![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:00 • Filed to: Vanagon, tutu153 | ![]() | ![]() |
A Tutorial.
Step #1:
Search for tires to replace the
N
okian H
akkapeliittas you bought 20 years ago. (not shown)
Step #2:
Find that the only 14"
snow
tire
with a 99 load rating is a
225/70R14 (not shown)
Step#3: Concerned it’s too wide, but nobody can confrirm, you buy one tire, mount it, and run it on the front and rear for a day each, listening for rubbing/clearance issues. (not shown)
Step #4:
Satisfied
with your test, buy three more and mount them.
Step #5 : Run the tires for two and a half winters. (not shown)
Step #6
:
Swap out snows for summers in the spring (shown)
Step #7
:
Wonder why the hell the end of my upper control arm is cleaner than the rest of the arm. (shown)
Step #8
:
Start looking at the inner sidewalls of the tires. (shown
)
Step #9
: Oh lord. I have rotated these. There are all ruined. (shown)
Step #10
:
because I can’t help it.
$500 worth of tires down the drain.
I can’t believe I didn’t notice a thing, especially since I’m sitting on the wheel
well.
I have run snow tires since the mid 90s when I absolutely had to get to work. Even thought I have not had a job like that since 2005, I still had the set so I kept using them every winter. It doesn’t snow much around DC, but when it does, I loved the extra grip.
Feb of 2016 I got a flat and had to retire the Nokians, figured I would replace them and use them for years. Do I want to?
Sure spacers would work, but the tires are garbage and can’t be put back on the car
.
I would need to get another set of tires
PLUS the spacers. I suppose I could source four used 15" or 16" wheels to make some more tires available, mill out the center hole once I found the right offset.... but.. see what I mean. Not sure it’s worth the effort for the weather we get.
(sigh)
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:07 |
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Far as I’m concerned, this is how you make it fit....
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:07 |
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Actually lol’d at work
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:09 |
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That’s inconvenient . I laughed at the X-Wing though.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:15 |
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Lol stay on target red leader!
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:19 |
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YIPES!
Honestly, I’d just run a good set of all seasons in your case then.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:23 |
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I wouldn’t screw with it. Go to GoWesty and get the right wheels/tires;
https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=89
I had 14" steelies with Grabbers on our 86 Westy. They weren’t ‘technically’ rated for it - LT tires and all. But they were one of the only ones that fit at that time.
I always wanted to upgrade but never got around to it.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:23 |
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I mean you are still alive so that’s a plus, a blow out on the van would be scary
at best and a totaled van at the worst.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:25 |
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Not sure I have the energy or desire to spend that kind of money
for that - with as little snow as we actually get.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:37 |
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I think we all know what happened here really #Slamagon
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:45 |
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RA18 then?
or Vredestines
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=681150
![]() 03/22/2019 at 11:59 |
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I already have those - they are actually the tires laying in the grass in the first photo.
This post was about ruining my snow tires, and I’m not sure I want to replace those.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 12:22 |
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Or BFG it?
![]() 03/22/2019 at 12:25 |
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I might know a guy who could machine you some .125" or .250" spacers.
Then you’d just need tires.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 12:39 |
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Nah, I want snows.
Which means I would need a) spacers and new set of 225s, or b) 15-16" wheels and a new set of something else.
Shame
that they only make one 14" 99 load snow tire. :(
![]() 03/22/2019 at 14:00 |
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I’m too lazy to look things up for this, but theres two options here:
1.) getting a steel wheel in a size up, 15", so you can get an offset/narrow enough size that works better....or down, but i’m less confident in finding 13" snows.
2.) getting basic $30 steel wheels in a different offset so you don’t have to eff with spacers? You can paint thems in any color you wants.
Just ideas. I have lots of them. I’m not rich off of them so that should be a clue to their worth.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 14:43 |
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Been there, done that. Completed all this homework years ago.
And they’re 14". I have standards.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 15:43 |
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They're or they are.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 17:42 |
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You forgot step 11 were you thank God that it got warm enough that you didn’t die in a fiery car crash.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 19:49 |
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Oh.
Wow.
![]() 03/22/2019 at 22:24 |
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I’m partial to t’r
e
![]() 03/22/2019 at 22:27 |
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To be honest, a fiery
car crash would be warm all on it’s own.