what brand tires?

I am ready to buy new tires for my rostyle wheels. Looking for inexpensive (read cheap) 185/70-14's for summer use only. Interested in dry weather traction only.Joe

I've been using Kumhos on both my cars, and I'm pleased, expecially for the price.

I run Falken tires on my cars, purchased online from VulcanTire.com. Really good prices even with the shipping charges. Falken tires make great dry weather performance tires. Softer compounds with good grip. Would really only recommend if you have a trusted local shop to mount. The sidewall beads are very heavy and can be a bear to get to seat properly.

I bought a nice set of 185/70-14 Dunlops from TireRack.com for my B this Spring - they were pretty cheap and then had a $50 for set of 4 rebate on top. I don't drive it hard but they perform well as far as I am concerned.

I bought a set of Kumhos from TireRack for my daughter's Saturn; very inexpensive and about 500% better handling (wet and dry) than the factory Firestone junk tires it came with when new.

I am sold on TireRack and get all my tires from them.

Uniroyal, I had a set of 5 185/70-14's fitted and balanced at my local tyre place for $300, great in both the dry and the wet.

Here is a list of tires currently available in 185/70R14, with traction ratings...

Michelin Symetry (S)
Michelin Harmony (S)
Michelin X Radial DT (S)
Michelin Agility (S)
Michelin Destiny (S)
Michelin HydroEdge (T)
Toyo Spectrum (S)
Sumitomo HTR200 (H)
Yokohama Avid T4 (T)
BF Goodrich Traction T/A (T)
Dunlop D65 Touring (T)
Firestone Affinity Touring (S)
Firestone Affinity LH30 (S)
Firestone FR690 (S)
Goodyear Assurance ComforTred (T)
Goodyear Assurance TripleTred (T)
Goodyear Integrity (S)
Goodyear Regatta 2 (T)
Hankook Mileage Plus GT H707 (T)
Kumho Power Star 758 (T)
Kumho Touring A/S 795 (S)
Pirelli P400 Touring (T)
Vredestein Quatrak (T)
Yokohama Avid Touring (S)
Bridgestone B381 (S)
Dunlop SP 40 A/S (S)
Dunlop SP 60 (S)
Dunlop SP20 FE (S)
Uniroyal Tiger Paw AWP (S)
Yokohama Aegis LS4 (S)

Joe, so you want cheap???? why don't you seal a set of tire....that's cheap......seriously if you get a good set of tires, like the ones I have you not need to worry about tires, safety, for years to come. IMHO the word cheap means that you either can not afford to own a great car like the MG or someone has schooled you in the cheap is good...well sir, cheap is cheap and if cheap costs you your life on a turn on a sudden downpour you will never know..... OK here it is ....I paid 291 dollars for a set of Cooper Cobra GT mounted and balenced, they are primo and will give you safety and distance.... and Joe, for the future, buy quality and you will never be let down.

The sumitomos have a good reputation. I am running Kumho's on my Sable and that car does 90mph runs and aggressive cornering/braking etc. You can get good tires cheap.

Carl what is the problem with American Tires? I am not buy American but some things can not be beaten.

It is just a money issue sometime with us. Also getting hard to know what is actually made in the US anymore. They are Korean tires but they are on an American Car.

BTW, got Bridgestones on the GT (not sure where they are actually made).

Jerry,I'll be driving my car in dry weather only on the back roads of southern Maine.I don't need a set of super duper high speed all weather all season over priced tires.
Thats all I was asking for was the name of some tires with good dry traction that don't cost an arm and a leg.I don't care if there made on the moon.OK???

Joe, go see Bob Morneau at Sullivan Tire on Rt 1 in Scarboro. He is our club president and runs the place. Give him my name and see what he can do.

Hey Steve S aren't those speed ratings not traction ratings. I believe the lowest traction rating is C and best being AA.

Can't beat FREE!!!

Earlier in the week Stewart offered anyone on the board who could come to South Pasadena, 4 Rostyles with tires(about 1000 miles put on them) and 2 additional rims for...
2 4 packs of Boddingtons (The Cream of Manchester).

