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MG MGB Technical - 165 x 14 tyres

Hi,
I'm having some difficulty in finding new 165 x 14 tyres for my MGB, and am considering fitting either 175 x 70 x 14 or even 185 x 70 x 14 .
I've read on some of the forums about fouling on the inside of the rear wheel arch when using wider than standard tyres.
Has anyone used this size of tyre, and was there any problems with them ?
Regards
Jim
J Robinson

Lots of info in the archives. You should be fine with 175 or 185 width tyres. I think once you go above about 195 you might start having rubbing issues.

Use this site to make sure the rolling radius is similar to the original size or else your speedo will be off! A 185/70 R14 should be the same rolling radiius as the originals from memory. I think the original aspect ratio (which wasn't given) was 80 or 82%.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I upgraded to 15 inch wheels since I think they look better and you get a much better choice of tyre.

Simon


Simon Jansen

recently changed to 185/70/14 from 165/14 and the difference was amazing car handles so much better. 185 are easier to come by so therefore are normally cheaper. omly downside is the spare wheel cover is difficult to lock down know.
john
jr williamson

Also unless the Axle is central in the body then you could have problems with the sidewall touching the rear arches using 185's. For this reason I use 175's
K Harris

Working from memory so the numbers might be wrong, but I think the original steel wheels were 4.5J, wires were 5J and Rostyles were 5.5J. You need 5.5J to fit anything wider than 165 so if you're on original size wire or steel wheels you may be out of luck.

Cheers,
Tim
T Jenner

Tim,

Not sure that is correct. I believe original steel wheels were 4Jx14 roadster and 5Jx14 GT. Wires were 4.5"Jx14 on both roadster and GT (60 spoke). Rostyles were, I think, 5Jx14.

165/175 tyres should be OK on any of these wheel widths. Manufacturers of 185 wide tyres seem split in the fitting of these to wheel widths of 4.5" Some list that width as the minimum, others specify a 5" minimum. I think you would struggle to find a 185 width manufacturer to recommend a minimum of the 4".

There is also the legality issue to consider. Various jurisdictions have ther own approach, even within a country. For example, a Queenslander has opined on this BBS that 185s are not legal on the 4.5" rim in that state. They are here within the ACT.

I do, however, think you are right to suspect Jim will have difficulty finding 165x14 tyres. I am currently looking at this issue for the wires on my 69. Can't find any 165 tyre for a car of any discription, only one in that size (165x14) for a 'light truck'. Even 175 width (in the 14 rim) are getting scarce - only 4 appear to be available. I am drifting in/out on upping the wheels to 15 inch to take advantage of a considerably larger number of not only manufacturers but the range of options offered by each of them.

Of course, that opens the possibility of going to a splined modern wheel and doing away with the tubes. Of course that also means $$$$. It may, however, be the smart way to go in terms of current performance/ride outcomes AND future replacement of tyres when the time comes.

Regards
Roger
Roger T

I just bought a set of 185/70/14 for my wire wheel 77 roadster. I haven't mounted them yet, so I don't know how they will fit up.

However, I did look at the minimum approved rim width, and most manufactures listed 4-1/2 inch as the minimum for that size tire. When you went to a lower profile, like a 185/65/14 the minimum approved rim width was 5 inch.

Charley
C R Huff

Thanks, Roger - I don't doubt that you're correct (as I say, I was working from memory!). I certainly recall having looked into this myself and finding that 165 was as wide as I could go with my standard-sized 60-spoke wires.

I read somewhere (on this board?) that many of the latest "green" cars are using narrower tyre profiles to reduce rolling radius and that our 165x14 sizes are starting to become more easily available.

Cheers,
Tim
T Jenner

"narrower tyre profiles to reduce rolling radius"

That should of course read:

"narrower tyre profiles to reduce rolling RESISTANCE"!

Must wake up...

Cheesr,
Tim
T Jenner

G'day Tim,

Rest asured I was not 'correcting' your post, rather I was adding to the information you were able to post from your experience - hence my reference to the differences among manufacturers and jurisdictions.

On the subject of wheel sizes, well I still had Clausager open to PP95-97 (Wheels and Tyres) which I had been reading the evening before - the issue of trying to decide a direction for my own decisions.

If not for that I too would have been working from memory.

I would like to add, for general consumption, I am totally comfortable with contributors who, like yourself, offer the benefit of their experience with, as appropriate, the qualifier of reference to memory. We all do it. We all intend the same positive input. That input is what builds to the better understanding of issues that comes from this BBS.

