Tyre advice please!

Riddler

Riddler

Active Member
i am thinking of replacing all four tyres on my 1972 Rover 3500S.
The ones I have on are Firestone and have a reasonable amount of tread but they are old (10-15 years) and I worry they may have degraded. As I am planning a long jaunt around Scotland in the summer I want them to be safe.
The tyre size is 185/80/14.
I seem to be struggling to find them - the only ones I have come across are sold by a company called Mytyres on the internet and they are Vredestein Sprint Classics at £115 each (fitted).
Has anyone tried these? Or can anyone recommend another good tyre that will fit and advise where I could get them from?
The tyre-fitting place I use did suggest that if I dropped the profile from 80 to 70 that would make a lot more brands available, but I don't know how that would look on the car and how it would affect the way it drives/rides.
Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Sprint classics are really good, I have them on my Rostyles. Really safe and predictable. You actually have three choices in this size/rating. Sprint Classics, Michelin MXV-P and Camacs.

Going to 70 profile will drop your overall gearing by 6.6%

The 3500 really needs slightly wider tyres but the standard rims aren't really wide enough. You need 6" rims from an SD1 and could use 205/70s but you may need some adjustment to the rear wheel arch.
 
It actually a very good upgrade going to the SD1 rims and 205's not just for tyre availability but in terms of car handling and safety.

Graeme
 
Whilst my preference was to stay with Pirelli because of the fabulous service they gave when I lobbed into their Milan HO with an out of round CN72 in 1971, have not been able to get them in our size for 10 years in Oz so last set were Michelins, but they no longer make the size.
Last year I got a couple of Bridgestone B249 in 185/75 14 R 89 H for the front and am extremely happy with them.
 
Does having a 90 profile instead of an 80 have any effect on the way the car handles/drives? Has anyone found a cheaper place to get them from than Mytyres?
 
90 profile doesn't exist. 80 or 82 profile is considered "full profile". The taller the sidewalls, the better the ride but the more movement the tyre has while cornering. Also tyres will fit a small window of rim sizes. If you fit the same tyre to a wider rim it will not "balloon" as much and have more control. You can fit 185/80 to a larger 6.0" rim and it feels much better than the 5.5"
 
Well I have found 185/90/14s for sale and I have spoken to the secretary of the P6 Rover Owners Club who has them fitted to her car so they certainly do exist!
 
Riddler said:
Well I have found 185/90/14s for sale and I have spoken to the secretary of the P6 Rover Owners Club who has them fitted to her car so they certainly do exist!
Click to expand...
That 90 is not the tyre profile it's the weight rating of the tyre.
 
I fitted Vredenstein Classic Sprints a couple of years ago. They are pretty nice, Reasonable handling in the dry and wet. Quiet and a sort of period look with modern performance.
 
In the winter i drive 185/80 and in summer 195/70 Almost no difference in normal driving. 195/70 is a little more stabil in cornering and strong side winds.
 
I have Vredestein sprint classic tyres on my 3500 and I am very pleased with them.
Regards Barten
 
Hi
Anybody tried 195 /65 r14 tyres on their v8? The tyre stats are almost identical to 185/70r14 standard tyres and a bit smaller than 195/75 r14. I am going to fit sd1 series 1 alloys and I am looking at tyre size options. I think 205 's are not an option.
Thanks.
 
205's should fit though on some cars a little panel adjustment maybe needed.



205's on my car

Graeme
 
Last edited:
squizzy said:
Photo of my tyres on Rostyles - Nankang 185R 14 90H
These will be around 7 years old although not done much mileage.
Click to expand...

185 is the width of the tyre, R means radial, 14 is the diameter of the wheel it fits, and as Chalky says 90 is the load index in this case 600Kg, and H is the speed rating which is 130mph. As this tyre doesn't give a ratio it would be 80-82.
 
I have been using 205/70 HR 14 tyres on my Rover since 1987, and have never had an issue with them. The only point to keep in mind is availability, for in the 30 years that I have been using them, very few manufacturers remain, in terms of offering that size. That is certainly the case here in Australia, although it may be different in other parts of the World.

Ron.
 
205's on my car

Graeme

OT, Graeme, interesting positioning of antenna, does it retract fully? does it impede door opening when the bonnet is up? Just curious.
 
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