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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Swapping wheels

..no, not wires for discs or v/v but diagonally every few thousand miles. Reading a service book on Morris Minors from the 1950s this was a recommendation. What does the Team Think?..Dave
David Cox

I think this was more to do with how cross ply tyres wear and equalling them all out and saving a bit of money. The spare was also part of the rotation process I recall somewhere it wasn't recommemnded for radials.
Bob Beaumont

I wouldn't do a 4 wheel diagonal on a rear wheel drive car just f-r each side.
William Revit

After posting l put the question to the Old Gits at Moaning Club and the consensus was that this was a period job applicable to cross-ply tyres in order to save a few shillings' worth of wear.
Thanks for your input, both. Cheers. Dave
David Cox

I remember driving and A30 saloon on completely bald cross plus some time in the mid '60s. Down to the canvass. Pre MOT?, I don't know. Probably worn steering box too, it just followed any irregularities in the road surface. Once, on the A40 near Brecon there was a road repair going diagonally across the road and back again and the little car with 4 of us in it just happily followed the line across to the other side of the road, and then back, as a large wagon bore down on us from the other direction!
GuyW

Interesting question. I am doing a Nigel!

Drivers handbook, 1968 publication includes radials, optional Dunlop SP68 145SRx13, under tyre maintnance; "To obtain the best tyre mileage and to supress the development of irregular wear on the tyres the wheels can be interchanged diagonally bringing the spare wheel into use."

Ray
Ray Rowsell

...can o' worms, as usual...if you're getting " abnormal wear" would that not hint at an underlying problem that needs dealing with and not hiding/ignoring by swapping wheels around?..
David Cox

I think cross plies don't mould to the road surface as well, with stiffer side walls. Even with no underlying car problem they wear to the road camber so swapping around was standard practice.
GuyW

While it was standard practice with cross plies I seem to remember reading somewhere years ago that with radials it's ok to swap front to rear on the same side but not to change sides as the change of rotational direction will actually increase wear and of course some modern radials are directional anyway.

Trev
T Mason

..makes sense, Guy...
David Cox

I have only swapped front to rear on my moderns, old Minis on radials and will do the same on my Sprite (if I ever get enough wear to do so!).

I have wondered if I were to swap diagonally is there likely to be a less favourable balance as the tyre which has now swapped sides will be mostly running in the opposite direction. In an ideal world I suppose it would be best to rebalance the wheels when rotating tyres a long way into their wear life - anyone do this?

Cheers
Mike



M Wood

This thread was discussed between 14/08/2024 and 16/08/2024

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