On the subject of 'green cars', I would love to think that we might see something of a return to some of the technical dimensions of our LBCs.

Regards
Roger



Roger T

Hi Roger,

No problem, I hadn't taken any offence! :)

Cheers,
Tim
T Jenner

Hello,

As I mentioned in a thread not so long ago. A replacement for TR6 original tires stated by "experts" in a British Car article is 205/70x15. Larger than original but with the same diameter like originals.

Cheers,

JGC

P.S. You could inflate them to 28 lbs front and 30 lbes rear as low pressure like in the '70s are no longer mandatory
Jean Guy Catford

Sorry,

I was in the vap..

My previous post was on TR6 BBS, as I owned both models

For my MGB it is 185/70x14 and is you have wire wheels avoid stiff tires like Yoko or Toyo and rely on flexible sidewall like Pirelli.

Cheers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

Jim,

Don't know of your request if it is still alive. But VREDESTEIN has reproduced classic tire in 165*80*14 serie. You may also book for Michelin XAS in the same dimensions, nice tire but really expensive, they are available in UK ( vintage tires? )
Regards.
Renou

If this helps clear anything up, 185/70R14 is the standard tire size listed in the owner's manual for my 1980 MGB LE with alloy wheels. I would think that would apply to Rostyles as well. But I seem to recall that a different size was listed for wire wheels.

Safety Fast!
Ken V.
'77 MGB, '80 MGB LE
Ken Vandruff

hi , i have the 185 tyers fitted, no rubbing problems , but if you have the thinner wheels from the early cars i would stick with the 165.i puchased some very cheap budget tyers , i found that they stick nicely to the road as they have a soft compound but dont last as long .you will find they are 2 or maybe3 mm smaller in diameter which is well with in the limits .
daz

For years, I've heard that 165X14's have been unavailable.

I just cruised over to Coker Tire, which specializes in classic car tires (www.store.coker.com). The good news? They have 'em. The bad news? They cost an arm and a leg - through the nose!

The Michelin XAS (HR-rated) was listed at $211 each. The Vredestein (SR-rated) was less than half that at $93. Lord knows the shipping to the UK.

So? For originality freaks, they are out there. And the 185/70's work just fine.

PS - the roadster tire 155X14's were not listed, BTW.
John Z

Hi Guys,
Very useful information , many thanks.
My car runs on Rostyles, so I'm tending towards the 185 x 70 x 14.

Best regards
Jim
J Robinson

I got my 185/70/14 tire set mounted today. The 77 roadster is still on jack stands with full weight on the rear axel, but not on the front. So far, it looks like there should be no interference problems. They are General Altimax RT, which had some pretty nice test results for a daily driver tire, especially in the wet, and they were only $48 U.S. each plus shipping.

If this thread is still going when I get to drive the car, I will report back with my impressions, but I have never driven this car so I will have no point of comparison. I am quite sure that these tires would rub if they were on my 68 GT, but the front springs and shocks are shot on the GT.

Here is a question for those familiar with wire wheels. I taped both rows of spoke nipples before I mounted the tires, and after I finished the fifth one, it occurred to me that the outboard row of spokes might sit under the tire bead, and so would not require taping. Does anyone know if taping the outboard spoke nipples is necessary or not?

Charley
C R Huff

As mentioned in one earlier post, if your car has an offset rear axle like mine does, 185's will cause a bit of problem when removing the wheel. You'll have to jack uo that side of the car more in order to remove the wheel easily.
willieL

we don't seem to have too much of a problem with the 165's here at least. I have bought them from a garage, but have also got them from Kwikfit! Okay, so it took them a couple of days to get them in, but recently asked again and was told that a few days notice and they would get them for me. Not any more expensive either.
mick
mick

You scotts, are lucky..., plenty of tires and whisky. A bit far from home nevertheless. More seriously, driving a B on narrower tires is much much more pleasant than a car equipped with wider ones. Tha back is slepping more progressively and sends back the right information to driver. Another good point, under rain conditions, they are far less prone to wheelspin.
Regards.
RG
Renou

I went from 165/70SR14 (I think Continentals) to 185/70R14 Kumho on my 1979 rostyle wheels. I have not had any issues at all. The tires now have about 10k on them. It is time to rebalance them though. I get a slight shimmy above 60-65 mph.

The composition of the old tires (which came with the car) became hard and looked "crazed". It felt as though the tires were almost "wooden" and inflexible. Not a good feeling to say the least. I suspect the tires were ready to blow out.

cheers

Gary :>{D
79 mgb
gnhansen

This thread was discussed between 15/10/2008 and 18/10/2008

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