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MG MGF Technical - Tyre Sizes

Hi, can anyone tell me if 195/50/15 all round, would be OK from the standard sizes on my 1996 MGF. Cheer's Garry.
GarryGSXR

Standard sizes for an MGF are 185/55/15 and 205/50/15. Best to have the wide tyres on the back. 195 on the front are probably OK.
Neil Courtney

Garry

Please don't put narrow tyres on the back - you will be in a ditch within 5 miles. The F has a lively rear end (obvious because rear engine & rwd) and the tyres were spec'd to tame it a bit. As the fronts begin to match the rears the car becomes increasingly lively.
John Ponting

I am about to change tyres again. Going from 205's all round to 195/50x15 front and 205/50x15 rear. The rears MUST be larger than the front. Tyres will be Bridgestones RE 55.
Andrew Regens

Gotta disagree with the above.

I've tried standard setup, 195s at the front, 205s all round and 195s all round.

195s all round - on 15" rims - is a very good setup.

It does not send you off into a ditch etc. I have tracked the car with 195s all round and liked it.

In fact, the winner of various MGF championships circa 2000 ran 195s all round.

However... and this applies to all setups... you must set the tracking up correctly. That will make far more difference if setup badly. Personally, I ran parallel all round, but it's a matter of preference.

Just my tuppence worth. :-)

P.
Paul Nothard

Interesting, at our sprint meeting on the weekend our club champion set fastest time in the F's with 205'rear and 195's front. One of our newer members came last running 195's, he also thought the car "twitchy" BUT the tyres were only days old and this was his first sprint meeting. I think it is also what you become comfortable with.
Andrew Regens

>> I think it is also what you become comfortable with.

So true. :-)

Interesting to note that we're debating 15" tyre sizes without even considering going to 16" rims. :-)
I just like 15" wheels... and managed to go much faster that the 16" boys.

P.
Paul Nothard

I think the range of tyres is much larger in 15's than 16's. At the sprints I tried "sticky" tyres for the first time and I ran out of courage before they even hinted of running out of track.
Andrew Regens

...but when the 16" tyres loose traction they let go more quickly. Well, in my experience at least. I prefer to feel the car start to go before it snaps at me!! :o)

Anyways... I managed to go pretty darn fast with 15" rims. Didn't have the need for the larger (more expensive) ones.

P.
Paul Nothard

I changed the front 185/50's to 195/55's (Toyos), and felt better, but.......I didnt check or change any suspension/ride height or tracking settings...whata mistaka tomaka! Inner section of tyre worn right down within 5k and didnt feel too good! If you change any dimensions you must re-check the set up.
Cheers
ST
Steve T

Sorry, typo error in last thread - I changed original 185/55's to 195/50's !

ST
Steve T

This thread was discussed between 30/01/2006 and 10/02/2006

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