radial tyres

[David Hilton 6340]

Does anyone have a source for Mabor or any other tyres for standard 1969 saloon; premium or good middle of the road makes? What is the correct tyre size and rating 145/?/14. i.e. what value is '?' Is there the luxury of selecting an appropriate speed rating in the size available?
I haven't got the car to hand and most websites want the middle number.
Thanks
David

[ManyMinors]

The correct size is 145/80/14. Unless things have changed recently you'll struggle to buy anything other than Bridgestone.
The Bridgestone tyres are good and suit the Minor well but are considered expensive by some.......

[mike.perry]

145/80/14 or 155/80/14 tyres are suitable for a Minor. 80 is the aspect ratio, ie tyre height to tread width. A 155 tyre has a greater circumference than a 145 so will give you higher gearing than a 145

[John Naylor]

For a radial tyre if the aspect ratio is not quoted it is 80%. This is a nominal value and will vary according to the manufacturer. 145 is at the upper limit of the tolerance for a standard 3" rim (originally designed for 5" or 5.2" cross plies). Many fit 155 tyres on these rims without problems (wonder what their insurers would say in the event of a serious accident?) but the tyre footprint doesn't give the expected increase in traction. Any calculation of gearing change due to change in section of a tyre is only approximate due to the variations from different manufacturers and is a function of the circumference of the steel 'belt' a few mm under the base of the tread.

[ManyMinors]

145/80/14 is nevertheless the size recommended and fitted by the manufacturer to later Minor 1000 models.
Dunlop radial ply tyres became an option in the late 1960s.

[Monty-4]

I find my 155s to be a bit wibbly wobbly on standard rims (even at 34psi) and would recommend 145s to anybody buying a new set.

[David Hilton 6340]

In addition to Bridgestone tyres has anyone used Camac BN313 TL in 145/14 size? They are sold by Vintage Tyres and are over £60 a set cheaper than the former. I do not know what heir wet performance rating is nor whether or not they are cheap/dodgy imports from the Far East
My current tyres are Michelin and Marshalls (matching pairs on each axle) and are 20yrs old and still pass the MOT though tread is now approaching the illegal limit. The caravan Club would be apoplectic at this age of tyre!
I do <100mls/yr so I am not sure that Premium Brand tyres are worth the extra.
Feedback appreciated please.
Dave Hilton

[ianmack]

I have a set of Camac 145R14 radials on my saloon. I have no complaints except that they required several weights each to balance. I've no idea where they're made.

[dalebrignall]

ive used the camacs in the past they are fine .

[les]

Just buy a middle range tyre, a reputable shop will advise and won't sell dodgy stuff. It's not worth going into that much detail for a Minor.

[TDV102]

When I had mine, I had 155/14 Michelin Xs, and got almost 60000 miles off them! Don't suppose they are available anymore!

[IaininTenbury]

I tend to use 155s on my own cars purely because they fill the wheelarches a bit better than a 145. Not to the extent of a 5.20-14 crossply but it helps, especially with the high cut rear wings on a Series 2...
I do agree though that the handling isa bit sharper with 145s though.
Having said that I've recently seen a car restored by one of the main Minor specialists supplied with 165/70/14s on standard rims - a size I'd really only use on an 8cwt van rim. It drove ok though... Also recently encountered 175/70/14s on a traveller which did look a bit odd, fortunately falling apart so not drivable(!) and a set of 155/70/14s on a saloon -a size
I've never seen before. Looked well skinny. Not sure what it handled like...
As for recomendation. Camacs are fine, had new sets in the past and Bridgestone possibly nicer if you can afford them though depending on the driving you do you may not notice any difference.

[ManyMinors]

I broadly agree with Iain above. It depends on how you drive. I drive my Minor pretty hard and use the tyres to the limit so the extra money spent on the Bridgestone tyres is well worthwhile for me. I had a set of Camacs and thought them fairly poor - the car didn't handle particularly well and they didn't last a great mileage but for many people they will be fine. I don't think anybody sells really poor tyres anymore. The Nankang 155/80/14s also suit the Minor if you want to save a bit of money. A better tyre and a better buy than the Toyo in my opinion. I wouldn't personally consider other sizes on standard wheels but some people fit them because they are cheaper/more readily available because they are sold in larger numbers.

[ianmack]

Tyre mileage probably isn't too much of an issue for most classic car owners. This might seem counter intuitive but if you only do a couple of thousand a year the tyres are likely to be cracking with age before the tread wears out.

[Boomlander]

155/80/14 is really the maximum you should go to on standard rims.
I have Nankang tyres fitted to Jethro and they run and handle just fine.