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Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 11:13 am
by RonMGTC@aol.com
Gentlemen (and ladies):
I need a recommendation for tyres for the TC.
It comes down to either Dunlop or Firestone? I have Dunlop's on there now and
I am not displeased but just exploring different options.
The Firestones are $86 while the Dunlop's are about twice that amount. I
drive the car rather than "show" it.
Thanks
Ron
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 11:37 am
by John T. Seim
The Dunlop tread pattern is a rain tyre. The pattern now used on the
Firestone tires, I assume, is a dry road tyre. When I switched from
Dunlop to Firestones (old tread pattern), handling GREATLY improved.
Dunlops would try to follow grooves in roadway. Car would jump, as tires
followed grooves, and came upon expansion joint in the roadway. Also,
Firestones last about twice as long as Dunlops. There is that
possibility of tread separation and roll-over with Firestone, but that
is another matter.
John Seim
Irvine, CA
TC 6590
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 12:07 pm
by brian bax
My experience of these tyres has been exactly the opposite of John's! I originally fitted a set of Firestones to my TC. They wore quickly and on one long journey a bulge appeared in the sidewall of one of the front tyres. This was after only 4,000 miles and less than two years. I then changed the full set to Dunlops. The feel of the steering was much better and the rate of wear minimal after 4,500 miles. I'd stay with the Dunlops. Regards, Brian Bax TC3550.> -----Original Message-----
> From:
RonMGTC@aol.com
> Sent: Sun Jul 22 19:13:26 BST 2001
> To:
MG-TABC@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [mg-tabc] Tyre Recommendation Needed
>
> Gentlemen (and ladies):
>
> I need a recommendation for tyres for the TC.
> It comes down to either Dunlop or Firestone? I have Dunlop's on there now and
> I am not displeased but just exploring different options.
> The Firestones are $86 while the Dunlop's are about twice that amount. I
> drive the car rather than "show" it.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 12:13 pm
by KEN PORTER
Ron:
I have been using Dunlops, $136 from British Wire Wheel, for the past four years
with excellent results.
Ken TC 4147
RonMGTC@aol.com wrote:
> Gentlemen (and ladies):
>
> I need a recommendation for tyres for the TC.
> It comes down to either Dunlop or Firestone? I have Dunlop's on there now and
> I am not displeased but just exploring different options.
> The Firestones are $86 while the Dunlop's are about twice that amount. I
> drive the car rather than "show" it.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 12:27 pm
by Chip Old
On Sun, 22 Jul 2001, John T. Seim wrote:
> The Dunlop tread pattern is a rain tyre. The pattern now used on the
> Firestone tires, I assume, is a dry road tyre. When I switched from
> Dunlop to Firestones (old tread pattern), handling GREATLY improved.
> Dunlops would try to follow grooves in roadway. Car would jump, as
> tires followed grooves, and came upon expansion joint in the roadway.
> Also, Firestones last about twice as long as Dunlops.
Back when TC6710 was still my daily driver (yes, that was WAY back) my
experience was the opposite. When I bought it, it had badly worn Dunlop
4.50 X 19 tires, the standard size for the car. I replaced them shortly
thereafter with Firestone 5.00 X 19. Or were they 4.75 X 19? I don't
remember any more. Anyway, Firestone didn't make a 4.50 X 19 then. Do
they now?.
The car's handling with the Firestones was decidedly squirrely compared to
handling with the Dunlops. At the time I attributed this to (1) the
Firestones' harder rubber compound (less "sticky" and (2) the fact that
the 5" cross section was really too wide for the TC's 2.5 inch wide wheel
rims. After the Firestones wore out (about 30,000 miles if I remember
correctly) I went back to Dunlops. Handling was better, but the best I
could get out of the rear tires was about 20,000 miles. The fronts lasted
a bit longer.
In all fairness, that was back in the 1960s and early 1970s. It's
entirely possible that the rubber compoinds being used for both brands
are now different.
> There is that possibility of tread separation and roll-over with
> Firestone, but that is another matter.
That problem is with a specific line of Firestone tires used on a specific
group of modern vehicles. It has no relevance here.
--
Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271
Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E
fold@bcpl.net
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 12:58 pm
by Gates Family
I cannot offer a comparative comment as I replaced Dunlops with Firestones
soon after I bought my TC last year. Suffice to say I am delighted with
Firestone (4 ply rating, 4.50x19, 69P) which offer good directional
capability too. Granted, I fitted a Datsun 120Y steering box and reversed
the wedges to increase the castor - well worth the minimal effrot to my
mind.
BTW, the Dunlops, retreaded, were embossed "Vervaardig in die Unie van Suid
Afrika"/"Made in the Union of South Africa". As SA became a republic in
1961 - and much has happened since then - I guessed the Dunlops were too old
to be trusted!
Joe Gates
TC 8675
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 1:30 pm
by RonMGTC@aol.com
Just Great..... as of 15:15 CST USA:
Firestone 3 votes
Dunlop 3 votes
I'm still waiting for the results from Florida to come in.....
Is there a Supreme Court of MG owners by the way?
Thanks
Ron
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 3:12 pm
by mrbadger
RonMGTC@aol.com wrote:
> "Firestone 3 votes
> Dunlop 3 votes
> I'm still waiting for the results from Florida to come in........"
The single vote from Florida is still being recounted.
This may take a while.
Badger
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 2:54 pm
by Roger Furneaux
>
RonMGTC@aol.com wrote:
>
>> "Firestone 3 votes
>> Dunlop 3 votes
>> I'm still waiting for the results from Florida to come in........"
>
>The single vote from Florida is still being recounted.
>This may take a while.
>Badger
Actually, I thought we are still waiting for THE vote to be recounted
(something about the local newspapers and the freedom of information
laws...)
Of course, if you colonials had kept up the good old English system (use a
pencil to mark in a box, and count them all by EYE) the course of history
would be very different.
TCRoger
Re: Tyre Recommendation Needed
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 3:05 pm
by mrbadger
Roger Furneaux wrote:
"....... Of course, if you colonials had kept up the good old English
system................................. the course of history would be
very different."
TCRoger
Yeah right. We'd be playing playing cricket instead of baseball,
singing "Hail Britania", and driving on the wrong side of the road.
I - don't - think - so.
A Yankee Badger