Wheels and Tyres questions: planning for replacements

[peter dowdle]

Just a warning in selecting a suitable wheel tyre combination be sure it will fit in the storage area in the front guard. I have 215/70/15 tyres on 6 inch rims on my 411 mk 2 and it is very difficult to get them to fit under the guard. I have 185/16 tyres on my 403 and they wont fit in the storage locker at all.

[dwomby]

Originally Posted by John Rolfs

I've run my 409 PAS on 15" alloy rims for many years. The 112mm PCD on Bristol hubs made before the 410 is the same as used by Audi and Mercedes. This means plenty of 15 and 16 inch rims in steel or alloy in a variety of widths and offsets. I use 205 Bridgestones on Audi 200 flat disc wheels but you may need something narrower without the benefit of my power steering. Stud thread is an awkward BSF 9/16ths but thankfully same as early Land Rovers when you need to find new nuts. Check that the handbrake mechanism safely clears the inside rim if you go to 15", especially in reverse!!

Thank you, John. May I ask what the profile is on your 205s? 70 or 75?

Originally Posted by Philip

Dunlop Sport Classic in 215/70VR15 (there’s a 205/70, too).

Thank you, Philip.

Originally Posted by peterg

I fitted tubeless tyres to my original 403 steel wheels and they keep pressure better than the alloys on my other cars.

That's good to know, Peter. Gives me hope if I end up keeping the factory wheels.

Originally Posted by peter dowdle

Just a warning in selecting a suitable wheel tyre combination be sure it will fit in the storage area in the front guard. I have 215/70/15 tyres on 6 inch rims on my 411 mk 2 and it is very difficult to get them to fit under the guard. I have 185/16 tyres on my 403 and they wont fit in the storage locker at all.

Peter, thanks. I hadn't thought of that potential fit issue.

Anybody else want to chip in what tyres/wheels they have on their V8s?

David

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by dwomby

Anybody else want to chip in what tyres/wheels they have on their V8s?

David

For what it's worth I have Avon Turbospeed 215/70/15 on my 411 on Avon Safety Wheels which I believe are 6" wide. But that's not any help to you.

Do you have a copy of A Private Car by Leonard Setright? He has a bit to say about wheels and tyres on the Bristol V8s. He raved about the improvement 15" Minilite wheels made to the handling of a 409, with 205/70VR15 tyres (he said he couldn't recall whether the rims were 6" or 6.5" wide). The only problem he found with this combination was that when fully laden in vertical corners, the tyres fouled the inside of the wheel arches at full bump.

He said that this wheel and tyre combination could not be put on a 410, but unfortunately didn't say whether they would fit on a 408!

[dwomby]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

For what it's worth I have Avon Turbospeed 215/70/15 on my 411 on Avon Safety Wheels which I believe are 6" wide. But that's not any help to you.

Do you have a copy of A Private Car by Leonard Setright? He has a bit to say about wheels and tyres on the Bristol V8s. He raved about the improvement 15" Minilite wheels made to the handling of a 409, with 205/70VR15 tyres (he said he couldn't recall whether the rims were 6" or 6.5" wide). The only problem he found with this combination was that when fully laden in vertical corners, the tyres fouled the inside of the wheel arches at full bump.

He said that this wheel and tyre combination could not be put on a 410, but unfortunately didn't say whether they would fit on a 408!

Thanks, Kevin. Any and all info. is appreciated and I am not sure that your 411 setup couldn't be made to work on my 408. Your tyres are even wider than Setright's yet do not rub. Maybe the inner lip of the fender has been changed in later models to provide more clearance? I keep coming across this photo which is labelled 408 and seems to be dated 1973. It has Minilites and I wonder what sizes the wheels and tyres are. Or even if this may be Setright's 409? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...photo_1973.jpg

David

[Sam410]

Originally Posted by dwomby

I keep coming across this photo which is labelled 408 and seems to be dated 1973. It has Minilites and I wonder what sizes the wheels and tyres are. Or even if this may be Setright's 409? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...photo_1973.jpg

I'm pretty sure that is a 409 so may be Setright's.

My 410 is on 205/70 R15 Blockleys, on the original wheels. The Blockley radials seem to have quite soft sidewalls; ride is improved, but handling is not as precise as it used to be on Falken 215/70s that I can't get any more.

I have a spare set of 411 wheels, but I don't think they fit a 410 without changing the hubs also.

[dwomby]

Originally Posted by Sam410

I'm pretty sure that is a 409 so may be Setright's.

My 410 is on 205/70 R15 Blockleys, on the original wheels. The Blockley radials seem to have quite soft sidewalls; ride is improved, but handling is not as precise as it used to be on Falken 215/70s that I can't get any more.

I have a spare set of 411 wheels, but I don't think they fit a 410 without changing the hubs also.

Thanks for the info.. I've never heard of Blockley before. Probably not sold here in the US. I agree, the 411 wheels won't fit as the bolt spacing is different.

David

[OakHouse411]

Hi there
i have been following the threads on wheels and tyres with great interest. The tyres on my 410 were well past their sell by date and although there were no visible signs of deterioration, I decided for safety to replace them. I also wanted to fit alloy wheels and preserve the original steel wheels. My current tyres are 205/70/15. I considered Radar Dimax tyres but was unable to find out much information about them. In the end, I went for Uniroyal Rainmaster tyres as I have used these on previous cars and found them great for handling. Regarding the wheels, I purchased a set of 15" 6.5J Jaguar lattice alloys. These required 5mm spacers. I purchased a set of the correct Jaguar nuts for the lattice alloys. The thread on these were 1/2" UNF. I drilled them out on a lathe with a 1/2"drill and then re-tapped them to 9/16BSF. For wheel centre caps, Ford do a centre cap (part no 71159 1A065 LA) which fits the Jaguar alloys. I removed the Ford laminated logos and replaced them with laminates which I made up with the Bristol logo. Am very pleased with the end result
ATB Andrew

[Roger Morrall]

Originally Posted by Sam410

I have a spare set of 411 wheels, but I don't think they fit a 410 without changing the hubs also.

Just for the record, no, they do fit. PEU186F, the 410 I owned for quite a number of years, came to me with 411 wheels on the original hubs. But she did need a longer clamping bolt making up for the spare as the original was just that bit too short to be practical.

411 wheels allow one to choose from a wide range of modern SUV tyres. Modern tyres are required to meet EU noise requirements and are markedly quieter on the road whilst offering sharper handling.

I believe her subsequent curator has upgraded to Jaguar wheels