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MG MGF Technical - NCT3's - Are the as bad as what seems to be said

I have heard lots of bad reports of NCT3 tyres but are they as bad as what people are making out or is it the way people are driving their F that makes these tyres lose their grip.

I have had an F for almost 3 years and travel over 70 miles daily in all road conditions and at all speeds and I have only ever had NCT3 tyres on the car and I have never had a problem.

It would be interesting to see what other people think.

regards

Chris
Chris

I didn't think they were *that* bad until I switched to the Avon ZV1's. Although they're not the best tyre in the world they are far, far better then the NCT3's that I had on there plus they cost about the same!
James King

Well I wouldn't trust them in the wet after a couple of slippy moments, changed the way I drove the car completely.
Steve

Steve,
do you mean that you don't trust the NCT3 or the Avon?

All,
what mileage have you been getting from the NCT3 on the rear? I need to change mine at 18k.


Rgds, Tony

PS If anyone has any tyre supplier recommendations for Peterborough/Huntingdon area, please drop me an email.

Tony

Tony,

I've got the original NCT3s on my car which has done 15,000 miles. Don't think the ones on the back will see 20,000 miles. Can't make up my mind whether just to change the back ones or to go for four new ones. I'm considering going to 205s all round so that I can swop them around to even the wear.

David
David Clelland

David,

If you put 205's on the front you do tend to suffer from tramlining. Better IMO to stick with 185's or 195's at most on the front and just go for better quality rubber all round. As for changing a pair or all four I'd say just the pair if the others still have some mile left in them. Better to have better rubber on the rear than the front whatever you do. ie. not such a god idea to have good tyres on the front and poor on the rear.
Paul Lathwell

David,

I've had 205's (Bridgestone S02 PPs) all round for some years now and don't have a problem with tramlining. The backs do wear so much faster and swapping them around does make it possible to even this up. I prefer to buy a complete set of tyres.

Dave
Dave

I've had 185, 195 and more recently 205 on the fronts - and as Dave says, the tramlining is not excessive - although more noticible. A question of degree - and one that MGR themselves thought was acceptable when they choose to fit 215/40 R16s on their road cars.

Are NCT3s as bad as their reputation on this board? Okay, they perform their function adequately, but inb - short the answer is 'Yes, they are as bad as we say.'

James' comment sums up the NCT3 very well. You think they're fine up until the point that you change them (in my case I went to S02s) - and then you realise just how poor these tyres are in the wet, under braking and on the limit (where loss of adhesion is alarmingly sudden).

In my case, the realisation that NCT3s weren't much cop started to sink in on my first ever Hillclimb (Harewood) where I was locking the brakes, sliding everywhere and basically having a horrible time whereas everyone else appeared to be sailing around the course. Inexperience was undoubtably a factor, but then so was the tyres. Changed tyres, and my times improved markedly.

QED.
Rob Bell

Tony, Cambs

<<do you mean that you don't trust the NCT3 or the Avon?>>

The NCT3's I had fitted. Got Continentals fitted on the TF now - much better in the wet.
Steve

This thread was discussed between 15/11/2002 and 18/11/2002

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