can say I'm blown away. They transport the vanagon from a vehicle that I always considered to be bad in the snow (with Some worn down Nokian snow tires on it) to a vehicle that seems to do legitimately well!
I haven't spun a tire yet. I've driven on ice, through 6'' of powder, and through plenty of packed down snow. So far I am very impressed.
They even handled acceptably in huge wind.
There aren't enough miles on them to be conclusive yet, but so far I'm happy with them! |
Craig, are you planning on using these as 4 season tires? also where did you locate them? or did you buy online? _________________ 87 multivan
84 transporter for sale
86 scirocco RIP
71 Baywindow RIP
1972 Super RIP
1969 Bug RIP
1974 Super RIP |
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dogcoves Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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YOKOHAMA 205/70/15 (96S 1565 lbs) All-Terrains have a higher load index than the Michelin HydroEdge or Defender that Gowesty uses but do not meet the 1580 lbs that roadhaus suggest as a minimum.
Anyone using Yokohama ATs?
http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html
http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=308 _________________ Current VW: 1987 Westfalia
My Past Volkswagens:
1958 karmann ghia
1963 Beetle
1963 Westfalia
1966 Westfalia
1970 Beetle
1970 Westfalia |
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Phishman068 Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007 Posts: 1867 Location: Pittsburgh PA (ish)
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PDXWesty Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006 Posts: 6245 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:39 am Post subject: |
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16" Yokohama Geolanders - No load problems.
_________________ 89 Westy 2.1 Auto |
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insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:47 am Post subject: |
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1991 Syncro Westy.
215/75/15 Yoks
45k miles thus far...no issues.
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joetiger Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005 Posts: 5078 Location: denver
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:56 am Post subject: |
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I have the Geolandar 215/70/15's and am very happy with them.
Much more here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...p;start=20 _________________ Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present
www.josephtrussell.com |
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DeadSetMonkey Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2010 Posts: 532 Location: Denver, CO
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:46 am Post subject: |
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I was very happy with the set of Hankook RA08, 195/14C, that I had.
They are not real offroad-ready, but very firm and comfortable on wet/dry pavement.
They were fine on some milder offroading adventures.... but did slip a little in loose gravel and rocks... nothing that kept us from proceeding... but not as surefooted offroad as a true "all terrain" trie would be.
And, they seemed to be a great pricepoint.
I think I bought 5, new, mounted and balanced, for under 700 dollars.
I recently sold them, mounted to my 14in alloy rims, after moving up to 15in rims/tires and the BFGs ATs.
To be honest, i prefer the ride character (quieter and more comfortable) of the 14in RA08 to my 15in BFG ATs... but the ATs are definitely nicer in the snow/mud/rocks/etc... take the good with the bad when you step into an AT tire. _________________ ----------------------------------------------------
'90 Syncro Westy 2.5Subi Turbo, BFGs 215/75/15 Rheins |
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benandmj Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2012 Posts: 550 Location: Atlanta
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Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:04 pm Post subject: 205/70/r15 |
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I'd like to hear more from folks with the Geolandar 205/70/r15 specifically. I have been laboring over tire choice for a while as I have wheels and hardware in hand. I've got nearly new Hankook RA08's on my stock wheels currently and am upgrading for looks as much as performance, truth be told. With my stock 1.9 wbx I can't afford losing the performance moving to much taller of a tire. I have had great experiences with the BFG A/T KO on other vehicles but with the 215/75/15's being the smallest available, I'm about to pull the trigger on the Yoko Geo's. _________________ 85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy |
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AKRIVIERA79 Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2004 Posts: 48 Location: PDX
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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Ive been on hankook ipike 15's for over 30k miles..got them used for cheap cheap...now I need to buy some tires...I liked how the ipikes handled in every condition... really liked how the ipike's handle when they were studded and working at Mt. Bachelor..then destudded them when I moved to Marin County, CA...now Im in the Denver area and having a hard time deciding which tires to go with.
Anyone running the ipikes w/o studs year round? If so...are you happy with them? _________________ 1987 Syncro Westy |
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whafalia Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2009 Posts: 685 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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When getting an alignment this morning I asked the shop what they had in appropriate load rating and the had Hercules Power C/V at $99. Not bad for a load rating of 106/104R (I don't know what the hyphen means, but both #s are more than 97, I'm pretty sure), 2094 lbs capacity at 65psi, 8-ply. These #s are for 205/70/15, they come in 14s too!
