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Re: MGB Tire Pressures

To: "Terry O'Brien" <mgrepairs@yahoo.com>, "mg list" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: MGB Tire Pressures
From: Max Heim <mvheim@studiolimage.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 12:40:48 -0700
"A common cause of oversteer is incorrect tire pressure. MGB rear tires 
should always be set 3 lbs. higher than the front tires, or 5 lbs. higher 
when travelling with a loaded trunk."

This is one of the handy tips in the Moss catalog. I don't know where 
they got it from, but I've always found this advice to be accurate when 
applied to my basically stock (with tube shock conversion) '66 MGB. 
Modified cars, ones with aggressive sway bar setups especially, may have 
a different reaction to tire pressures.

It *is* odd, in that the weight distribution is 54F/46R (with driver), 
but I imagine it's a function of spring rates. Which causes me to add, 
modified springs would definitely affect this trait.


James Nazarian Jr had this to say:

>Mike if you run the tires even all the way around the car will push, I
>would start with 28, without knowing what kind of tires you have
>(and how stiff the sidewalls are) that is my best guess.  Tire preassure
>is fairly subjective.  I like to run at 32 and sometimes I will keep my 38
>from racing for a while but that definately makes for a harder ride,
>although the cornering is excellent. 
>
>James Nazarian
>'71 B roadster
>'74 BGT undergoing V8 conversion for autocrossing
>
>On Tue, 13 Jul 1999, Mike wrote:
>
>> Fellow MGB fanatics,
>> 
>> I want my 73B to handle safely, comfortably, and I'd prefer understeer over
>> oversteer, if possible, since I'm used to cars with a little push.  I spend 
>alot
>> of time on narrow twisty roads along the shore.  What's a good inflation
>> pressure for my front & rear 165R14s?
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Neil Cotty wrote:
>> 
>> > Hi guys,
>> >
>> > > in the car. Obviously there is a 3 - 5 psi diff between the front and
>> > > back. I would have thought it was the other way round - but so be it.
>> > > Usually the end with the most weight has the highewr pressure. If the 
way
>> >
>> > This is what I've always been told by people. The end with the more weight
>> > the higher the pressure. On modern tyres I tend to run 32psi Front and 
>30psi
>> > Rear. This is normally good with a passenger and a full tank of gas. I'll
>> > normally take them down 2 psi each end if it's only round town driving. 
Our
>> > roads here are abysmal and with the pressures that high I do get a slight
>> > amount of skipping over minor bumps.. However for the most part I prefer 
>the
>> > handling at those pressures. The car feels way too heavy any lower than
>> > 30/28psi. Just my .2c. :)
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> > Neil.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>


--

Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
Runs great, 
looks particularly bad since some SUV clown backed into it.
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.


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