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MG MG Y Type - Tyres, ( or Tires,)

There is a thread on the Magnette site over cross-ply v bias belt v radial ply tyres. What is everyones view on the various types? I still have cross-ply on my 'YB', but this is only for originality.

Neil.
Neil Cairns

Neil: my 47 YA is ready for new tyres/tires but at over $180 ea for 5.25/16 radials My quess is that it will be back in bias ply ($90)shortly.
ROB
Rob Roberson

Rob: This is a bit late for me as I just bought a set of 5 Dunlop C18s 500/525X16. I couldn't find any radials in that size and if they are twice the price I wouldn't have bought them in any event, but would like to know where they are available. I know that Michelin has a radial in 5.50x16 but if you want a set of 5 the 5.50 will not fit the spare tyre compartment of a YA or YT unless you know of some trick I am not aware of. Terry
Terry O'Brien

My car is a YB, with the 15" wheels, so the VW Beetle tyres readily available will fit. But those YB's I have seen with radials seem to sit too low. A chap I know with a YA fits his oversize radial tyred wheel into the compartment de-flated, and carries a foot-pump. One YB I saw with cheap east-european radial ( Barum,) fitted looked almost like cross plies. They were rather stiff in the side walls though.

Neil.
Neil Cairns

I agree that the 5.50 will not fit in the tire space and so I was going for the low air and bottled air trick. But as I said cost was the main factor for going with bias ply again.

ROB
Rob Roberson

Neil

I know there is a vast difference in Radials versus Cross-ply in performance and Xply always get slated. Myself, I have Xply on both my Magnette (ZA) and Y(A). I have always found them satisfactory in performance and cannot be bothered to have to either "aim off" or have the Odometer tweaked that would / could be necessary if I fitted Radials (something to do with the circumference of the outer wall). The maxim "always drive within a 'safe' stopping distance, and within the capabilities of the vehicle" comes to mind.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I'm strongly of the view that the Y chassis was designed around cross-plies and we should respect that: the physics of radials eludes me (slip angles and so on), but the loads fed into the suspension by modern tyres are quite different to those offered by the stiff, tall Avons et al of history. And I did take a deep breath to buy a set of Avon HM Tourists for the YA 3 years ago, but they look right for the car, and the wear rate is remarkably low. Leave radials to the modern cars!
Tim Griggs

The Morris Minor Ownewrs Club members I know use Radial ply tyres, and they say wear is not the problem, it is the very long life in YEARS of the tyres, on a classic car that does few miles per year. The sidewalls begin to craze with the sun's action, and fail the Mot test. One trick is to 'turn' the tyre after about 4 to 5 years, but they still have to throw away tyres with good treads after about 8 to 10 years.

Neil.
Neil Cairns

Neil:

every now and then this Y site takes off and goes for gang busters and then......

Your comment about the side wall crazeing is spot on with reguard to my YA...alot of crazed rubber left and hard as a rock. I am not sure but I think they are about 15 years old! so it is time no matter the condition.

ROB
Rob Roberson

This thread was discussed between 22/02/2001 and 06/03/2001

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