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Tyres

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 11:42 am
by jpsh120
I have reluctantly decided to change the tyres on my H120.

They are over 30 years old but still appear to be in very good condition. The worry of one going bang on the road has convinced me to put new ones on.

I really don't want to as they look so right on the car (Goodyear G800's).

Is anyone else still running old tyres??

Re: Tyres

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:51 pm
by alabbasi
No that's insane. Once tires get over 6 years old, they're already breaking down. I've had tires lose belts and come apart even under 10 years.
Get new tires!

Re: Tyres

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 9:19 pm
by JPB
alabbasi wrote:
Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:51 pm
No that's insane. Once tires get over 6 years old, they're already breaking down. I've had tires lose belts and come apart even under 10 years.
Get new tires!
^^^ +1.

Current reproduction tyres use modern carcasses with the original tread pattern so if originality is crucial, buy those, otherwise get some decent tyres such as the new Bridgestone 700 series or any one of a dozen alternatives. Your old tyres will most likely have an 82% sidewall where the aspect ratio of current production is marked as 80%, reproduction tyres are exempt from that requirement so if it's the taller look you need, try Michelin XASs, a tyre that's right in period for the car but far better than the G800s ever were, especially in the wet and in terms of durability. But, whether the rayon belted Good Years are your preference or the steel belted Michelins, both are being remanufactured now at between £130 and £218 per tyre for the 155 at 82%, 165 at 82% or !75 at 70% depending upon which were specified originally, I'm seeing the 165/82% x 13 listed for your H120. Lesser models came with 155/82% x 13 according to the 1981 edition of Autodata, which covered cars from 1971-1981.
Please don't continue to drive on the public highway with such aged tyres or you may risk being an example of why it is that test exemption - if you plan to apply for that - is seen by some as a bad idea. The Arrow series are fine handling cars on decent rubber, I recall my old Hunter being very stable, predictable and good in the wet for a car running on a live axle with trap springs attaching that axle to the car. It was fitted with Good Year Grand Prix Ss, the ones with the white lettering, there was more steel in those than there was left in the inner sills..
:oops:

Re: Tyres

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:27 am
by rich.
change them now! i had a 10 year old tyre on my mg separate on the motorway.. made an awful mess of the rear wing. the tyres on my truck were 10 years old & after 6 months of owning/driving 4 had big splits in them..not sure about the law in the uk but over here tyres over 7 years old are illegal & insurance companies can refuse to pay out...

Re: Tyres

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:49 am
by jpsh120
I have some new tyres waiting to be fitted, I have found a garage who still have the 4 stud adaptor required for balancing, as the rostyle wheels do not have geometric centres.

The tyres on the car are 185/70/13, a change my father made many years ago to improve the car's handling and I have bought the same size.

There is a very limited choice of decent quality tyres in that size, I have found some that should look OK on the car as they are not plastered in logo's etc.

Re: Tyres

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:24 am
by suffolkpete
JPB wrote:
Fri Jul 06, 2018 9:19 pm

Please don't continue to drive on the public highway with such aged tyres or you may risk being an example of why it is that test exemption - if you plan to apply for that - is seen by some as a bad idea.
That's an example of how the MoT gives a false sense of security. The age of tyres is not checked. Provided the prescribed amount of tread is present and there are no cuts or splits exposing the cords it will pass. Even the legal minimum tread depth is less than I would consider safe.

Re: Tyres

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 1:01 pm
by GHT
The previous custodian of my car had it for twelve years, he trailered it everywhere, he did less than 1500 miles in those twelve years. All the tyres were brand new to look at, all went for scrap. The tyre fitter gave me his eye glass, it looks like the sort of thing jewellers use. With it, I could see, right down in the bottom of the tread, lots of minute cracks. The fitter explained how tyres start to corrupt right from new. One tip he told me was not to worry about driving in the rain, the occasional soaking actually does the tyres good. Glad to see that you have yourself some replacements. Mine weren't so easy, originally they were crossplies, they are now radials, albeit with inner tubes because the rims won't seal against the tyre. Ha! You should hear some of the claptrap from MG purists.