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MG MGF Technical - Tyres again


This may be a stupid question but can anyone explain why my MGF has two different size tyres fitted, 205/50 on the rear and 185/55 on the front. Due to phenomenal tyre wear, less than 20k on the rear tyres it’s going in for yet another new set. However this time I will have the hydragas pumped up to the original setting and 4 wheel alignment redone. Not much change out of £400 I fear.
Les Lewis

diffrent weight distribution, handling character. A lot of RWD cars have wider tyres on the rear
Will Munns

20k is two years, which is not bad.

Sure you can buy hard rubber tyres which last a long time(60k miles!!), but thats of no use to you if you total the car into a ditch in the first month of driving!
Will Munns

Will, finger trouble, it was just short of 10K and they were done in 9 months, with 70% done on motorways.
Les Lewis

That does sound like you either have very soft tyres, or your tracking is out.

What does the wear pattern look like?
Will Munns

Will, its even wear across the tyre i.e. all wear indicator bars are just about to become flush with the tread pattern. The tyres in question are Protenza RE 040, and they weren’t cheap !!!
Les Lewis

hi mate i have the same problem got a mot in may i know the back ones need replacing . i am using conties cpcs. whats a hard wearing tyre?? been told bridgestones 720s is that true are they good ??

darren mk
darren jeffery

Hi! Les

It's probably the way, we drive these cars! I had
Pirelli's on my car and they went at 20,000 in just
over one year's driving. Bridgestone were given
a 9/10 rating on this web site recently, so I got
Bridgestone Potenzas all round about a month ago.
They certainly hold the road better in the wet than
the Pirelli's did. Be interesting to see what mileage
I get out of them.

When they were fitted, the tracking etc. was done on
the tyre company's all singing/dancing lazer machine
which showed the alignment way out on all the wheels.
That cost an additional £100, so before it goes up
on the ramp, you better ask the cost. A BBS member
down in Kent got his done for £60. Admittedly my
car now handles much better, but for how long with
all these speed bumps about, even going over them
slowly must have a long term affect

Good luck with your search for tyres.

Bill
W.A. Pearson

I've never got more than 9k out of my rear tyres on either my F or TF. I've just ordered some Goodyear ?Eagle F1 GSD2s to replace the contis. Bridgstone Potenzas were good too.
Lord S

We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t develop a performance tyre that lasts more than 10K, it’s not as if I am on a race track pushing the car to its limits every day.

Bill, I’ve checked the cost of laser alignment, it starts at £40 and if they find any problems it rises proportionately, either way it’s going to be a bloody expensive day (4 new tyres, alignment and hydragas top up).
Les
Les Lewis

There's more than 1 type of Bridgestone Potenza, so it could be usefull if we use the complete name, before someone starts to pull incorrect conclusions regarding a different tyre.
Bridgestone Potenza RE720
Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position
Bridgestone Potenza RE040
Erik

And you can still get Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position in 16" (min profile is 205)
Dave Livingstone

I ran RE040s twice.
Lord S

That's what I've got, RE040's

Bill
W.A. Pearson

Les, Darren,

After an initial period of trial and error, FWIW I have always run Bridgestone RE720's on the F because offer good wet and dry grip and suit my style of driving. Grippier and lower cost tyres exist but I don't believe all aspects of their performance match (ie grip vs life expectancy!). For average road use plus a couple of track days I reckon to get around 15k from the rears and 20k from the fronts from the 720's.

Mike H
Mike Hall

Mike

In that case, do you think a high % of fast motorway driving was responsible for my rear tyres (RE040) burning out in under 10K, or could it possible be running on a low suspension was the culprit?

Les
Les Lewis

In all honesty I'm not sure(!), although I would have thought that in principle mostly motorway driving would not have an adverse affect on tyre life. Quite the opposite in fact! My gut feel is that your 'problem' is probably suspension related. Get it pumped up, get your tyres sorted and get a full four wheel alignment. Personally I run mine with the front tracking parallel. It's a personal choice re handling, but prolongs front tyre life.

If you haven't already done so, check out Rob's site at http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/ for lot's of info on tyre choice and wheel alignment/geometry etc etc.

HTH

Mike H
Mike Hall

This thread was discussed between 05/04/2006 and 07/04/2006

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