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Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:31 pm

We are needing some new snow tires for our Van. Any recomendations? I would like to get some tires that I can continue to use throughout the year.

thanks in Advance.

Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:43 pm

Hakkapeliita CS or CQ. They both have the same tread pattern, but the CQ is softer rubber so its better in the snow. I have some CS's and they are %90-95 as good as a snow specific winter tire, maybe be more I don;t have a lot of mile son them in the snow yet.

The C2 is also a hakka snow specific tire, they were on my van when I bought and were driven year round, lasted 45k. The CS should last a fair bit longer due to harder rubber.

The CS is also quiet on pavement 8)

Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:45 pm

Hi, Stormking, and welcome to the asylum.

Check the very top link on this page, called "Sticky - Link to Best Threads" and you will find a bunch of discussions on tires. It an on-going topic here.

Then stick around, you'll learn a whole lot more!

Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:26 pm

thanks for the input. I'll continue doing some research.

Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:22 pm

Yep, there's a LOT of discussion about tires. For the record, I got a set of Hankook RA08's. Busdepot.com sells 'em and they are cool with me but I got mine thru Discount Tire for about $80 each mounted, balanced and road-hazarded (is that a word?).

They are super-duper and a good value. You could spend more and maybe get a better tire but you could also spend less and get these which are pretty damn good.

Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:24 am

Since you are driving an 82 air cooled vanagon, carefully consider the tire diameter to make sure that you do not go much taller than with what came with the vanagon..... 185R14. Taller tires will increase engine's cylinder head temperatures as it tries to push this thing around town and up hills. You do not have a lot to spare even with the stock tires.

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

Just my 2 cents.

Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:50 am

And the wheel size is important. Depending on your wheels, the options change dramatically.

Tue Dec 04, 2007 8:58 pm

Thanks for the input. The thought on the tire size and width is helpful. Im having a Head temp gauge put in now and an engine being re-built....Anyway. I do have an understanding of tires. Now it is finding a tire. I live in Northern Cal (mt. Lassen area) and tires are on back order We are moving to New York in 2 weeks and I need snow tires. I have looked into BF Goodrich all terrains and Coopers. Any other tire you might think...I've read dozens of posts and learned so much about tires... My mind is mush!

Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:56 pm

Stay far away from the BFG all-terrains, they dont last worth a damn.

Just replied to your PM, then found this thread. Pretty much says the same things everyone here has said.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:25 am

Sorry you have had no luck with the BFGs, I've had a set on the Ranger four summers now and you would be hard pressed to tell they are not new. I work in gravel pits, do my share of hunting, and average over 18k miles a year. Love them. That said, there is absolutely no way I would ever run them in the winter. They are way, way too hard of a rubber compound. Even in four wheel drive the Ranger barely gets going with the least little bit of snow or ice. Heaven forbid you have to steer or stop. I suppose that when the snow gets deep enough they do ok, and yes they can be very fun on an empty road. But dangerous. Swap to a winter tire and everything is normal again. Of course that's only my opinion, but I've been there the last four falls.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:32 am

stormking wrote: Thanks for the input. The thought on the tire size and width is helpful. Im having a Head temp gauge put in now and an engine being re-built....Anyway. I do have an understanding of tires. Now it is finding a tire. I live in Northern Cal (mt. Lassen area) and tires are on back order We are moving to New York in 2 weeks and I need snow tires. I have looked into BF Goodrich all terrains and Coopers. Any other tire you might think...I've read dozens of posts and learned so much about tires... My mind is mush!

These are pretty good snow tires. http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=COMTRACWIN See if someone local can order them up and install them for about that price.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:33 am

"What tires should I buy for my Vanagon?"

Unlike most extra-load tires, the tires we recommend for your Vanagon are not just designed to handle your van's weight, but are also designed for passenger use and highway comfort.. Both Hankook and Vredestein are OEM suppliers to Volkswagen and have a proven track record with regard to tires for VW vans. Click here for more info on why we recommend these brands.

Note to owners of Vanagons with factory alloy wheels: Vanagons that were factory-equipped with alloys originally came with 205-70R14 rather than 185R14 tires. This size is just slightly wider and shorter than the 185R14 found on all other Vanagons. However, the 185R14 is still a proper fit for your Alloy wheels, and meets all VW and tire manufacturer specifications for this use. There are several advantages to using a 185R14 rather than a 205-70R14 on your Vanagon. One is price; the 185 series is much cheaper for identical quality. Also, there are performance advantages; the 185R14 profile is slightly narrower, which translates into better grip on snow or ice and a reduced tendancy to hydroplane on wet roads. Finally, it has a slightly taller sidewall, which provides a little more cushioning for a smoother ride. Therefore we recommend using this size on all Vanagons, with or without Alloys (although we do have a slightly larger 195R14 Hanook available as an alternative if you want a bigger tire).

The Hankook RA08 185R14 All Season Radial handles well and has excellent wear characteristics. This tire has a ten year track record, and is the only all-season tire in its price range to be made by an O.E.M. supplier to VW. Although the RA08 is about 40% cheaper than the Michelin Agilis, in a recent track test comparison in the German magazine ProMobil-Extra it outperformed the Michelin in every single handling test they performed (wet and dry handling, wet and dry braking, and aquaplaning). It is an excellent value and we recommend it highly. Click here for more specs and to order.

The Hankook RA08 195R14 All Season Radial is a slightly larger version of the above tire, and preferred by some customers who have alloy wheels. Compared to either a 205R70 or a 185R14, this tire is about 1/2" taller. It is about 1/3" wider than a 185R14 but about 1/3" narrower than a 205R14, so just about midpoint between the two.. (Before ordering, please see the note the gray box to the right on how this may affect your speedometer calibration.)

The Vredestein Comtrac Winter 185R14 Radial Snow Tire uses a proprietary Silica compound to improve traction, and a directional tread pattern that literally pushes snow and slush out of the way. It was specially designed to combine passenger car comfort and handling with light truck load capacity. This is the top rated snow tire currently available. In a recent head-to-head test in the German magazine ProMobil-Extra, the Comtrac Winter (in a 15" size) won their highest rating, dramatically outperforming every other tire (including the much more expensive Michelin Agilis).

The Vredestein Comtrac 205R14 Radial is listed as a recommended tire on vanagon.com. It's a higher load rated version of the tire that Vredestein supplies to Volkswagen for 2005 German market Passats and Jettas. Like the Hankook, it is designed for comfortable highway use despite its higher load rating. This tire is marketed as a "summer" tire, and while it is comparable in snow/ice to some "all season" tires (U.S. standards for calling a tire "all season" are very lax), it is not as good in snow/ice as the Hankook. This tire is the same width as the stock 205/70R14 tire originally used on Vanagons equipped with alloy wheels, but 0.96" taller. (Before ordering, please see the note in the gray box to the right on how this may affect your speedometer calibration.) This tire is not an optimal choice for Vanagons with steel wheels, but is well suited for the slightly wider alloy wheels.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:59 pm

Ok...after a long exhausting hunt I found some tires. Its been so difficult getting tires here in Northern Cal. Anyway, I went with the Nokian Hakkapeliita CQ and got them from the tire Factory for 130.00 a tire and free shipping. As of today they had 33 in stock. They are also offering free shipping with a 5-7 day turn around...

thanks guys...

J