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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4491 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 7:43 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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I just found load-rated 16s for my Vanagon at tires-easy.com and they show several 102 index tires in your size, mostly winter ones but they also have the Entyre. _________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4491 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:08 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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A little feedback after the first real drive, a 30-mile round trip on wet pavement to get inspected and then home. The tires feel stout, and definitely more resistant to sidewinds and truck bow waves than the old tires. Noise level seems okay but this is a Westy so not the quietest of vehicles anyway. Very solid tracking and good feel over bridge expansion joints and sketchy pavement. It would be great if they improved fuel mileage, grew my hair back and made me younger, but I'll take what they provide right now.
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Achilles Multivan tires in 205/65R16
It was geodude and corwyn who first mentioned this tire but I have not heard anything more about anyone's experience with it. There does not seem to be much info from users but for the price I can volunteer to be a guinea pig. The tire is 26.4" in diameter and has a 107 load rating in the 205/65R16 size that I wanted for my new-to-me CLK wheels and they are very affordable at $52 each, so I ordered a set of four from tires-easy.com for a total of $271.00 shipped and got them on the van yesterday.
Mounted on a CLK.
And the van with its new wheels and tires.
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_________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic
Last edited by campism on Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:48 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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gonefishen Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2010 Posts: 27
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:46 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Looks rely good with that setup. Enjoy the ride. |
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dsdunbar Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2014 Posts: 564 Location: Crozet VA
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:11 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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I was wondering if it would be possible to add to this thread the 17" wheel options?
I went back to the first page where the "tire options available" is listed and it seems like it is being kept updated (for 16" and 15" wheel options) and I am thinking I'm not the only person looking at 17" tires.
Thoughts? _________________ '89 2WD Westy "Grey Goose" - Manual 4spd
Crozet VA
Vanaru EJ25, Peloquin |
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mreprize Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Utah
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:39 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Anyone tried the Falken ZE-914 ECORUN?
I was looking to put some of these on my 914 because they come in a couple sizes that will fit (and im corny, Ze914 on a 914!!!) , when I happen to notice they have a 215/60r16 in a 99H XL load rating 50PSI max. I am very tempted to try them on the 16" wheels I just bought the van given the 600 treadwear and supposedly low rolling resistance for improved economy. Probably not a good winter option but I mainly drive in decent weather.
Thoughts?
http://www.falkentire.com/tires/car-tires/ziex-ze914-ecorun-tire |
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CousinSven Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 2 Location: La Palma, CA
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:36 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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There aren't a lot of options for Eurovans, but after reading more reviews on the Nokian Entyre tires I decided to buy them. I purchased 4 (+1 for the spare) for just under $360, with free prime shipping from Amazon. That's in the correct 225 60R16 102 load rated size.
Thanks for the recommendation Geodude! |
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mreprize Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Utah
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4491 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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The Sumitomo in 215/60-16 from tirerack.com was my choice until I found the Achilles in 205/65-16 from tires-easy.com. I wanted the taller sidewall and slightly narrower tire for clearance and the load rating is much greater at 107. _________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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bjrogers86auto Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2009 Posts: 1375 Location: Halifax, N.S.
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 5:23 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Nokian has a new tire out called the C line in van or cargo. I'm running 215/65/15 p rated and plan on going to 205/65/15 c rated in either the Nokian or Continental Vanco Four season. Just wanted to let folks know about the new Nokian model.
Brian _________________ 86 Vanagon GL Westfalia 2.1
18 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X
19 Honda Civic Hatchback
A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin and Hobbes. |
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Busdepot Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 1309
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 4:43 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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For those sticking with 14" wheels, I have an update on the Hankooks, which have been the "go to" for Vanagon owners for a long time. To recap, Hankook is replacing the RA08 with the RA18. At the moment we still have RA08's left (having bought the rest of Hankook's inventory) so you actually have a choice between the two. Here's how they compare...
The RA18 is largely similar to the RA08 we all know and love, with one notable difference. While the RA08 is solidly an All Season tire, the RA18 may be slightly less "all season." Let me explain. Both tires carry the M&S rating, meaning that they meet U.S. industry standards for "mud and snow" driving. But not all M&S tires are equal because the standards are fairly broad. The actual tread pattern on the RA08 is a bit more aggressive and probably better suited for winter driving (although still not comparable to an actual snow tire).
Hankook themselves seem to recognize this difference, in that they sold the RA08 as an All Season tire but are waffling a bit on the RA18 - In a press release they promoted it as All Season (and they put the M&S logo on the sidewall), yet online they call it a Summer tire. That being said, it is still an M&S tire and a better choice for year-round use than most competing tires that are strictly summer-only (the Conti's, Yoko's, etc.).
