Ok so will be investing in 5 new tyres after getting my ruby running, new tyres are now needs so I can actually use. According to the type and codes the ones on were probably manufactured in1938, cracked badly worn as expected! Which also ties up with its history quite nicely of being stored from the early 40s.

I have read about sizes, it has 400 width so will continue on this path, so really looking for any recommendation on brand rather than size

Longstones every time. Excellent tyres and if buying 5 they'll do you a deal to include tubes and rim tapes.

Steve

Location: North Yorkshire

Definitely Longstones, and if you live somewhere near they'll fit them free and even give you a cuppa!
Also worth a look at whatever cars they have in.

Location: Near M1 Jtn 28

I am with Steve, I have changed all my Austin seven tyres to Longstone after fitting to one car.
They improve the driving experience.
For me they cannot be improved upon.

Nick

Location: The Centre of the Universe

After three sets of Avons my RP now runs on Longstones. I concur. I presume the Ruby tyres will have a different tread pattern to the 19" tyres which are more suited to the earlier cars.

Location: Gard, France 30960

I agree - Longstone tyres.

Would you mean those please?

Location: Brittany

Yep,longstones for me had 5 for the box,ordered over phone and quick delivery.

Location: 51.9000*N ,0.4333*W (LUTON)

Any recomendation on 16's from anyone. Im looking at buying a set. The Avon SM looks good but is a motorcycle tyre. Anyone used them?

What tyre pressures do you use with the Longstones Brian?

I went to Longstones, they recommended their own tyres which the have had made specially for Sevens. Tee, interesting chat and IIRC they put in 20psi

Thanks, all useful input, think I will do a bit more research as also run a model t also due tyres so may be able to put a deal together for a complete two sets.

I've got Blockley tyres on the Seven, but can't comment on how it behaves as it's not on the road yet, I can however tell you that the Blockley tyres on my special,(not Austin), are wonderful and I can't praise them enough. Alf

Location: Hampshire

Location: Gard, France 30960

I am afraid to mention (considering the above leaning to Longstones) that I have EXcelsior tyres fitted to my cars. If you buy them at Beauliue auto jumble from North hampshire tyres (Fleet) you don't pay the dreaded VAT.

Location: Oakley ,Hants

Hi Alf,

Blockley don't make a tyre to fit the Ruby though which takes a 4.00 x 17". The only 17" tyre Blockley produce is a 6.00/6.50 and they're £199 each.

Jeff.

Location: Almost but not quite, the far North East of England

Tyre pressures oops. Sorry, I must have been thinking of the Pembleton

Henry Harris

renaud

Would you mean those please?

Not those!
The block tread type is 19 inch diameter so not for Rubies.


Longstone do a 17 inch tyre specifically for Rubies and it's a faithful copy of the original tread design......




http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/400-425x17-longstone.html

Location: Brittany

Longstones are a car tyre.
Avon are motorcycle tyres
Alan can fill in the details


C

I've clocked 120,000 miles plus in my RP, on two-and-a-bit sets set of Avon Sidecars.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E", not a "T".

Good point Martin, Avon has served the A7 movement for many years (when nobody else bothered), I am very grateful to them - in fact, most of my cars still have Avons on them.

I fitted Longstones to my Chummy some years back however and LOVE them - so much so that from now on I will be fitting Longstones when the Avons run out, they look fab but more importantly, ride incredibly well.

As noted- Avon Sidecar tyres have been the saviour of early Austin motoring for many years and with the flat tread profile give a car like performance.

Here I believe some sensitive souls grind off the 'sidecar' marking but this is a bit of a w*nk because the style is so well known.

We have a few Longstones in use now but the majority still use Avons.

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne, Australia.

All observations on the relative ride and handling of the various tyres on more or less stock full height cars are of interest. And any comparison with older tyres. I am always astonished at the adamant claims for great stability and freedom of deviation for unmodified stock cars on poor surfaces. I assume that the very pliable walls of many modern tyres cause these to behave with reduced camber steer much as radials. I have heard owners of pre war American cars report notable improvement in handling with new (crossply) tyres.

Enquiries here about ten years ago suggested various inexpensive motor cycle tyres available.

Here the w.o.f (MOT) rules applied to the letter would seem to ban tyres marked sidecar, motorcycle etc or with any details ground out.

What are local experiences?

Location: Auckland, NZ

Dave, I have been running the Longstones at 22psi as usually recommended for A7 tyres but have read somewhere that Longstones should be run at higher pressures. (I've got it written down somewhere but my Box is on axle stands at the moment so it a bit academic)
Just found my note about Longstones tyre pressures and agree with earlier comment re 30 psi.

Location: Near M1 Jtn 28

Location: misty Brittany

Location: Hampshire

Alf Tudge

Jeff Taylor

Hi Alf,

Blockley don't make a tyre to fit the Ruby though which takes a 4.00 x 17". The only 17" tyre Blockley produce is a 6.00/6.50 and they're £199 each.

Jeff.

Wow Jeff my tyres were not that price when I bought them. If my memory serves me well, I think I got 5 for £360 or thereabouts. This was five years ago now, but I can't see how they would have jumped to that price. Alf

Location: Shropshire

If you were looking for 400x17s Howard Annett supplies them to Tony Betts and Tony Lesley at a very good price

After 50+ years of Avons (SM & sidecar triple duty) with a lot supplied by Longstones which gave excellent service. 3 years ago I tried a set of Longstones on one of our RNs and found the rear end wallowed round corners so I phoned Longstones for their advice, they said start at 30 PSI and to forget Austin's recommended tyre pressure. I eventually ended up at 35 PSI which improved but didn't cure things, so I swapped them onto another car with similar results and finally ended up with two cars with Longstones on the front and Avons on the rear. I then started to see what other cars were fitted with and found quite a few with Longstones on the front and Avons on the rear. They seem to wear well and are easy to fit, with my plates of meat I usually have difficulty getting the inner tube valve into it's hole not so with these tyres.

I'm a fan of Blockley 19 x 3.50, they are a bit softer and grippier but probably don't last as many miles, no problem if you're not a high mileage driver.

Location: Isle of Wight

A recent problem with a set of five new Avon tyres- there was a small foil label inside at least two tyres and when using softish 'chinese'? tubes the end of the label lifted and ate its way into the tube causing a puncture.

I am waiting for the other three to collapse

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne, Australia.

I understand that motorcycle tyres can be used on Austin 7s as this would keep the cost down.as I see it if the profile is flat there should not be a problem.I saw a set on Amazon last summer at £120 ,wish I had got them then.Lets save money

Location: north yorks

Avon Triple Duty Sidecar 3.50 x 19TT - nice flat tread- fitted to all my 1928/9 Seven's.

Tony.

John, if they have a flat profile, I don't think they're motorcycle tyres.

When, as an ignorant teenager, I put my first Seven on the road I made the big mistake of using motorcycle tyres as an "economy" measure. In ordinary use they were worn out in about 3 months.

It's been Avon Sidecars ever since.

Location: Herefordshire, with an "E", not a "T"!

Many thanks Toni.We talk the same talk. I am just completing rebuilding the front axle so a good bit of money has gone into it.I have had the wheels powder coated as well.
Cheers John

Location: north yorks

Thanks for that Martin,I am on it.
Cheers John

Location: north yorks

I believe that Avon Triple Duty refers to combinations.
The sidecar variety.

Location: Wessex

The advertising suggests for use on the front wheel of a sidecar bike combination - and then notes can be used for other wheels - so I assume this is the triple duty - three wheels ?

Now all is revealed!

Tony.