Mailing-List: contact type2-help_at_type2_dot_com; run by ezmlm
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 12:50:08 -0800 (Pacific Standard Time)
From: Larry Edson <sonofed_at_karmannghia_dot_org>
To: type2_at_type2_dot_com
In-Reply-To: <1079816400.73883.ezmlm_at_type2_dot_com>
Message-ID: <Pine.WNT.4.58.0403221211310.456_at_PHX-73C5P31>
References: <1079816400.73883.ezmlm_at_type2_dot_com>
Subject: Re: Bus tires ?

I've said this before on the list and last weekend I got some more data to
support my assertion. Early bay window Busses will not accurately report
your speed if you put 185R14C tire on. This is because as VW was shifting
from bias tires to radials they apparently couldn't find suitable radials
with the same diameter/circumference as the earlier bias tires. During
this period of time the commercial vehicles still continued to get bias
tires as stock equipment without changing any other parts so you ended up
with campers and deluxe Busses that were running several MPH slower than
the speedometer indicated and also made the engines rev higher. Eventually
VW changed the tranny to make things right. When I was researching this I
took the bias tire size from Without Guesswork and then went to a Coker
catalog to find out the diameter and then went looking for tires of the
correct diameter. What I found was that 205/75R14 was the tire that
matched the best but finding tires with adequate side wall strength is
next to impossible in that size. Last weekend I went camping with Jason
Thorpe and his '76 Westy and on the trip down we discovered that our
speedometers were very closely matched so, to me, that confirms that the
changes VW made between '71 and '76 fixed the speedometer problem. Then
yesterday I happened by an electronic speed sign while driving at 65mph
which confirmed that I really was doing what my speedo says.

So what this all amounts to is that there are other considerations to take
into account on the early Bays and I still don't know where between '71
and '76 it was fixed. Jason thinks maybe it was the 091 tranny that did it
and I'm inclined to agree. Since I bought my tires someone discovered that
Continental has new Vanco reinforced tires available in different sizes
and it appears that their 195R14C tire would be the best choice for early
bay window owners and will be what I get when I replace my Firestones.

Larry
sonofed_at_karmannghia_dot_org
www.ghiatwins.homestead_dot_com
 O o\ /o O

> Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 09:18:01 -0800
> To: type2_at_type2_dot_com
> From: Doktor Tim <doktortim_at_rockisland_dot_com>
> Subject: Re: [T2] Bus tires ?
>
> At 07:52 AM 03/20/2004, you wrote:
> >  My 1971 Westy is back on the road, Running great.
> >
> >I want to buy some tires for my Westy. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
>
> 185R14C, load range D. No matter what the tire salesman says, buy no tires
> that are not marked thus. Westies are inherently heavier loads and must
> have these rugged specs. I expect not more than 10% of the tire stores in
> America will have them in stock. Expect special order to get them. They are
> not going to be 4 for $99 in the weekend-four-color-loss-leader-FLAPS-ads.
> Try for Continentals as they were stock on many T-II's.