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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Wire wheel width

Just looking into wider wire wheels so get a better choice of tyre, currently running on 4jx13

These are £102 to replace at MWS each but they also do a 5.5J x 13 tubeless one for approx £145 , just wondered if anyone had used these or anything like them and had any views

Thanks
Andy
Andy Sebring

Andy: I would avoid having to use tubes if you can.
Otherwise I guess you have an issue of clearance of the wider wheels and tyres under the rear wheel arches and on lock at the front. But the sebring bodywork is going to be different from a standard car isn't it?
G Williams (Graeme)

Graeme,

firstly hope to see you Sunday ? i have no sidescreens yet but will bring the sebring if semi dry !

the rear fitting should be okay as its round wheel arch like frog eye and i think most of the extra width is on the outer of the wheel , front im not too sure about yet

bought a tyre for the spare 4j last week and the selection was really poor prompting me to look , what size are your wheels ?

cheers
Andy
Andy Sebring

I have the 5.5" tubeless wires on my car. They dish out rather than in.
Daniel Stapleton

Andy: mine are just standard size. But I have tubes and have suffered a fair number of punctures I believe because a lot of tyre places can't fit them without damage.
If I was starting again I would go for repro minilite with the knock-off centre but that virtually doubles the price!
Will be there Sunday. If I were you I would get there early (11.50 latest) as parking is better and I would worry about leaving your car in a pub carpark unless you can get it away from all the normal coming and goings.
Graeme Williams

Daniel,

thanks are you pleased with them ? they look a lot less hassle and as lobg as there not out the ar hes too far im fine with it

Graeme
cheers , will do looking forward to it

cheers
Andy
Andy Sebring

Andy,

I have the wider wheels on my Sebring. Have a look at Martin's Silverstone Classic photos.

http://www.sebringsprite.com/replica20.html

As you mentioned, the rear is fine but you may get minor rubbing on the front. The late Ian Ashfield also fitted them.
Derek Stewart

Derek,

thanks they look good , are they the 5.5 inch ones ? and are they still tubeless

Definately getting swayed towards them , do you notice a lot of difference from them ?

thanks
Andy
Andy Sebring

The rear may not rub on Derek's car which clearly does NOT have square arches. Also it's not clear what tyre width his car has or what the ride height is.

Whether or not a tyre will rub, bearing in mind the widest part of the tyre is not the tread but the sidewall will depend on the ride height of the car and where the sidewall is in relation to the wheel arch. On 175/70 x 13 tyres on MWS 5.5" wire spoked wheels you do need to relieve or flare some of the inner wing on a car that is lowered from standard, otherwise the tyre will rub, albeit only on those occasions when a dip or bump in the road causes a lot of suspension travel.

I like them.
Daniel Stapleton

Daniel,

thanks for that , the back end is lowered on mine , from what i recall the springs are 2 leaves less , partly to lower and partly as the back is not steel.

I will have to try and gauge clearance , appreciate the widest point is sidewall as i did see you say in previous thread but had hoped as round arch at rear hope would be an issue, had forgot about lowering it

time to have a think

Thanks
Andy

Andy Sebring

Hopefully, not off topic ......

I have MWS tubeless wire wheels on an MGB based kit, fitted them in about 1996, not had a single problem and it allowed me to fit tyres with a 60 profile, which was not possible in 1996 because tubes were 80 profile.

The tyre fitter mentioned that a tube in tubeless tyres was risky due to the inside of the tyre not being smooth, apparently ( I don't know I'm just repeating) tyres designed for tubes were smoother inside than newer tyres which are not designed for tubes. As the tyre sidewall flexes the tube moves relative to the inside of the tyre and rubs, if there is any debris (like worn balls of rubber off the tube) , this then rubs against the tube and it fails.

To underline what Daniel mentioned about rubbing, my 165/70/13's on 5 inch minilites copies have touched the inside edge of the square wheel arches, but they have only touched once and it was going around a bumpy left hand bend on a dual carriageway at a speed I cannot quite err remember !

Malc
Malc Gilliver

Andy: do you you have the narrower back axle? That 1/2" a side could make the difference between fouling and clearing.
Graeme Williams

Malc,
on the B forum Dave has been told by MWS that they only (now?) recommend 165 tyres on their wheels, don't know why (yet)

tubes in tubeless tyres, I was told the same with my previous and present Spridgets
Nigel Atkins

Daniel

I'm curious how tube-less wire-wheels hold air pressure - please would you explain?

thx, A
Anthony Cutler

Anthony,

My MWS tubeless wires have a thick silicon type sealing band around where the heads of the spokes come through the rim.

Like this link http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d57/antijam/P1190212.jpg

Nigel,

Don't know about the MGB wheels, my MGB based kit has the wider AC Cobra wire wheels on it. I vaguely remember standard MGB wires as having 60 spokes and my AC Cobra wires have 72 spoke, the centre spline is the same on both wheels.


Malc
Malc Gilliver

Dave has replied that he rang MWS and they will fit 175 tyres to their wheels, they're probably being cautious on their web site, he put when he got the car it had 205 wide tyres on Roystles
Nigel Atkins

Andy,
Yes they are 5.5" and the tyres are 185x60 and tubeless.
Graeme raised a good point re. wire wheeled axle width. With the wider spec axle the wheels will extend outside the body line but are OK with the narrower axle.
I had my rear springs reset to offset the reduced body weight and the axle rubber bump stops should prevent any interferance between tyre and body. You can reduce the bump stop height to suit with a hacksaw!
I run 165x70 on my midget but prefer the tubeless setup.
Derek Stewart

Derek / Graeme

Good call as i do have the wider steel wheel axle with longer Peter May halfshafts , i may need to look at the 5"wheel , more expensive but may make all the difference

Andy
Andy Sebring

Standard wires with the steel wheel axle were very close to my wheel arch (albeit we are talking Sprite Mk4 not Sebring body). Could hardly get my finger in the gap.
Graeme Williams

I was offered a set of 7-inch wide Midget wires. Does make you wonder who might have ordered them in the first place and what car they were meant for!
r thomas

This thread was discussed between 19/08/2013 and 22/08/2013

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