Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:43:57 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Checked your spare tire recently? Spare Tire Size
In-Reply-To: <4F4AB915.2000901@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
A 50mile spare...that's a joke. In my world, 50miles would get me nowhere,
and when I got there, there certainly would not have a tire I could use.
If I were an Urban Dude and rarely ventured out of town, if I normally
traveled where cell phones work, and tow truck response time was quoted,
rather than getting "Oh, maybe Jim Bob can get his rig running tomorrow.."
then I might be ok without a spare....
I did find the spare under my 84, it was the factory original when this
van came to me. It looked new and I didn't check the date....drove on it
for about a quarter mile....till it split down the center...
On Feb 26, 2012 3:09 PM, "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
> my 30 year old motorcycle tires irons are in my road kit.
> I break the tire down off the rim using the stock jack ....weight of the
> van does a fine job of breaking down both sides of the tire.
> I have a special trick with a hammer to get the tire fully off the rim
> when necessary.
> it's fun.
> I haven't had to do this on the side of the road in 30 yrs..
> but I easily could.
> Don't tell anyone ..
> but sometimes I mount and balance my own vanagon tires entirely by hand.
> Most of the time I take about 8 tires and wheels to my tire store and
> it's 'mount these on these rims, throw these two tires away' etc..
> I never let any tire shop touch any of my vehicles.
> I just let them to their sometimes hurried, sloppy work on just my rims
> and tires.
> I also tell them I am willing to pay extra for a careful nice good job,
> not a quickie job. That helps.
> Now they know me personally anyway after 8 years in my area...
> that helps get good work done for you too.
> There is one very popular NW tire chain ..I swear, they never act like
> they know me when I go there. I think they must have a policy against
> it. Four years in grim PT, Wa state ...they never once acted like they
> knew who I was in that 'only tire store' for an hour's drive to
> somewhere else . Sure glad I escaped that place !
>
> I do like to have a full size spare . It might be hours and many miles
> before I can get to a tire store..
> I don't want to be stuck anywhere due to lack of a spare that can go
> safety at 60mph.
> And generally ...flat tires are not all that common it seems anyway, but
> it sure is nice to be prepared. when it does happen.
>
> Scott
>
>
> On 2/26/2012 10:58 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>>
>> ---- Loren Busch<starwagen@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>
>>> RE: Spare Tires
>>> In addition to the spare tire/wheel how many carry a tire repair in
their
>>> Vanagon? And is it new enough that the glue will even come out of the
>>> tube? I ask that because while writing this it dawned on me that the
>>> repair kit in my rig is over ten years old! Maybe time to check
it/replace
>>> it?
>>> Someone mentioned the 'little' spare tires provided on some new cars,
good
>>> to get you 50 miles or so. Well, according to a news segment on a
local TV
>>> station last week some new cars are coming with NO spare! They showed
one
>>> new car that had only a small battery powered air compressor and a tire
>>> repair (plug) kit.
>>
>> Well, for in town, on pavement driving, which is what most do all of the
time, the small spare is probably perfectly adequate. Fact is, tires have
gotten so good, that if maintained reasonably, failure is very rare. The
last time I had to change a tire because of a failure while driving was in
1997. I remember, because it was a Bridgestone tire that was fairly new,
and that experienced a tread separation. Had a lengthy process getting
Firestone to honor their warranty. Had to send the tire to a location in
Memphis, TN to have it evaluated. Eventually did get the new tire paid
for, damage to my car (the tread damaged the wheel well when it flew off)
paid for, and the cost of a hotel and meals for my delay. That was in
Kingsville, Texas. But it took several months of back and forth. Why do
corporations get bad names?
>>
>> the repair kit and compressor? Well, plenty of people would be
completely incapable of managing that beside the road. A few years back
one new car was coming with a "spare" that required inflation at the time
of use. I don't remember what car it was, or how inflation was provided.
>>
>> mcneely
>>
>> --
>> David McNeely
>>
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