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MG TD TF 1500 - Rim thoughts

Took the TD for about a 500 mile trip this weekend, with the exception of a short bit of one carb sticking and a flat, all went well.

The flat happened on Sunday about 300 miles from home. Spare was good. Coming home, I was pondering what I would do if I had another flat. Places that will fix a flat are hard enough to find. Finding one on Sunday, harder, finding one on Sunday that will fix a tube tire. Near impossible. (I know others have run TD tires without tubes and I may examine this)

So, question is, if you had to, what car could you get a spare from that will fit on the TD? Anyone know the lug measurements? Having that, I can get a list of cars that they spare would work for the TD.


Bruce Cunha

My recommendation is to carry a spare inner tube. They don't take up much space. I carry one in all my tube tire cars. Never had a problem finding a shop to install them, just problems finding the tubes themselves!
Steve Simmons

I doubt there have been many true "non tubeless" tires produced for road use in the last twenty or more years. Only difference of a tubeless tire is the inner liner, designed to be more resistant to air leakage, and possible slight differences in bead detail for better sealing. This is a matter of increasing leakdown time from hours or days to months. Most race tires run tubeless but don't have the liner which is heavy and causes hotter running; this is why you see racers setting tire pressures immediately before a race starts, and often if there are delays. Inflated race tires put in a tub frequently show bubbles all over the surface.

Net result is that carrying a tubeless tire valve to fit in your "tube type" tire/wheel should get you home OK, might have to add some air if it is many hours. 12V Plug-in small compressors are everywhere and cheap. Nail holes or similar can be patched just as they are for a "tubeless" tire. Riveted rims sometimes leak around the rivets, good thing to check when fitting in the tire shop, if you find one; some sort of glop can reduce this leakage. Wire wheels are another story of course (need LOTS of glop)!

Carrying a spare tube is a good idea, but beware: When I was running the big truck, I had a flat and no spare tubes at home, but had to go on a one load trip, coming home after that for the weekend, when the plan said to fix the tire. So, I picked up a tube when I passed a tire shop, threw it in the sleeper, delivered the load and drove home, about 200 miles. Next day I pulled the new tube out (nicely folded with a rubber band around, as they usually are) and discovered that it had about twenty holes in it, from vibration rubbing it on all the corners against the blankets in the sleeper bed. So, spare tubes must be packed so they can't rub on anything. The other point is that, over time, rubber cracks from ozone at tight bends, so leaving a tube packed in the car as routine can lead to disappointment just when your tolerance for such is at a low.

FRM
FR Millmore

...could always go to a bike shop and buy a tube repair kit....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I carry a tube repair kit and tyre irons. I am so glad I have never had to use either!
It has been out of the boot once. Little car show I went to years ago had a "scaverger hunt" of sorts for the kids there. They would call out "an item" on the PA and the kids would scramble around to borrow it from the cars, 1st one to the stage got a prize. I was the smallest car there but the kids cleaned up because I carry a lot of spares! Had about 10 of them waiting by the car for the next item. Other people were pulling parts off their cars for the kids, I just reached in the boot and handed them the part!
The best one: They ask for a "lug-wrench" ...I sent a kid up to the stage with a Thor knock-off hammer. Had about 30/40 people debating if this was "legal". After a quick demonstration the child got his prize! One of the most fun car shows I ever attended.
David Sheward

After having the wheels on our TD stripped and powder coated, I opted for trying tubeless on them. I have been running them that way for about three years now and the only flat I have experienced was from a split in one of the tires. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

If memory serves, the lug circle is 155 mm (about 6.1 inches) good luck finding that on a 15 inch rim!

I run all my tires without innertubes. The lack of a safety bead doesn't bother me in this case. I also carry tire irons and I'm pretty sure I could get a tire off with them, be prepared to use plenty of soapy water or you can harm the irons (don't ask me how I know, but it was a lesson well learned). Any shop could patch a modern tire (if needed) or remove an innertube and allow you to run tubeless in an emergency.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Before I went to tubless wire wheels, I ran tubless steel for 7 years and never had a problem.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Thanks all. Spare tube probably is the easiest until I get new tires and can go tubless.

Here is what I found. This web shows how to measure the lug pattern. http://rockcrawler-mrt.com/boltpatternref.html

The wheels on my 50 TD came out to be around 153mm using this information

I looked up vehicles lug patterns and out of 21 makes, I found three that were close.

Both the Lexus 2002 to 2011 450/470/570 and the Toyota land cruiser 2007 through 2011 have 5 lug 150mm bolt patters. The 1998 Bentley has a 5 lug 155mm patterns. Nothing else is close for newer cars.

That is just lug pattern, so unsure if any would fit. Most of the rims on these cars are probably alloy (and of course I always have access to a Bentley), so unlikely to fit over the axle nut on the TD.
Bruce Cunha

This thread was discussed between 08/08/2011 and 09/08/2011

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