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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Spare Tire

I am using the Michlin XZX as a spare but find that it really does not fit properly. It is to big for the spare cover carpet and very difficult to push into the tire opening and also interfers with the stored top. Any suggestions on an alternitive? I thinking of taking an original old tire which are thinner. Won't be as safe but will get me to the service station.
WMR Bill

Not sure on a steel wheel car but many with wire wheels use a MGB spare. The 14" dia saves a little space.
J Heisenfeldt

Why not let some air out of the tyre and carry a hand pump? Tyres that are many years old are unsafe to use.


Mick
M F Anderson

I recently went to the wreckers looking for an early Saab 'emergency' tire that Barney had said fit the MGA. No Saab, but lots of Hyundai emergency spares with the correct bolt pattern. They fit the rear drum on my 1600, but require spacer washers on each bolt for the front disc hubs. $5 and an easy solution for a small spare tire. Bob Prentice
rsa prentice

My understanding is that it's not the diameter, but the width of radial tires that makes it harder to fit the spare into the cutout. Since I have five tires that I rotate, I just live with it. If the tire stuck any farther into the passenger compartment, I'm not sure that the top would stow far enough back to allow the seat to go all the way back.
David Breneman

These "emergency" spare wheels are only useful in city driving. In many parts of Australia, and I assume in the US, towns can be hundreds of miles apart. I don't like the idea of driving for hours at the 80 KMH (50 MPH) limit which is usual for those wheels.
When you get to the next small town and have a wire wheel car with a damaged inner tube you are met with the statement "we haven't seen a car with inner tubes for years out here, but we could get an inner tube by the end of next week".


Mick
M F Anderson

I do what Mick says and partly deflate the radial to get it into the bulkhead hole. Once in, I usually reinflate it with my compressor air line as it is much easier to pull out than push in.

My only experience of a puncture found me wanting for a small enough jack (in height) rather than the means of repair. Modern scissor jacks work well.

Steve
Steve Gyles

If you have a couple of tire irons then you can always just carry a tube. Not the ideal solution but similar to the current crop of "get you home" solutions being fitted instead of a spare on many new cars.
You only have to get one bead off the rim, remove the tube, check for anything penetrating the tire and then put in the new tube, get the bead back on and inflate.
Admittedly you need a pump but this is easier to stow than a spare wheel. You can even buy a small electric one that works off 12V to save you the effort.

Neil
Neil Purves

I've never used a hand pump to pump an automobile tire. Can you get the necessary pressure into a radial tire from a hand pump?

Regards,
M.D.
'57 coupe
M. D.

M.D., pressure in an automobile tire is not all that high. It's typically in the 30-35 psi range, which is much less pressure (but more volume) than you'd put in a bicycle tire.
Andy Bounsall

MD, no problem to get the pressure, its the volume that takes the time. But with more patience than sheer effort it is absolutely possible.
Neil McGurk

WMR :- What size tyres are you using ? I have Vredestein Sprint+80 radials 165R1586S on 60 spoke wheels.
Spare is a tight fit butI find it is the carpeting which grabs the tyre and putting it into a large plastic bag allows it to slide in ok past the carpet. Also still plenty of room for the stowed soft top.
David
D C GRAHAME

This thread was discussed between 21/10/2008 and 26/10/2008

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