Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi gang - I am running Jethro on Nangkang 155/14 tyres at 32psi all round and while he seems to follow the road very well the steering feels a tad heavy and I was wondering what would be the ideal pressure to achieve the lightest practical steering performance. [frame][/frame]

Fit power steering

In all honesty I think that you have probably got it about as light as it gets, I run mine at 32 all round ( same tyres too) and it is slightly lighter than when I got it, and they were at 24 PSI all round. Others may say different though.......

I wouldn't go much higher than that in search of lighter steering.
Make sure everything is greased up and moving freely, also make sure the tracking and camber are right.

They look like wider rims, maybe the turning axis has changed in some way?

Thanks folks - much appreciated

I think they are just std rims? At 32 psi the steering should be finger light - as others have suggested, grease the king pins - and the steering rack, and perhaps check the track rod ends (although highly unlikely they would be tight). And check the tracking to 1/8" toe-in.

I don't know much about radials on Minors but the 155 seems a rather wide tyre in relation to the crossplies. Of course, the greater the amount of rubber in contact with the road surface the greater is the resistance felt.

32 all round is perfect ,if not something is wrong

Hi,
Asked local tyre dealer to set up my moggy pickup full refurbishment but stated unable to since no settings available on his computer.
Tyre size 195\50R15 82H YOKOHAMA S306.
Front standard struts fitted with disc brakes and standard steering rack.
Rear gas struts with double tie bars and panhard rod and a limited slip differential.
5mm wheel spacers fitted all round.
Front distance wheel outside to outside being 157 cm
Rear distance wheel outside to outside being 157 cm
Tyre pressures at front 24 and rear 28 psi
Standard setting being 2.5 mm toe in to each other.
Do you think this will be okay or not.
Also setting up the rear tyres would you use a plum line from front tyre wall to just touch rear tyre wall as on a motor bike.
Thank you,
PHILIP JONES.

In a word, NO!
You are running very wide radial tyres on the same pressure as skinny crossplys.
I'd think 32psi as a minimum, as you are customising most aspects the tyre pressures will be unique too.

Your suggested front tyre pressure may be a bit low - but just experiment with it!

Regarding the OP's post, 32 psi is a bit high for these tyres in my experience. I've just been experimenting on my saloon with a set of 4 new Nankangs, and was running them at 30 psi (which is what I run the Toyos at on the other Minor) but found the ride was too harsh. The sidewaalls on these seem firmer than on the Toyos. I dropped the pressures to 28 psi all round, and the ride comfort is far better, with no loss of grip. I'm very pleased with the tyres - the car sticks to the road like poo to a blanket, even in the wet.

If steering is heavy, as others have said, I suspect something else is wrong. Worn kingpins, or tracking well out, worn bushes etc? For goodness sake don't blow the tyres up over 32 psi for normal driving to make the steering lighter - they will be way too hard and I should imagine grip would be affected.

I run our saloon which has Nankangs on it at 30 psi too and they seem fine.

i run mine at 30 seems fine at that