Max,
I sold my 78B 1 month or so ago, but before I did, I
tried my wife's tires on it. They are 185 65 14
Goodyears. They really improved the handling of my
78B. I could corner better and had better grip. The
front end had been lowered 1" by the PO. I had tube
shocks in the front and levers in the back. Sorry to
counter your statement but the tires did make a
difference. However, the car was not as fast. I
could tell some difference in speed. Don't ask me how
I knew but it just was a feeling I had. I would
change them in the same day and play with them for the
reasons mentioned earlier. I enjoyed the 78B more
with the lower profile tires. They are now on the
70B and are a lot of fun to drive on really windy
roads. The 70 doesn't even sway (-:
Jim
69C
70B
--- Max Heim <mvheim@attbi.com> wrote:
> Not to mock your legitimate questions, but the
> simple answer would be to get
> a chrome bumper MGB. As you suspect, the increased
> ride height of the RBB is
> the major detriment to handling.
>
> Until you do something about that sub-optimal
> situation, nothing else is
> going to make much difference. On the already
> jacked-up-looking RBB,
> 60-series tires on 14" wheels would merely achieve a
> "roller skate" look
> without any appreciable improvement in handling
> "feel". Ultimate grip could
> certainly be improved by using super-sticky
> low-profile rubber -- however,
> this approach may not be satisfactory (or even
> safe).
>
> On the other hand, I believe lowering a RBB is not
> exactly a trivial
> operation. Others will know more about the steps
> required.
>
> That said, I would not recommend removing the rear
> anti-roll bar in pursuit
> of oversteer. In fact, I dispute the implication
> that oversteer is the
> natural state of MGBs. For example, a CBB, equipped
> with only a front
> anti-roll bar, using the recommended tire pressures,
> will exhibit nearly
> neutral handling. Oversteer would be a result of
> underinflating the rear
> tires (or overinflating the front tires. At any
> rate, the combination of
> high CG, poor roll control, sticky rubber, and
> oversteer does not strike me
> as advantageous -- quite the opposite...
>
>
> on 11/8/02 11:38 AM, Henry D. Reynolds at
> hdr@jump.net wrote:
>
> > Has any one lower their car by putting lower
> profile tires on stock
> > wheels?
> >
> > my '78 just does not handle like i think an MGB
> should. It has too much
> > understeer. my other MGBs tended toward oversteer.
> Is this a side
> > effect of the increased ride height and maybe the
> weight of those awful
> > rubber bumpers? I also feel like the car has way
> too much body roll.
> >
> > so by the book one increases oversteer by
> increasing the slip angle of
> > the rear or decreasing the slip angle of the front
> (tires).
> >
> > what should i do (and in what order)
> > a) lower the car all around(how much)
> > b) lower the front only
> > c) increase the diameter of the front sway-bar
> > d) decrease or remove the rear sway-bar (does
> having this sway bar
> > help locate the rear axle)
> >
> > i am running stock wheels with 185/70x14 tires at
> 32 psi in both front
> > and rear (increasing the front inflation pressure
> from 27 psi seems to
> > have reduced understeer some. Shocks and springs
> are OK(no bouncy,bouncy
> > and rear-end rarely bottoms). i have new lower
> control arm bushings.
> >
> > PS i have a set of wheels 195/70x14 on them, but
> They made the car ride
> > higher and steering effort was much greater
> >
> > PPS has any one lower their car by putting lower
> profile tires on stock
> > wheels?
>
> --
>
> Max Heim
> '66 MGB GHN3L76149
> If you're near Mountain View, CA,
> it's the primer red one with chrome wires
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