Disc Brake Conversion - Midget Brakes onto a Minor?

[bmcecosse]

Well - if it helps at all - you can have the standard wheels widened so they still 'look' much the same (hub cap etc) but of course can safely take the wider tyres. This can be done by welding in a band of steel (rather frowned upon now, but once very popular) - or, by taking the centre part out of the wheel - and using another 14" (wider!) wheel - remove it's centre and fit the Minor centre instead. Obviously needs top class alignment and welding skills - but can be done.

[WillST]

Well - if it helps at all - you can have the standard wheels widened

Of course it helps, and thanks for the info. I prefer the factory rims, so will have to go on the hunt for 14x5.5/6.0 rims, not so sure how that will go here in the Pacific Northwest, where very few cars have 14" rims . You folks over in England (and Oz) sure have it good for MM parts!

[bmcecosse]

Few cars here now with 14" rims either!

[Bazzalucas]

WillST, I guess I should clarify: I don't know what everyone on here considers spirited driving. I simply use my car as I do my modern VW Jetta 1.8T. That is, I drive it at highway speeds, corner, brake, etc., without thinking about whether a tire is going to roll off a rim. If it happens, I hope to live to tell you about it! But as I said, the 1765s have given me no cause for concern. Wouldn't have thought about until these rather scary posts! Oh, I also have a Midget anti-roll bar fitted, otherwise standard suspension.

[bmcecosse]

There must be some scary sidewall deflections - with 175 tyres on 3.5" rims. Unless - you are lucky enough to have a set of the wider 4.5" rims ? The tyres would still be considered too wide - but obviously better on 4.5 rims than 3.5 rims.
I do as it happens have some experience with tyres - I made them (UniRoyal) for a number of years!

[jaekl]

We are a reckless bunch here in the States. We ran tubless on the older wheels. I understand it was not recommended. I thought it was the shape of the rim or was it the rivets?

[PSL184]

I'm running 165 70 14 on one of my cars. Stock rims and inner tubes just in case.... I felt this was as far as I wanted to go safely on standard rims.....

[minor_hickup]

We are a reckless bunch here in the States. We ran tubless on the older wheels. I understand it was not recommended. I thought it was the shape of the rim or was it the rivets?

There have been a lot of myths about tubeless tyres. Some rims are unsuitable but the majority aren't . If it seals it seals and there's no need for tubes. Tubes aren't designed to be used with tubeless tyres anyhow.

[linearaudio]

The thing that struck me when I changed my tyres recently was just how easy it is to pop a tyre off a Minor rim, compared with modern rims which take a hell of a jolt to move the bead over the rim lip. Presumably a much smaller lip on the old wheels. All those big tyres could be fine till you clip a kerb!!

[bmcecosse]

Tubeless is ok provided the rivets dont leak of course! However these older wheels don't have wide rims for the tyre bead to seat on - so much more chance of it coming off the rim in a blow-out. And I think the idea is that a tube will go down slowly while a tubeless tyre may indeed 'blow out'. On a modern wheel the tyre beads are held in place - on older wheels they are not!

[WillST]

I simply use my car as I do my modern VW Jetta 1.8T. But as I said, the 1765s have given me no cause for concern.

The PO of my car agrees with what you say, after having used her 175R14s for five years. I will continue to use them (and the whole car) gently, which I had planned to do anyhow. I'm not excessively worried about it, having driven it myself for more than a month now and feeling no squirming, wobbling, or wandering of any kind. Now we are approaching the beating a dead horse point, methinks.

[wanderinstar]

You might find this thread useful.
http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.ph ... ic&t=21891