Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:34:59 -0400
Reply-To: Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 15" tire pressures?
In-Reply-To: <0c0401c8f281$d16c0740$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I think you're getting sports cars confused with an 90 hp, 4000 lb vehicle.
Sports cars have huge rear tires so they can apply their power. There's no
such problem in the Vanagon.
You want the tires that are handling the most load to be able to handle that
load, and that is called STABILITY. When you have two average sized
Americans sitting over the front axles you're talking about 400+ lbs of
extra weight, and that's when your PSI logic flies out the window.
You might also know that putting a rear sway bar on a vehicle makes it more
oversteer prone. This means that STIFFER rear tires are less compliant,
making the vehicle more prone to oversteer, which is exactly opposite of
what you said.
I'll buy that VW put their recommended pressures so low to keep the Vanagon
understeering, which is safer for the average driver. But having said that,
in many tens of thousand of miles of driving on mountain roads my tire
pressures have never given me anything less than best possible handling.
2008/7/30 Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> on any 2WD cars, *especially* rear engine ones, you'd always run more tire
> pressure in ther rear than the front.
> it affects the handling balance noticeably.
> what you don't want is oversteer. As there is less in the rear relative to
> the front - you have oversteer or 'too neutral' steering handling balance.
> you always run a bit more pressure in the rear, about 4 psi , perhpas 6 pis
> when we're talking in the 45 range......
> other straetegies going up from there are :
> stiffer side-walled rear tires, or wider rear rims.....
> the increased handling stability factor, especially in sweeper bends if
> very distnct by doing this. Really.
>
> check the tire sizes front and rear , and rim widths , on any modern hot
> 2WD sports car- - corvette, porsche, even AWD ones.....
> they often have a wider rim in the rear, and they always have a wider tire
> in the rear, but lower aspect ratio.
> if they have say 325/45 R18's in the front,
> they'll have 345/35 R18's in the rear, at least.
> you always want more stability in the rear !
> tire pressure fore-aft balance is the first level of achievning that.
>
> when i finally find a set of 15 inch vanagon rims I like for my set of
> near new 205/65 R15 Michelin Agilles tires.........
> I'll probabably start them out at 40 front, 44 rear. Something like that.
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
> two many vanagons to list.
> most for sale when I get them 150 % dialed in to near perfection. Gas,
> diesel, campers, sunroof models etc.
> And only rust free and dent free ones, or nearly so.
> will also sell rust and dent free chassis/body for someone who loves their
> rusted out Westy or whatever, and wants a clean title, west coast van to
> swap all their camper and upgrade parts , and engine + trans over to a
> fresh nice body.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris S" <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:26 AM
> Subject: Re: 15" tire pressures?
>
>
> If the stock Vanagon has a 52/48 F/R weight distribution why do you run so
>> much pressure in the rear compared to the front?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Chris S.
>> "Beware the Subie Vultures"
>>
>> 2008/7/30 M'obeechi <obeechi@runbox.com>
>>
>> 40 in the front
>>> 50 in the rear
>>> 205 65 R 15
>>> Everything else is for heretics. There's a reason why, but I forget what
>>> it
>>> is.
>>>
>>> From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: 15" tire pressures?
>>>
>>> > I'm running 44 PSI front and rear on my poptop Weekender with > 205/60
>>> -15
>>> > tires.
>>> >
>>> > On Tue, Jul 29, 2008 at 9:24 PM, James Ballen <jamosb78@yahoo.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > > Anyone know if the 15" wheel/tire combo came standard from the > >
>>> factory
>>> in
>>> > > South Africa, or anywhere else in the world?
>>> > >
>>> > > I'm wondering what exact size tire was used, and what pressure was
>>> > > recommended to use by VW.
>>> > > thanks for any info.
>>> > >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Jake
>>> > 1984 Vanagon GL
>>> > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>>> > Crescent Beach, BC
>>> > www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>>> > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>>> >
>>>
>>> ----- End Original Message -----
>>>
>>>
>
--
Chris S.
"Beware the Subie Vultures"
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