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MG MGB Technical - Tyre purchase difficulty

I have the normal Rostyle wheels on my 1977 B but when I tried to get a new tyre today I was told they were no longer available. When I had all four fitted some three years ago I did have to order them as they did not have them in stock but that was all so just what is now happening?
G Palmer

A quick search on National Tyres website came back with four tyres:-

Barum @ £41.16
Toyo @ £46.96
Uniroyal @ £73.64
Firestone @ $£86.40

...although I'm sure they should be available at many other outlets and probably at more favourable prices.
Dave O'Neill 2

I have (as noted elsewhere), the Barums are on our MGB. These are standard 82 section profile. Barum are Conti's "value" tyre, They give you pretty much everything except the mileage, and for a car doing 3000 miles a year that's not a consideration. You will change on age before they wear out. They kept the car on the island in pretty dense rain to and from Berlin. The low profiles that are extensivley discussed on here should be widely available if you want to use them. I have had Firestones on in the past, they were excellent but no advantage over the Barums. Toyos Proxes are very popular on TFs and are probably moving out of the "value" category. I would have put them on the TF but couldnt get them in both sizes and finished up on Yokohamas.
Stan Best

Hi Folks:

Due to age cracking, I recently replaced my 1967 MGB OEM style 175R-14 Michelin Rainforce tires with Vrederstein 175R-14 which have a 88 section profile. Not sure if Vrederstein still produces the 165SR-14, but it seems; from my search, that they are the only supplier of decent non profiled tires. Check out there web site and catalog for what is available. BTW they have a nice ride.

Rich Boris
67 B
Rich Boris

What size? 175/70 are only 0.3% different in rolling radius to the original 155/80, I got those off the shelf last year, and have seen them on the shelf earlier this year. Two things to be aware of though, the wider tyre is more likely to rub if close to one or other of the arches, and unless you replace all five you would probably be committing an offence using the spare if is different to the other tyre on that axle, and possibly if you end up with narrower tyres on the front to the rear. You may think that is no big deal, but remember that if an insurance company can avoid paying out in the event of a claim, they probably will. "What about spacesavers?" you may ask - MOTUK has this to say:

"Reasons for rejection:

"a. One tyre is of a different nominal size or aspect ratio to any other on the same axle.

"b. Special lightweight or space saving wheels and tyres fitted as road wheels"

The GT always used 165/80 which are 2.3% bigger than the 155, the LE used 185/70 which was 1.7% bigger. 175/88 are going to be 7.8% bigger? OK for top speed but not for acceleration or speedo accuracy - *under* reading for most speedos even given the 'up to 10%' over reading they were originally set to.
PaulH Solihull

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2010 and 25/10/2010

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