MGA tire sizes for MGA

[bobmga62]

Okay,I went through this a few weeks back, about 185's on 4.5 inch rims, etc...

Well, I got the Ronal rims yesterday, though my e bay purchase, and found out that they are 5.5 inches wide....

any suggestions out there on a reccommended size to run on this rim..

Back in the 70's when I raced an MGA, I ran 7.5 inch Goodyear slicks, without any fender modifications or clearance issues....but the tire was a lower profile configuration, and I was just pushing the envelope... when I went up to 8.5, I did flare the fender..

Obviously do not want to do this in my road car....

any suggestions....

Thanks


r

 

[Steve_S]

It depends on how you plan to use this car. Most people stay with a fairly narrow tire in order to keep the vintage appearance of the MGA. With a 5.5" rim, you could push it up to 195-width. But that's a much larger tire than what the car came with and will certainly modernize the look somewhat. I run 165 on my MGA which handles surprisingly well. Since it's getting harder to find a decent tire in this size, I plan to install 175 Vredsteins next time.

If you want a wider tire for performance, I would personally go no farther than 185. Remember also that these cars were designed for narrow bias-ply tires. They are quite robust little cars, but putting a wide radial on them will dramatically increase the strain on suspension components when driving hard. This doesn't mean you can't do it, but simply that it's worth keeping in mind.

Here is a shot of my car with 165R15 tires so you can gauge the width.

 

[bobmga62]

thank you Steve I have 185 Verdersteins, now, Since the new rims are panasports/minilite knock-offs, I really do not want a narrow tire...vintage or classic, I never liked the narrow tire look on the MGA..

through my previous research, the 175/15 Verderstein is no longer available,
Initially that was my first choice as well, and my question was the 185 okay on a 4.5 inch rim, now, I am wondering if the 185, is too narrow for the 5.5 inich rim... I was thinking maybe about a 195... any sugestions


BTW how do you post a photo?

 

[Steve_S]

195 will work fine on a 5.5" rim. In fact it's probably perfect. I have 195/60R15 on my '65 MGB and they fit fine, but still have a little sidewall bulge.

You can post a photo in two different ways. You can attach the image directly to your post, but you can't use the quick reply box. You have to actually click "reply" under the last post. There will be an attachment area there.

If you have photos hosted elsewhere, such as on a personal web site or photo site, get the web address of the photo and use image tags. It would look like this, only with no spaces:

[ img ] https://www.webaddress.com/picturename.jpg [ / img ]

 

[billspohn]

I just went through this on my Mk 2 deluxe.

Using 5.5" rims, I used to use 185 x 70 - 15, but these aren't available any more (Vredestein excepted).

I couldn't go to a 195 as the tire would be too close to the (stock) fender lips, so I opted for a 185 x 65 - 15 Yoko Avid H4S.

These have a diameter that is a bit lower - a 2.9% speedo error (60 MPH is now 58.3). I can live with that.

 

[ronzet]

Steve,

Pretty, pretty, pretty... Nice A.

My A (almost done frame off) is getting close to needing tires. I will use the original painted spokes for a while, at least until the budget allows the purchase of chrome spokes with the original width. Does the 165R15 fit on the original rims?


Thanks,

Ron

 

[Steve_S]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Does the 165R15 fit on the original rims?[/QUOTE]
Yes.

 

[billspohn]

I was running 165 x78-15 on original narrow rims and just switched back to 185 x 65-15 on 5.5" rims.

Quite a difference in look, ride and handling.