Topic

Wondering whether to leave 15s on our put on 16 what's the general opinions

To me..15s look like roller skate wheels..

16s look better..

17s better still..

Unless its the rear.. Then 18s look like they were actually ment to be fitted..

I ran 15 front 16 rear on my F for a year.. No one noticed

I am sure opinions will differ, but I just changed from 15" to 16".

Why??

Purely for cosmetic reasons, 15" with big tires look a little out of place. 16" with low profile tires look just that bit nicer.

There is less choice in tires for 16", and they are more expensive.

I cant tell the difference driving, but then again i don't drive on a track.

16" & 17" may look better DD but what about handling
Also I remember that some that fitted 17" wheels in the past, said that they had issues with bad handling & also needed to extend the wheel arches.
Plus of course the extra cost of new tyres & braking set up, which may add up to the present value of the car

Having run 14"s, 15"s and 16"s, I definitely prefer 16"s.
The oem choice is, of course 15 or 16.
The 15s give a more forgiving ride that soaks up bumps better. Slightly floaty steering.
The 16s give a slightly firmer ride with better handling characteristics.More precise steering.

The 14s felt like riding on marshmallow (my first winter tyres were on 4 14" steel spare wheels)

David Aiketgate wrote: wrote:

Having run 14"s, 15"s and 16"s, I definitely prefer 16"s.
The oem choice is, of course 15 or 16.
The 15s give a more forgiving ride that soaks up bumps better. Slightly floaty steering.
The 16s give a slightly firmer ride with better handling characteristics.More precise steering.

The 14s felt like riding on marshmallow (my first winter tyres were on 4 14" steel spare wheels)

Will the standard steel spare fit over A&P calipers? When I had the other TF it came without a spare, just an aerosol of that spray crap so I bought a second hand steel spare wheel and jack.

Fortunately I never had a puncture, but I suppose if you a puncture on the front you could always put the spare on the rear and then rear on the front! a bit of messing, but you would get home.

No Brian, no chance. The car didn't have APs at the time so 14s fit no problem.
Now I have APs only my 16" multi-spoke hairpins will fit and even then I need 5mm spacers!

Having had 15" wheels since owning the F and having just changed to 16" wheels, I cannot believe G0RSQ's comment above that he couldn't feel any difference.

Maybe because I have just changed wheels and done a journey I do regularly, knowing every inch of the road, I can say without doubt that I felt a big difference.

First thing you notice is that the ride becomes firmer, you feel more of the surface of the road and the noise going over bumps or potholes is louder. This I was prepared for and expecting, however, from a comfort point of view I much prefer the ride. There is less 'bounce', the ride is much sportier without being harsh. The front tyres are now wider, 215 as opposed to 195 on the 15", and have made the steering feel slightly heavier. I feel I have more grip up front.

At speed on the motorway the firmer ride is definitely beneficial. There is a stretch of the M62 which undulates and previously the car would bob up and down, making you feel like you were at sea. With the 16" wheels the car just follows the undulations without the extra bobbing.

With 15" wheels the F looks original and if a more relaxed style of driving is your norm then I would say stick with the 15's.



With 16" wheels the car looks more modern and if you like to drive it like a sports car then the 16" wheels would be preferable. Choosing the 11 spoke design also allows you to fit the larger AP Racing calipers up front without the need for any spacers.



scubaman, you should ask yourself what your priorities are and make a choice based on them. Which ever way you go get the top down and enjoy your MG.

BTW folks the 16" LE Multispoke wheels found on the Freestyle also fit over the AP calipers with spacers. I found that 2.6mm cleared (using washers to check) but bought 5mm thick alloy spacers and providing the wheels are balanced on the inner edge of the rim they clear the AP's as can be seen here:-

Just need to find one more wheel for a spare now,

On another note the Blue MPi we also have is now sitting on 15" FIVE spoke original VVC wheels. Will get her original SIX spoke 15" wheels re-furbished one day.