Tyres

[myoldjalopy]

One of my 145/80/14 Bridgestone tyres needs replacing but, as we know, they are no longer available. So what would you good peeps recommend that will be compatible with the remaining Bridgestones (which, although OK on tread, are starting to deteriorate a bit, being over 16 years old)? The guy down the tyre place could only find one that matched the spec, at Vintage Tyres but it was over £100 (I forget the make).

[geoberni]

Well I've got Blockley's all around, I find them to be good tyres.
Basil's tyres were of unknown age when I replaced them, they only had a single year code so at least 20+ years old....
https://www.blockleytyre.com/product/145r14

ESM have got Camac, which seem quite popular, but over £10 more.
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/wheel ... ac-p831461

[ManyMinors]

I guess Camac tyres are popular just because they are available. They are cheap and nasty however and poor quality tyres. Get Bridgestone or Blockley. Much superior.

[myoldjalopy]

Gentlemen - thank you for your replies. As Bridgestones appear to be unavailable, Blockley seems to be the answer - good price too!

[Bill_qaz]

Gentlemen - thank you for your replies. As Bridgestones appear to be unavailable, Blockley seems to be the answer - good price too!

mine came with Camac's fitted and after a year I replaced them with the same, because worn. Never had an issue and disagree about the quality, they are made in Portugal. Mine were suppliad and fitted by vintage tyres at a good price.

[MikeNash]

I must take issue with ManyMinors over his claim against Camacs. I've run my set for years and found them save and durable; "nasty" seems quite the wrong adjective to use against them.
Regards from MikeN.

[Chief]

https://www.vintagetyres.com/vehicle-ma ... -traveller

I see if you went Carmac you could get them from blackcircles.com for the princely sum of £431.12 for four, including fitting at your home (compared to £330 not fitted from vintage tyre), last time I checked blackcircles, they'd stopped offering anything for the Minor so I guess it's good they have a tyre again.

[ManyMinors]

People used to be happy with crossply and remould tyres. Same as many people are happy to eat sliced white bread. Doesn't mean it is good. Having owned a Minor equipped with Camac tyres I quickly replaced them with Bridgestones. Transformed the drive. I drive my car fairly hard and want the best tyres I can get so that the car drives as well as possible and is as safe as possible in all conditions. If you're happy with Camac tyres that's fine, but honestly, you can purchase much better for no more money The tyres are all you've got in contact with the road.

[Bill_qaz]

https://www.vintagetyres.com/vehicle-ma ... -traveller

I see if you went Carmac you could get them from blackcircles.com for the princely sum of £431.12 for four, including fitting at your home (compared to £330 not fitted from vintage tyre), last time I checked blackcircles, they'd stopped offering anything for the Minor so I guess it's good they have a tyre again.

vintage tyre fitted mine to loose wheels for way less than the £100 difference you quote. They have an agent at Bicester heritage so quite convenient for myself. But if you want home fit then maybe worth it.

[myoldjalopy]

Assuming fitting inner tubes, what are people's thoughts on fitting a new tube with a new tyre? I wouldn't have thought of this but it was 'recommended' by the manager there. My main doubt is that he was quite negative and unhelpful about everything so I wasn't inspired by him......

[Bill_qaz]

Personal choice but I ditched the old tubes and fitted the Camac as tubeless.
Now get ready for the tube / tubeless and wheel type discussion to kick off again

[ManyMinors]

Must admit that I haven't had tubes in my Minor tyres for decades. I've heard all the reasons why we should have them but a tyre is only going to come off a rim through neglect and underinflation which most of us will avoid. One downside to having tubes is that a tyre will deflate very quickly if you're unlucky enough to pick up a nail or similar... It'll be much slower if you run tubeless. Do check the condition of your inner wheelrim. If it is very rusty, then a tyre fitted without tube might leak air. A clean, rustfree rim shouldn't have any problem sealing though. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer quite honestly but I for one won't be going back to tubes thank-you

[myoldjalopy]

Well, I have to say that I have run Minors for years in the past without inner tubes - and without issue. Not sure why my current car has them other than that's how it was when I bought it 25+ years ago. Maybe tubeless is the way forward again. Perhaps Bernie will be along in a bit to tell us whether his Blockleys are run as tubeless........

[geoberni]

Assuming fitting inner tubes, what are people's thoughts on fitting a new tube with a new tyre? I wouldn't have thought of this but it was 'recommended' by the manager there. My main doubt is that he was quite negative and unhelpful about everything so I wasn't inspired by him......

Often recommended by people who have absolutely No Frickin' Idea about the differences between Radial and Cross Ply tyres.
A major point of Radial Tyres is that they are designed to be tubeless and if you get a puncture it is not immediately a Blow Out of the tube going bang like a burst balloon.
After the introduction of Radials, it was realised that if run with low pressure, due to the softer side wall than Cross Plies, they can come off the rim.
Hence the subsequent introduction of the 'safety bead' to help keep the deflated radial on the wheel.
But many people in the tyre industry have taken that to mean you must have a safety bead to run a radial without a tube.
Absolute Rollocks!
Think of a Radial Tubeless as being a Tyre and Tube fused together as one item.
Putting a tube in gives the assembly a valve loose in the rim, rather than fixed to the rim.
So tube goes bang, valve immediately comes loose, tyre deflates in 1-2 seconds.

