Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all ,i know iv'eseen it on here some where but ican't find it could someone please tell me what the correct tyre pressure should be on my moggy , my tyre size is 165/70/r14 thankyou in advance Joanne

With Radial tyres the pressures are a little higher than the recommended ones for crossplies, depending on preference 28 - 30 lbs is what most owners find best.

many thanks i'll be checking them this afternoon

BUT - these tyres are way too wide for standard rims - 145 is the nearest 'best' size and many use 155 . So - for these 'too wide' tyres you may struggle to get good handling unless you blow them up very hard - I would start at 30 psi and see how it feels, but be prepared to go higher.

ahhhh so my car has the wrong tyres ! Could this be why i slide when braking hard if its wet? Sorry if i sound like an idiot but the braking has been worrying me greatly , i never thought that it could be the tyres

Well - it could be - although I would have thought these tyres would be ok for braking (as long as they have decent tread!) - but very 'wobbly' in cornering!

Thanks bmc i will try 30 psi , i can't say iv'e noticed anything when cornering but then it's my first morris so i have nothing to compare it to , i have had 2 very near misses whilst going downhill in the wet and having to brake hard because an idiot cut me up . The brakes shoes sre being replaced today but they didn't look that bad to be honest

If, when you say you slide when braking, you mean that the wheels have locked up, then there is nothing wrong with the brake shoes and replacement will not stop wheel lock up - Only the amount of pressure you apply to the pedal will stop that happening. If you need to stop quickly you should very quickly "pulse" the brakes by going on / off the pedal fast - This will be similar to how the modern ABS brake systems work. Most people just panic and freeze on the brake pedal causing skidding and loosing the ability to steer around obstacles....

That describes it exactly! I did panic and slam on the brakes , i now know what the wheel "locking " is ! Please forgive my ignorance ,i have only driven a ford focus before and have only been driving for 2 years I will definately try the pulsemethod (they don't teach that on driving lessons ) many thanks Joanne

Sadly these days they don't teach how to drive "properly" !! There are so many driver aids in modern cars that you don't really appreciate if you have never driven an old car. Don't worry about it though as it will make you a much better and more considerate driver

its takes a lot of guts to take your foot off the brakes then pump them when your sliding!!!

But it saves all that time sweeping broken headlights off the road. Some continental countries even have a 'Winter' test which you have to sit within 12 months of passing your test - skid pans, ice driving etc

Thank goodness for Global Warming!

'Global Warming' does that mean I wont have to change my thermostat for the winter

That's it - keep it turned right up - to encourage more Global Warming!

stevey wrote:its takes a lot of guts to take your foot off the brakes then pump them when your sliding!!!

I'm not sure how old you are Stevey but I am guessing you are one of our younger members
Cadence braking was the norm when I learned to drive and if you get into the habbit of doing it, it comes naturally. I suggest some practice on quiet roads just in case it is required in an emergency situation....

joannebinney wrote: The brakes shoes sre being replaced today but they didn't look that bad to be honest

Joanne - just be aware that new shoes (ironically) won't work as effectively as your old ones until they have bedded in properly, so allow yourself a little more braking distance for the first 50 - 100 miles or so....

It's an art worth learning. Find yourself a deserted bit of tarmac carpark or whatever with lots of run off on either side. Pick a wet day and stand on the brake pedal. Wheels lock - no steering - slide straight on. Now take your foor off the brake pedal and amazingly you can steer again . Now repeat the on/off process as quickly as you can. Simples!! to quote a legend
It 's not just the younger members. Since buying my Traveller my wife has had to learn how to drive without all the electronics fitted to her Italian rocket ship (it even does hill starts for you)

another little tip is keep both hands on the wheel and move your head the way you want to turn and you will naturally turn the wheel the way you want to go in an emergency situation.pulse brake at the same time,tyakes a bit of getting used to.i did a skid control at silverstone worth every penny.

Thanks for all the advice guys , i will find a wet quiet stretch of road and practise emergency stops,i have never been as scared as i was yesterday sliding downhill towards the pig that pulled out , luckley no one was hurt and no cars were damaged, lesson learned