Correct Tire size

[Randy Roberson]

HI, can anyone discuss the correct type and size tire for a Minor 1000? My car currently has 5.60X14 bias-ply tires. I prefer radial as near the correct size as practical.
Thanks, and Best Regards

[Cam]

14" 145 wide, standard profile.

There are a lot of companies that can supply these, try looking in Minor Matters for a supplier.

I had two 145 Firestones about 18 months ago, so you could try your local tyre place that does Firestones. You may have to order them though.

Cam.

[Randy Roberson]

Thanks; I may have the only Morris Minor in North Louisiana USA; I know it's the only one I've ever seen in person. I rescued it from a trip to the shredder about 6 years ago.
BR

[Gareth]

Hello there!

The largest tyre normally put on the standard rim is 155x14, which does put a little extra rubber on the black stuff!

I've got those on my Mog all round, although the tyre place insisted on fitting them with inner tubes... Well, I don't lose any pressure at least!

Here the model is Firestone F560, and these are available in both 145 and 155 guises. As Cam says, they may have to be ordered in, but it will be worth it to get rid of the crossplies!!

[Cam]

Gareth,

Do the 155s look a bit 'podgey' compared to the 145s or do they look OK? as I had 10mm oversize from standard on my MG Midget and they looked terrible!! But I guess that the podgyness(!) varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Randy,

I did not know you were in the US of A when I replied to your earlier posting, so that's why I suggested looking in Minor Matters for a supplier in the UK, sorry about that!!

I assume that the tire sizes are the same over there??

Keep up the good work in rescuing the Moggies from the shredder

Have you got any piccys of your Moggy and is it a LHD export model?

Cam.

[Willie]

Lo, I would suggest that you do not fit any wider than
145X 14" as the Minor wheel is rather thin and even
560X14" allows the car to 'wobble' a bit. If you are running
cross ply tyres now you will be amazed at the improvement
by fitting radials.
Willie

[Randy Roberson]

Cam, thanks; "Moggie" is not looking her best right now; she is a LHD export model. She is a "1000", has the dished steering wheel, white with red interior; OHvalve A-series engine.
I'm consideriong names; how about "Maggie"? Or, the more proper "Margaret"?
BR, Randy

[Gareth]

Hello there!

I've not noticed the tyres looking 'podgy'... I've not seen them next to 145's though, so I can't be sure. I had 155's on the car when I bought her, and when I needed new tyres, I replaced like for like.

I've not had any stability problems, or wobbliness, Willie, and although the old girl still looks a bit top-heavy (more to do with the design, than the tyres really) she will corner with some alacrity . I had a few misgivings about the width of the original-size tyres, and I was told by a few on this board that fitting 155 radials was a good move.

Has anyone else had trouble with the wider ones sold by moggy specialists?

[an_avenger]

Whats the radial mean with radial tyers?

[Willie]

If you are happy with 155X14 Gareth then thats fine.
You should not fit tubes with Radial ply tyres as they
are invariably made for tubeless use and have quite
rough finishes inside which could chaffe through an
inner tube in time. The later Minors were supplied
with radial tubeless tyres by the factory so there should
be no trouble using without tubes.
willie

[Willie]

The term Radial refers to the way that the tyres are
constructed. Basically a Radial tyre has very soft side
walls which means that when you corner the sides are
compliant enough to enable much more of the actual
tread to remain in contact with the road giving much
better cornering grip. The old cross plys had stiff walls
and are inferior in every way.
Willie

[Cam]

Also, I believe that the radial term referrs to the re-enforcing bands that give the tyre it's strength. A radial tyre has the bands around the circumference of the tyre, whereas a cross-ply has the bands in a 'X' pattern around the circumference.

Gareth & Willie,
The tyre place I last went to insisted on putting tubes in my 145s, and they were quite serious about it and I had to wait until the next day for them to be ordered, but they would not let me have them without.

PS. Randy, I think Margaret is a sufficiently British sounding name for the old girl!!! .......I think I'll have my afternoon tea now.....Jeeves...

Cam.

[sidevalve]

Hi

Here in NZ most folk with Minors are running 165x14 on std rims because 145x14 or 155x14 are VERY hard to get and VERY expensive . They do look a little "Podgey" but beggars can't be too choosy. Steering is a little heavier at low speeds but they seem to work out OK. It certainly reduces axle tramp with lever shocks on winding tight corners.

I''ve noticed that if you run 165x14 on the later 8 cwt Van rims there's not a lot of clearance at the top of the swivel pin (about 2mm).

Cheers

[Willie]

Cam I am sure that you are aware that the wheels which are
actually designed for tubeless tyres have a 'trough' in the rims
into which the tyre sidewalls sit. This ridge stops the walls
from collapsing into the middle of the wheel on violent impact
or if running at low pressure.. if the walls did move inwards the
result would be instant deflation of the tyre! The Minor does
not have these ridges so, strictly speaking, should have tubes
fitted......but I have never heard of anyone having trouble with
tubeless....they were supplied by the factory in the later years..
and I have never used tubes in all my years of Minor ownership.
If you get a nail into a tyre with an inner tube it will deflate
instantly....in a tubeless tyre it will deflate slowly..sometimes
over a period of days.
Willie

[Cam]

Yes, Willie, I agree totally, I suspect in retrospect (that rhymes!!) that the garage concerned either did not know why old cars had tubes and just installed them to be on the safe side, or they were just simply concerned with making a bit of extra money.

Cam.

[an_avenger]

Ah I see... thank-you. So as a corner is taken the distribution of tread remains at maximum. That probably explains the relativley low tyre pressures which Mog tyres must have - I can recall my bicycle (what's one of those these days? ) having higher tyre pressure than my car!

[newagetraveller]

I had a set of new Michelin radials with inner tubes fitted about ten years ago. After about 20,000 miles they all went flat within a couple of months of each other. This was due to the inner tubes rubbing against the inside of the tyres and splitting.
The main advantage of inner tubes is that if you have rusty wheel rims they will not lose air so quickly.
The best idea to prevent air loss is to make sure that the inside of the wheels where the tyres make contact with are smooth, rust-free and (preferably) painted. Alternatively some garages have a special glue which is designed to go between tyre and wheel to seal it.

[Daddsie]

Interesting to read all the comments, especially the ones concerning recommendations?? of the trade.

I noted my tyre fitter inflating the tubed tyre on my 6cwt van to 31 psi, I questioned the reasoning of which he replied that 29/31 psi is the best pressure for all radial tyres.

Anyone back up, or disprove that theory?

[Willie]

Well, I don't think that you can apply a blanket rule of thumb
like that to tyres. It depends on many factors which are
carefully worked out by the manufacturers for every vehicle
when it is being developed. Almost all cars have different
pressures in the fronts to the rears,and this has a great deal
of influence on the handling of the car. Pumping them all to
one pressure destroys the designed handling
Willie

[newagetraveller]

If your tyres are correctly inflated for your vehicle then then wear should be even across the width of the tyre.

If the pressure is too great the wear will be more at the centre than the edges.

If the pressure is too low the wear will be more at the edges than the centre.