Personally I'm looking to get nokians next time I'm in santa cruz, since I'll have to live with them for 3 or 4 years I'm not gonna gamble to save 150-200 bucks.
http://www.herculestire.com/tire-gallery/passenger-and-light-truck/light-truck/ _________________ 84 westie 2.2 w/ digijet, AT |
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vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3431 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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AKRIVIERA79 wrote: |
Ive been on hankook ipike 15's for over 30k miles..got them used for cheap cheap...now I need to buy some tires...I liked how the ipikes handled in every condition... really liked how the ipike's handle when they were studded and working at Mt. Bachelor..then destudded them when I moved to Marin County, CA...now Im in the Denver area and having a hard time deciding which tires to go with.
Anyone running the ipikes w/o studs year round? If so...are you happy with them? |
Hey, I just asked that question 4-days ago! http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6656497&highlight=#6656497
And I would like to know the answer as well! _________________ John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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Jon_slider Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007 Posts: 5091 Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:47 am Post subject: |
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> I'd like to hear more from folks with the Geolandar 205/70/r15 specifically.
Im not in possession, but do know where to look up specs
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=Geolandar+A%2FT-S
it says the 205/70/15 is load rated 96. VW never used a tire with less than a 97 load rating. You can, but its not my suggestion.
Look for a tire with a minimum load capacity of 97, and a minimum inflation of 50psi.
The 215x70x15 Geolander fits those specs. It has a 26.9" diameter, which is 5.5% larger than stock. So that is the amount of power you will lose, 5.5% (the 205x70x15 is 4% oversize, the 215x75x15 is 9.4% oversize)
I recommend going with the 215x70x15 which is just 2% larger than the underrated 205x70x15
> I have had great experiences with the BFG A/T KO on other vehicles but with the 215/75/15's being the smallest available
BFG also makes the excellent 195x75x14 AT KO. Load rated 99, 65psi max inflation, load range D.. perfect match for stock tire size. HIGHLY recommended. _________________ My Soapboxes: Inflation; Handling; Gearing; Decoupling; Swepco |
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vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3431 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 9:31 am Post subject: |
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Jon_slider wrote: |
Look for a tire with a minimum load capacity of 97, and a minimum inflation of 50psi.
The 215x70x15 Geolander fits those specs. It has a 26.9" diameter, |
Since those are SL, should they be de-rated 9%? _________________ John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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Jon_slider Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007 Posts: 5091 Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 9:44 am Post subject: |
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> Since those are SL, should they be de-rated 9%?
yes,
if you are serious about your tires, it is best to stick to light truck tires.
But many people insist on running passenger tires on Vanagons, for example Hydroedges and small Geolanders, so Im just trying to give some very basic guidelines.
Me personally, I would not run a tire that is not at least C rated, and I prefer D or E rated myself, but I have a very heavy syncro. _________________ My Soapboxes: Inflation; Handling; Gearing; Decoupling; Swepco |
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vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3431 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:05 am Post subject: |
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OK, from my quick calcs, if one wants to meet 97 load rating (1,609 Lbs), then an SL tire needs to be a 100 rated (1,764 de-rated to 1,605 Lbs).
Note: I am just taking Jon's 97 rating from the above post. I am not familiar with what VW spec'd. _________________ John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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Jon_slider Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007 Posts: 5091 Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9923 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 11:09 am Post subject: |
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Good luck wading through all the tire BS. VW used a passenger tire with a Load Index of 97 and max inflation psi of 40 on many of every year Vanagon from 86 on. Just look at your door stickers. That tire needs to be derated 9% too. The way you are doing it double counts the derating, not that you are alone in that mistake. In truth that tire was at the very edge of acceptable for strength so stronger has merit.
My personal preference is for Load 99 or higher, max inflation of 44 or higher. Just what I set as my desired minimum, others differ and size preference by some forces a lower standard in some cases.
The passenger tire VW used was 205/70R14. In order for that size to meet VWs weight requirement it had to be a reinforced or XL tire and so that is what VW used. The rear wheel GAWR was 2866, divided by 2 makes 1433 per wheel. So a passenger tire needs to meet 1433 AFTER the 9% subtraction, and needs to take 40 psi or more.
VWs Load 97 tire was 1580 lbs max, subtract 9% from that and you get 1438 lbs, just above the 1433 lb rear axle rating per tire on 2wd. But Syncros needed more and VW came up short when they used that same tire on Syncros. Many Syncro owners had short lived tires of the VW spec for that 70series size, tire carcass failures, etc. I suspect much of that was from failure to keep the pressure up but that is IMHO.
Mark
vanagonjr wrote: |
OK, from my quick calcs, if one wants to meet 97 load rating (1,609 Lbs), then an SL tire needs to be a 100 rated (1,764 de-rated to 1,605 Lbs).
Note: I am just taking Jon's 97 rating from the above post. I am not familiar with what VW spec'd. |
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Jon_slider Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2007 Posts: 5091 Location: Santa Cruz, Crowdifornia
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