No one said yes, so I said,"I'll take them."

And I picked them up today. It was a lovely drive from San Diego, and South Pasadena has some of the most lovely and stately homes, Stewart's family's included.

I saw his 75 and guys...it is so much more brilliant live and in-color. Took some photos and I hope to post them up.

Stewart, if you're reading this thread...THANKS.

MG Owners have a bond. This board makes it easy for that bond to grow. Stewart's generosity is proof positive.

thouser Wrote:

I plan on getting a set of Kumhos for my GT next week. About $40 each from Tire Rack:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Touring+A%2FS+795

They are very highly rated in the testing done by Tire Rack. I have been very pleased with them on my Cirrus.

I would not discount the importance of wet traction. You never can be sure that you will only be on dry roads. Rain showers and sprinkler systems happen too, at least they do in south Louisiana

Thanks Carl I'll go see him tomorrow. Joe

Joe,
Most of the tires in Steve's very comprehensive list are all-weather tires for small sedans... For the driving you are doing, I'd avoid those, and anything with an "A/S" (all-season) or "M+S" (mud and snow) designation. Those tires will be noisier and will not optomize dry traction... they have big lugs and grooves in the tread for moving snow and slush and heavy rain.

Performance tires put more rubber and less grooves in their footprint, for better dry traction.

Look at the tire rack site where speed ratings are explained (you want the highest rating, I think its "T" in this size), and you want to look for a tire with as few sipes (grooves) in the outer band of tread as possible since that that is the part of the tire that does the work in hard cornering

If you are not brand conscious, the Yokohama Avids have a real good reputation, and so do the Kumhos, which are very inexpensive. We put Kumhos on the '73Midget, and were pleasantly surprised. If you're taking the car to the concours, you may want to stick with Euro brands like Pirelli and Dunlop.

I've had the Yokohama Avid tires for a couple of years and have been very pleased. Although my car is a fairweather driver. No problems and the price was right.

Please avoid the Pirelli P4000 185's. I am going to have to trash all 4 tires
I bought a few years ago, they are still like new but they are built so out of
true they can't be balanced. Had the 'best' 2 at the the tire shop yesterday
and the owner spun them and showed me why I get front end vibration. The tires
had a side to side movement (1/4" both ways). He showed me that the wheels were not out of true, it was the tires. He said it was one of the worst tires made but few people know about it, except the poor b**tards that had the bad luck to get them. On my station wagon I put $40 Khumos on and I can't believe how great they are. They handle well, make NO road noise and have no vibration etc.
How can Pirelli, who has been in business since forever, sell such a crap tire?
End of Rant.

Unfortunately the tires in that list are everything available in a 185. If you go to 195/65, you will have a larger assortment of H-Rated tires available. But it's a bit wide for 4.5" rims and you also run the chance of rubbing on the fender lip. Here is a list of 195/65R14 tires currently available...

BF Goodrich Traction T/A H (H)
Bridgestone Turanza LS-H (H)
Bridgestone Turanza LS-T (T)
Dunlop SP 40 A/S (S)
Dunlop SP 60 (S)
Dunlop SP Sport A2 Plus (H)
General Ameri-G4S (S)
Goodyear Regatta 2 (T)
Kuhmo Touring Plus 732 (T)
Michelin Harmony (S)
Michelin Destiny (S)
Michelin Agility Touring (S)
Pirelli P400 Touring (T)
Sumitomo HTR H4 (H)
Toyo Spectrum (T)
Yokohama Avid H4S (H)
Yokohama Avid T4 (T)

Sam, you say you bought your Pirellis a few years ago, how many years? Tyres are only good for a maximum of seven years, after that they become hard and brittle and should not be used.

Cooper Sportmaster GLT 185/70/14
These tires were inexpensive when I got them 4 years ago, can't remember exactly how much. They are great, wet or dry conditions (haven't/ won't drive them in snow) and just look right on the B.
American made I do believe.