Topic

As the new owner of an MGF VVC 1998, I have planned to change tires in the spring. I understand that the Falken Ziex ZE310 is a good choice. For the size 185/55/15 there are only extra load tires, while for the size 205/50/15 it is "normal" tires.

I wonder if it matters if there are extra load tires on the front wheels? Can it be positive from the point of view of road handling?

Yes there were a few questions that I would be grateful if you could help me answer.

I have Falken XL’s on my TF and they are great. For the TF they should be extra load front and rear, I am sure someone else will add to this. Having the wrong mix of tyres can be dreadful.

A fine choice of car & an excellent vintage.
Welcome along.
I don’t consider the f to be as finicky as the tf but care still has to be exercised with the choice of tyre. I was always an adherent to Avon tyres until they stopped making our size, I have moved over to Toyo proxy’s with good results. However my esteemed colleague’s recommendation & your initial observations on the Falkens cannot be faulted.
M

Thank you for your answers. Is it the Toyo Proxes TR1 that you have on the car?

MikaelD wrote:

I understand that the Falken Ziex ZE310 is a good choice. For the size 185/55/15 there are only extra load tires, while for the size 205/50/15 it is "normal" tires.

I wonder if it matters if there are extra load tires on the front wheels? Can it be positive from the point of view of road handling?

I checked this as I was worried I might have missed that when I bought new Falken ZE310 Ecoruns for my TF. You are right in saying that in the sizes you want, which I believe are the correct sizes for 15" wheels on a MGF VVC, one size is V XL and the other is V only. On my 16" TF wheels, both sizes are V XL so the issue does not arise.

These tyres are very popular on both the MGF and MG TF, so somebody else must have encountered this. You could also try emailing Falken. Or you could contact Demon Tweeks for advice. They seem to do the best deal on these tyres.

I have received this reply from Falken:

Whether a tire has the suffix "XL" in its designation or not does not really matter.
As long as the tire meets the specifications of your vehicle, such as the load index and maximum speed, you can fit any tire you want.

XL tires are designed for higher axle loads, so you are right in assuming that these tires are also more stable.
Unfortunately, I can't tell you whether this is actually noticeable when driving compared to a non-XL tire.

I also think that it makes no difference whether you drive an XL tire on the front axle and not on the rear.
However, we always recommend using the same tire manufacturer and the same tire model on all axles to prevent possible handling problems.

Sorry for not answering, every time I’ve been in the garage I’ve been carting stuff about, finished bits in & parts to be worked on out, plus I’ve a tendency to forget.
Now what was the question?
M