MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Best tire option

I have experienced balance difficulties and flat spots that take a long drive to work out with the Firestone 165-R14 tires currently on the wire rims.

I would like to try the Michelin XAS or Pirelli CA67 tires, which should approximate an OEM match.. I don't know if this would help the balance problem. The previous Yokohamas seemed to hold balance fairly well.

The 32 PSI front/32 PSI rear that the tire shops use has also proven to be problematic. Lowering the pressure makes for a much smoother ride, albeit with the attending shorter tire life.

The B is driven mostly on the highway at 75 - 80 MPH speeds and vibration and poor surface conditions on many U.S. Interstate highways take their toll on the steering rack and front end.

Tire and pressure recommendations would be appreciated.

Glenn Mallory

32/32 is much higher than the figures for the factory tyres which is 21F 25R. Personally I use +4 all round which gives a good balance between ride and steering. That shouldn't shorten tyre life, over inflation can wear the middle faster than the edges, under inflation the other way round as well as heavy/soggy steering.

Balance has been a much more complex problem for me on the V8 with no issues on the roadster. For years the V8 had balance problems where steering wheel shake would would fade in and out despite multiple sets of tyres and frequent rebalancing. If going round a long gentle curve one way the rate of fading in and out would increase and the other way would decrease which said to me both wheels were unbalanced sometime cancelling each other out and sometimes adding to each other as the wheels rotated at different speeds in a curve. Eventually I had the fronts balanced on a road-force balancing machine which forces the tyre against a metal drum during the balancing process and that completely cured it. However! One of the weights on the inside of the wheel was a bit iffy and started coming loose. I reattached it but eventually it came off altogether, without any ill-effects at the steering wheel. When I replaced those tyres I asked them to check the balance of the wheel with the missing weight and they said it was way out - 'go figure' as they say! Also I never had any issues with further sets of tyres.
paulh4

When I ran my standard steel rostyles, I used Uniroyals, Firestones and latterly Falken Sinceras, at about 28psi all round. No issues with tyre life at that pressure or any steering issues, though that was with the standard steering wheel.

On my current B, I have 15" alloys which I run at 30psi ish, but I think that's possibly a bit too harsh and crashy and might go back to 28.

No balance issues either way.
Nat

This thread was discussed between 25/10/2025 and 26/10/2025

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.