Re: Tire Mix-n-Match

["Barton P. Chambers" <bchambers@atlantic.nos.noaa.gov>]

(I just can't make my self destroy any little Hairy Green Toads...)

> Hairy green toads from Mars made Dave Dahl say:
> 
> >      I just ran into an interesting problem with my '87 VW Quantum Syncro.  
> > 
> >      Two of my Pirelli P6s (195/60HR14) are worn out, the other two are 
> >      practically new, and the P6 is out of production.  It also appears 
> >      that it's out of stock pretty much everywhere, too.  My question is 
> >      this:  What do you guys think of putting BFG Comp T/A HR4s or VR4s on 
> >      only one end of the car?  I want to eventually switch to those tires 
> >      anyway (leaning toward the VR4s).  I'm thinking of putting them on the 
> >      rear, under the assumption that the front does more work so the P6s 
> >      should wear out faster up there.  Is this going to make the car 
> >      squirrelly?
> 
> Well, my first advice is to go with the VR4's. The HR4 is a very
> different tire, and is much lower in performance and traction.

I actually agree with you about the performance of the VR4s but as a hard-
driving fellow Syncro owner, I think the added performance would not be usable
(I have my third set of HR4s on my syncro), while the accelerated wear
*definitely* would be noticed.  I have ZR Dunlop D40/M2s on the P-toy,
so it's not as if I don't think the trade-off of wear for performance is
never worth it, I just don't think it would be worth it for the Syncro,
that has a performance envelope well within the bounds of that of the HR4
T/A's...

Now, for $0.03, I could give you some real *good* opinions...

> That said, my reservation about this setup would be that the
> VR4 is an all-season tire, and will have very different grip
> characteristics than the P6. I have never tried it on an AWD
> car, but I once put snows up front on my FWD Golf, and regretted
> it immensely. The rear end swung out constantly, and turns in
> snow became an adventure.

Hmmmm, Dave, forget that I said that I didn't think you'd have a problem.
(Just goes to show what I get for thinking when I'm clearly not used to it)

> In the wet/snow, you'd have grip in the back, but on dry pavement,
> you'd have grip up front. Sounds like you'd get confused easily.

I don't think there would be any problem in the dry.  Wet/snow, though...

> I'd say get a set of the VR4's, and keep the P6's as emergency spares.

Me too!  (OK, so I'm fickle...)

> You wont regret the VR4 - I use them on my 100Q, and they're great.
> They even get a 300HP M5 through the snow! All this, and they handle
> at least 90% as well as the P6 on dry pavement.

> Only my cat shares my opinions, and she likes dry pavement.

Now *that's* a *Hip* cat...

Cheers,

Bart Chambers
Frau, Dora
'77 Feline Varmint, Felix, Gray
'86 Carrera Cabriolet, Indischrot
'87 Syncro (Stealth Quattro) Alpenweiss