By using a tube, they are defeating the major safety feature of the radial, where a nail in the tyre doesn't explode the tube and cause a crash!


See this Noddy Guide video: https://youtu.be/3BkNpa913RQ
Pathe News Reel from 1953: https://youtu.be/ai6b2OuEPik

[Bill_qaz]

[myoldjalopy]

Assuming fitting inner tubes, what are people's thoughts on fitting a new tube with a new tyre? I wouldn't have thought of this but it was 'recommended' by the manager there. My main doubt is that he was quite negative and unhelpful about everything so I wasn't inspired by him......

Often recommended by people who have absolutely No Frickin' Idea about the differences between Radial and Cross Ply tyres.
A major point of Radial Tyres is that they are designed to be tubeless and if you get a puncture it is not immediately a Blow Out of the tube going bang like a burst balloon.
After the introduction of Radials, it was realised that if run with low pressure, due to the softer side wall than Cross Plies, they can come off the rim.
Hence the subsequent introduction of the 'safety bead' to help keep the deflated radial on the wheel.
But many people in the tyre industry have taken that to mean you must have a safety bead to run a radial without a tube.
Absolute Rollocks!
Think of a Radial Tubeless as being a Tyre and Tube fused together as one item.
Putting a tube in gives the assembly a valve loose in the rim, rather than fixed to the rim.
So tube goes bang, valve immediately comes loose, tyre deflates in 1-2 seconds.

By using a tube, they are defeating the major safety feature of the radial, where a nail in the tyre doesn't explode the tube and cause a crash!


See this Noddy Guide video: https://youtu.be/3BkNpa913RQ
Pathe News Reel from 1953: https://youtu.be/ai6b2OuEPik

From what you have said, its a fairly safe bet that your are running your Blockley tyres as tubeless - yes?

[geoberni]

From what you have said, its a fairly safe bet that your are running your Blockley tyres as tubeless - yes?

You got it.

Well, I have to say that I have run Minors for years in the past without inner tubes - and without issue. Not sure why my current car has them other than that's how it was when I bought it 25+ years ago. Maybe tubeless is the way forward again. Perhaps Bernie will be along in a bit to tell us whether his Blockleys are run as tubeless........

Sorry, I'd had to leave my earlier post open on the computer while I got called away to do something, and then I pressed Submit without noticing you had posted the comment above.
If I can get around to it, I'm thinking of writing an article for Minor Matters about the Pros and Cons of Tubes and the lack of understanding by some of the 'experts' who try to sell you a tube.

[myoldjalopy]

OK, thanks guys, the consensus so far seems to be for tubeless. I will order the tyres myself as the 'manager' of the tyre place had "never heard" of Blockley tyres and when I showed him the link he said he would have to charge a 'handling fee' if they ordered them, because they weren't one of their 'usual suppliers'. But he also said that they would then fit the tyres, making it sound like he was doing me a favour, as he added "other places won't fit tyres which they didn't themselves order". A pity, as I have used this place before very happily, but this new guy seems very negative I'll see if I can use them when he's having a day off!

[geoberni]

OK, thanks guys, the consensus so far seems to be for tubeless. I will order the tyres myself as the 'manager' of the tyre place had "never heard" of Blockley tyres and when I showed him the link he said he would have to charge a 'handling fee' if they ordered them, because they weren't one of their 'usual suppliers'. But he also said that they would then fit the tyres, making it sound like he was doing me a favour, as he added "other places won't fit tyres which they didn't themselves order". A pity, as I have used this place before very happily, but this new guy seems very negative I'll see if I can use them when he's having a day off!

I had my Blockleys fitted by my local motor engineer, who I use for work on our modern cars.
I started taking cars to his Dad when he ran the business and we first moved here in the late 1980s. It's been passed down in the family, Son worked for Dad, and there was an evolving handover over the years as Dad stepped back and Son took over.

Our Village has 2 garages/motor engineers.
When I ordered the Blockleys, I checked with both about having them fitted.
The first I asked really wasn't happy about fitting tyres that they hadn't ordered, presumably because they get a %.
But said they could do it for something like £17.50 each, and I'm not even sure that included VAT the way he was talking.... so around £90 or more.

I then went to my usual guy who simply said if I brought them in one morning, he'd do all five for £60 including the disposal.
But I'd have to get the right valves as he didn't think he had them for such old wheels.
I brought a pack of 5x Tr413 from ebay for under £4.
When I picked them up, he said he hadn't had exactly the right mounting adaptor for the Minor wheels on his balancing machine, but he was pretty confident they were OK. If I got any problems to indicate the balance wasn't right, bring them back in.
This was 20 months ago and I've had no problem.

So my advice would be to check independent motor engineers/garages for prices, but also check they have the right adaptors for such classic skinny wheels.
I was more than happy to take the wheels in for the work as I wouldn't want to let any Tyre Fitter loose on the car with a Windy!

[myoldjalopy]

Well, I have been using this place for over 30 years and the staff are all great - except for this new guy who seemed very negative and unhelpful.
I will have to drive the car to them with the tyres on as I have no other way of getting the wheels to them. I'd better check with them beforehand about the valves, as well as the price..............