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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - Tyres for the YB

I have just trawled the archive and read acres of discussion on tyres for the YA and YT, but very little for the YB.
I have always run my YB on crossplys and intend to do so ad infinitum, so long as they are available. This is the problem- I have been using 5.60 x 15 Camac tyres and up til 3 months ago were readily available at approx £50 each including fitting etc. I now find that they are no longer available and Firestone seem to be the only ones I can get in that size at approx £115 plus fitting etc.

However I have been offered an alternative Firestone but size is 5.50 x 15.
Has anyone any experience of this size tyre or can explain to me what the difference is and what it would make to the running/handling of a YB.?
Keith D Herkes

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the 5.50x15 is the correct size for the YB. The 5.60 is a little bit wider.
As you asked an explanation about the difference? The answer is that 5.60 is a little bit wider.
The 15" is the diameter of the rim, and the 5.60 (or 5.50) is the width of the tire (also in inches). As you may have read in other threads on YA/YT tyres, the size written on the tyre doesn't guarantees nothing about the actual dimensions. Two given tyres of different makes but supposedly the same size can differ a lot in circumference.

So what does this tell you? You can safely buy a 5.50 tyre for your YB and any differences in handling/running etc. will be down to the actual choosen tyres and not really the small theoretical size difference.

You can find a lot more vintage tyres on the website:
http://www.vintagetyres.com (they list the Camac 5.60's for 48 pounds): http://www.vintagetyres.com/results.asp?SF1=Keyword&ST1=560-15&TAG=&CID=&DBM=&PGE=

and you can read all about tyres on:
http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html
Willem van der Veer

Hi Willem.
Yes, I was forgetting that 5.50 was the original correct size, its just that I've been used to the 5.60 as it seems to give a little better feel on the road and I seem to remember when I originally did my research, there was a slight increase in circumference. Also I know that tyres vary over the years as the rubber compounds change with modern technology so the characteristics of the tyres change.
Last time I spoke to Vintage tyres, they said although they still listed the Camacs, they were out of stock.
I shall try them again tomorrow.
Thank you for yor help and the website address. I shall study it at my leisure.
Keith D Herkes

Hi,
I have just discovered that the factory in Portugal making the Camac tyres, has closed. Vintage Tyres have an odd two in stock, so if anybody needs an odd one or both, I suggest you contact them asap.
It looks like our future is Firestone or Excelsior.
Happy MotorinG
Keith D Herkes

HI Keith

Longstone Tyres stock 560 x 15 @ £48.50 each and it looks as if they are in stock. Visit their webiste.

Sincerely

Jerry
Jerry Birkbeck

It comes as news to me that the Camacs should no longer be available. I will have to replace mine perhaps at the end of the coming season, and counted on being able to order them when necessary. But as far as quality is concerned, there is no great loss in their demise, as I really got quite low mileage out of them. I thought to replace them with Dunlop 5.50-15, but when enquiring at the Vintage Tyres stall at Beaulieu autojumble, they also claimed production had stopped. Now this is a pity, because this was the car's OEM spec. Firestones are actually a bit larger, so will make the car a little less low-geared, but hardly noticeably. I have once been told that 5.60 was at the time considered a "low profile" wide tyre, having an aspect ratio of 90, while the ratio in a 5.50 was 100, i.e. the tyre is equally wide as high.
Remo Peter

This thread was discussed between 02/12/2008 and 08/12/2008

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