what tyres for a B

[keith k]

My 73 B currently has a set of Michellin XZX's on it, size 165SR14. The tread is good, but the sidewalls are badly dry rotted. I haven't had any luck finding an exact replacement but I've determined that a 185/70 14 is very close to the correct diameter, so I'm throwing it out to all of you as to what your experiences have been with different tyre brands and models. The car is only driven in fair weather, so an all season radial is not a high priority. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Happy motoring.

 

[John S Farrington]

I would recommend a 70 series 185x14 radial. A good all around choice like Michelins would be excellent. My roadster now wears that size in Firestones and I think they leave a lot to be desired.

 

[Steve]

Michelins would be a good choice for longevity too. They tend to be of a harder compound, which lasts longer than, say, a Pirrelli, which will give better grip. This is for an MG of course, so you would probably never notice the difference in normal driving.

 

[Guest]

I would say the top two brands for 185/70 tires are the Yokohama Avid series and the Sumitomo HTR 200.

Yokohamas : $42 each at tirerack.com

Sumitomo HTR 200 : $37 each at tirerack.com

 

[Guest]

I agree that is a good all around size. I drove 175/70R 14's for years and got excellent service. I changed later to 195/60 14's only because I was doing a little auto crossing. They hold the road better and corner better but have a lower clearance so you have to be more careful on speed bumps. The object there was to get more rubber on the road and lower the car for better cornering.
The only other consideration is wether you want a harder tire for more mileage or better grip. I have found that the mileage is long on an MG anyway. I just changed the last set and they were a 50,000 mile tire and on there 10 years. They were Dunlop equivilant to their A2 sport radial today and were 195/60 14's. I drive most every day and don't baby it. The set I had before were Sears and were harder and guaranteed for 60,000 miles and were 175/70R 14's but they lasted so long they got too hard for autocrossing and I changed them before the tread was completely worn .
Bob