In terms of independent road test rankings, both versions have placed at the top and seem to be relatively comparable. Several years ago the German publication Promobil gave the RA08 top honors in head-to-head braking and handling testing against Michelins and other tires, using Mercedes Sprinter sized vans. Similarly, in a subsequent version of the same test, the RA18 was the top pick. The magazine concluded, "The best tyre under wet conditions, and not impeded in the dry, the new Hankook is clearly the winner." It was the only tire that received their "Very Good" rating, while the Conti and Michelin got "satisfactory." As for Hankook themselves, their promotional literature says the RA18 has slightly better treadwear and rolling resistance than the RA08, although it provides no actual specs to support those claims.
So where does this leave you? Short-term, while we still have RA08's (http://www.busdepot.com/ra08), you have a choice. If you anticipate doing any cold weather driving I'd definitely snag some RA08's while you still can, as they appear to be somewhat better suited for that with no real downside. However, once they're gone, it seems that the RA18's will still be the best of the remaining highway tires, given their excellent test performance and the fact that they are M&S rated unlike most of the competition. We will have RA18's in both 185R14 and 195R14 sizes in a couple of weeks. _________________ - Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com |
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Weezyissuperfast Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2014 Posts: 106 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 11:51 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Are the Hankook RA08 (and now the RA18) the only stock size 14" tires available anymore? I can't seem to find any other options that meet (or are close to) the load rating requirements. |
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4491 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Weezyissuperfast wrote: |
Are the Hankook RA08 (and now the RA18) the only stock size 14" tires available anymore? I can't seem to find any other options that meet (or are close to) the load rating requirements. |
I bought a Nexen SV820 this time last year to replace a blowout, 185R14C. Several shops in Miami stated this was the only suitable one they could find. About $100 each, as I recall. Here it is next to one of my older 14" tires, since replaced with 16 inchers on CLK wheels.
_________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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geodude Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2012 Posts: 372 Location: Sacramento
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Busdepot Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004 Posts: 1309
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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The Conti's and Yoko's in the first link are strictly Summer tires. Read the reviews on the page. None of them are well reviewed for wet roads, a condition in which the Hankooks (both versions) excel as per test reports. Not personally a fan of the Conti's, but the D-range Yoko's aren't bad on dry summer roads. The Nokian is the wrong size entirely, 185/65R14. As for the last link, I've never used the Vredestein Comtracs in the 185R14 size specifically, but I've used them in other sizes and they acquitted themselves quite well. If there is a tire among these that might give the Hankooks a run for their money it would probably be those (although they are a little more expensive). _________________ - Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com |
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retroman Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2010 Posts: 227 Location: Reno (What is Rust???)
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:04 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Hankook ra08 is on amazon in 195r/14 for $115 ea delivered. If you have prime. My favorite so i ordered 4 more . _________________ 1967 bug recovering from a PO
1987 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender "Otto" been all over the place with never a problem! |
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vegpedlr Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014 Posts: 774 Location: TBD
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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14 inch BFG A/T vs General Grabber
Looking at the specs for these tires, it doesn't look like they meet Vanagon load specs in the stock wheel size. Am I misunderstanding something? It seems they are popular tires. |
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nemobuscaptain Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 3874
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9920 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:06 am Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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You are right. If you search on that product number it shows as 185R14C everywhere else.
Mark
nemobuscaptain wrote: |
Busdepot wrote: |
. The Nokian is the wrong size entirely, 185/65R14. . |
That has to be a misprint in the aspect ratio. It's the correct overall height tire and is load range D commerial tire (102/100 Load index).
However, it does look like a summer only highway tire. |
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Slimvest Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014 Posts: 431 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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Just put the General Grabber AT2 on my tintop last week and have about 200 miles on them. 205-75-15.
Overall, I'm happy with the handling, ride and road noise levels. I had Nokian Entyres 205-70-15 on the van. I definitely noticed less climbing power with the new tires, which was more of a surprise than expected. Grabbers are 3lbs heavier per tire and 0.8" larger in diameter compared to the Entyres.
I kept the Nokians, as they have a lot of treadlife left. Still unsure if I'm okay with the loss in hill climbing power. _________________ '87 GL w/ Reimo top |
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jimf909 Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014 Posts: 7462 Location: WA/ID
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 11:39 pm Post subject: Re: What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread! |
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^^^ This is helpful as I'm considering making the same change, albeit with 215/60R16 > 215/65R16. My primary concern was losing some torque. _________________ - Jim
Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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