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MG MGB Technical - Alloy Wheel Options

I have just looked through the archives for possible alloy wheel options for our 1974 B/GT. What I think we need are (4 x 114.3) with (30mm pos. offset). I've seen lists on different sites from Hyundai to 4-bolt Mustang. Moss and Victoria British list mini-lites, but is that really my only safe option on this side of the pond?

Bolt-on wires might be an option, but not sure how well they might really work for anything but a show car!

Regards,

Larry C. '74 B/GT & '69 Midget
Larry C '69 Midget

Larry, Beware......!

Fitting alloy wheels to the MGB can result in inner wheel arch clearance problems. This can be overcome by fitting thin spacers, but this in turn will lead to another problem......

The wheel studs are too short!

Nobody supplies (as far as I can find) any longer ones, I had some made for a client recently, but these were not cheap (what cost safety?).

It'd be a good idea to check before you commit.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark,

Thank you for your input on this. As you rightly point out the bolt hole pattern is but one element, and I don't that many shops understand the proper offset.

I have a new set of Yokahama 185/70R 14's mounted on my original Rostyle's which now seem to have a balance problem at 65 mph. I really think my problem may be caused by the lad at the tire shop since I have not had problems with these wheels in the past!

Is their a preferred method to balance Rostyle's properly, is the old style 'bubble balance' perhaps better with this type of steel wheel?

Regards,

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

Larry, the Rostyles should balance up well on the standard tyre balancing machine, however, like you I have had problems with normal wheels in the past and re-ballanced them once home on my old bubble balancer.

In theory, the bubble balancer will be right every time......

Mark.
M T Boldry

I learned last year on this web site, that the the rostyle steel wheels require a lug-centric balancing, not a hub-centric balancing. If I have the 2 terms correct.

The explanation to me was that the hub is not always dead center on the wheel, but the lug bolts are. Thus the machine requires the right adapter to fit the lugs, not the hub.

It improved my balance significantly, once Discount Tire ordered in the appropriate adapter for the MGB steel wheels.

I still have an out of round problem though with a wheel or two, so I too have been watching for a deal on aluminum wheels, but they are too pricy, so I've been watching salvage yards and always wondering which wheels match up.

I never was aware of this potentially causing other wear problems if I fit after market, wheels from another car.

Looks like I need to find true steel wheels. I can't drive over 60 with mine, too much shake, it smooths out, but then I'm going in and out of shake conditions.

Good luck on your hunt for wheels.
R.W Anderson

The shop where I bought my new tires had mounted my last set of tires about ten years ago without any problem. I plan to contact them again to see if they can correct things using the lug holes.

If that fails I will contact my local LBC shop to have them re-balanced using his bubble balancer to see if I can improve on the condition.

Regards,

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

"The right adapter" is also a movable feast. I've seen one that is a universal adapter with arms that swing out to cater for different hole spacing. I wasn't happy with the rigidity of the pivots, and had balance problems for many years using that or the centre hole (V8 alloys). Eventually I found a place with a set of perforated discs and studs where they use the correct disc and hole set for your wheel, and bliss - balance problems gone.
Paul Hunt 2010

All

With several ounces of lead removed from the old Rostyle wheels by Jim Knight at British Racing Green, he then balanced each with his bubble balance machine. Speeds up through the legal speed limits were handled yesterday with no problems, lesson learned.

Regards,

Larry C. '74 B/GT
Larry C '69 Midget

This thread was discussed between 23/05/2010 and 01/06/2010

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