[VAC] Re: what brand of tire is good? Room for Radials

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

Interference fit sometimes. Generally the first hint is that there's not
enough room to slide the tire past the drum and studs. Even the LT on my
'68 Caravel has little clearance, maybe 1/4" at the front, 1/2" at the
rear and not much room for fingers on the sides. I recall my dad saying
that the first set of tires he bought when restoring it wouldn't go on.
There is a certain set of specifications for clearance in the tire
handbooks from the rubber makers association that Airstream neglected to
meet.

The recommendation from a tire dealer's reference book on what
interchanges is based on there being that clearance and some tires plain
won't fit the restricted space on some Airstreams. If it won't fit
without lifting the trailer up a couple feet, however are you going to
replace that tire with the spare on the road? Call out a tow truck to
break the frame lifting the trailer by the back bumper?

Remember the innate perversity of inanimate objects that says you can
run easy fitted tires forever without a flat but those nearly impossible
to replace will have flats every trip.

Gerald J.