203 tyres

D

Dr Tom

Member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Apr 29, 2022
Messages
30
Location
Mylor South Australia
Hi - seeking advice on the right set of tyres for my 203, currently running a set of 15 inch 404 wheels and tyres but I want to replace with original 16 inch rims...4 ply tyres currently fitted on the rims I plan to use are 5.20 x 16 and 5.25 x 16...what is the equivalent rating for radial tyres? Looking at Michelins if I can get them. Thanks
 
www.longstonetyres.co.uk

5.50 R 16 Michelin X

550R16 Michelin X is the correct tyre for an AC Ace. Though when Michelin made this tyre in the UK back in period it was in a different tread pattern. This tyre also fits BMW 501, Maserati 150 Mercedes 170 V, Sunbeam Alpine 90 and Bristol 400 & 404.The Overall Diameter of the 550 HR 16 Michelin...
www.longstonetyres.co.uk www.longstonetyres.co.uk

Not exactly the size you asked about....Longstone sends worldwide at no charge.
 
hi .i have a 203 wagon. i found there are no 4 ply in aus.i did not want to buy o/s as they will cost a lot.
i found falken tyres here 175x75x16 tyres ....but they are 8 ply light truck. so the ride is like rock and roll....
so i just drive slow and take it easy around the corners.
ron
 
the other way is to widen the wheels , and then you could fit 185 or 195 60 16 tyres
which could be found at tyre places .i may consider doing it in the future ,but not cheap around 200 dollars a wheel
maybe more.
 
depends on year model. mine is late 1954 and run 165r 15 inch tyres, I was told by another owner who was running the 16" rims that the tyres were expensive and michelin only brought about 4 in a year and that was 25+ years ago. Just replaced mine few weeks ago cost around 500 with tubes. Took 28 years to wear out 1st set.
 
16 inch were only on Australian cars. 15 inch are probably more original. With 404 rims though the track will be reduced slightly and the guards will seem to protude more. Find a set of 403 rims I guess.
 
discussion att. may /may not help;

1951 203 for sale

I wonder if the 203 in the for sale section really does have 400mm tyres given the Australian hub caps. My favorite hub cap, the 1952 domed knock on.
www.aussiefrogs.com
 
The French 400mm 203 wheels were replaced by 380mm in June 1954. There appears to have been a similar change in Australia from 16 inch to 15 inch with the introduction of the 203C in early 1955. The usual cross ply size was 590X15 so a 155R15 would be the closest radial size.
 
Thought the 15 in change was more like late 1956. A 155 radial ply is a lot smaller in diameter than a 5 90 cross ply. The 16s had 5 20.
 
Best to go with what’s available now, the 155 15 is too small in diameter, I did order 165 15 and then found out too small in diameter, needed th 165R which is the same as what was on the car. Checked an old cross ply tyre 590 X 15 like FJ Holden and VW beetle all about same size. Pic show new tyre from tyre power.
 

Attachments

  • AC14F1CD-EB5C-47D5-A525-AFB9E5301DBB.jpeg
    AC14F1CD-EB5C-47D5-A525-AFB9E5301DBB.jpeg
    986.3 KB · Views: 94
  • EB5E44C9-4343-470C-8465-D8E606EFFED9.jpeg
    EB5E44C9-4343-470C-8465-D8E606EFFED9.jpeg
    808.2 KB · Views: 88
  • 65684250-7BF0-463C-8905-C2FD63DB78F4.jpeg
    65684250-7BF0-463C-8905-C2FD63DB78F4.jpeg
    941.4 KB · Views: 85
The 400mm wheel was the curse of Australian owners of continental cars. Tyres were always had to get and expensive. The 202's brought to Australia were supposed to have 16 inch rims but some metrics slipped through. Austral wheelworks were cutting down Citroen 400mm rims to 15". One of the things Canada Cycle insisted on for the Australian cars was 16" rims. The tyre size decided on was 5.50 /16. The early cars had a different speedometer drive gear just for Australia to accommodate that size wheel and tyre exactly. Odd they went to all that trouble yet the body shop found it too much trouble to change the door lock to the drivers side. The first specifications list for Australian cars gave the tyre size as 5.50/16 but in practice they were fitted with 5.25/16 because that was closer to the French size. The first cars had French made wheels with rivetted hub cap attachment clamps. At the end of 1951 Rubbery Owen began to make the wheels in Australia, designed for knock on hub caps. No doubt because of a large stock in store Australian 203C's were delivered with 16" wheels. It was possible to individually order 15" just as it was to order 16" for a 403. Wilf Murrell's Ampol winning car was fitted with 16" wheels. There were so many 203 wheels in stock that in 1967 16" wagon wheels were available for $5. Looking at all the late model 203's that went through Basil Moran's business I never saw an original 1955 or 1956 with 15" wheels.
Australian owners find the 5.50 Michelin X satisfactory even though it is a little wider. Hard to say with currency market changes at the moment but a set from Longstone would not be much more than $400 each delivered. The tyres are from Serbia. There were some dreadful Indian Excelsior tyres being sold locally at some stage.
For the wagons and commercials Michelin made an excellent 175/16 mud and snow tyre but the local Michelin operation imports one off consignments and never again. The same for their truck tyres. Easier to deal with Longstone who are excellent.
 
I picked up a set of new young 175x 16 Maragoni LT tyres locally on ebay from Jax for the 203 van $50 each !!
did the redex rerun rode well, not harsh

the fitting receipt said" feral ",,,,,very funny but apt I thought
 
I've got a spare set of 203 wheels sitting here but all with tyres. The 5.50 /16 always fitted nicely and was an approved size so maybe they're 4.5 inches. I'll have to find a scrap rim but as a visual 4.5 looks more likely. There is no problem fitting the 175/80 Michelin X to the rims.
 
alpine said:
I picked up a set of new young 175x 16 Maragoni LT tyres locally on ebay from Jax for the 203 van $50 each !!
did the redex rerun rode well, not harsh

the fitting receipt said" feral ",,,,,very funny but apt I thought
Click to expand...
203 van rim is wider than sedan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top