Morris Minor Tire Pressures

To find tires for your Morris Minor see our Morris Minor Tires page.

White Morris Minor

Tire pressure for a Morris Minor ranges from 20-26 PSI depending on the year and specific model, the type of tires that you decide to fit, and pressure differences for front and rear tires.
To find the ideal tire pressures for your car's year, model, and chosen tires follow the link to our Tire Pressure Guide.

The Pre War Morris Minor originally fitted 3.50 x 19 tires, we recommend the 3.50 x 19 Longstone for these cars. Later the Morris Minor moved onto the 5.20-14 Dunlop D75 which is no longer produced. We recommend the 145 HR 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67 or the 155 TR 14 Michelin X.
To find out more information on Morris Minor tires follow the link to our Morris Minor Tire Section.

Morris Minor Tires Explained

Pre War Vintage Morris Minor Tires

The 3.50 x 19 Longstone is recommended for the small Cammy Morris Minors of the late 1920s. The side valve Morris Minor 8HP from the 1930s will also work well with the 350-19 Longstone. These tires should be fitted with the Michelin 19MF Central Valve innertube.

We recommend operating a pre-war Morris Minor at 30 psi. That would apply to both the 1920s Cammy Minor and the 1930s side valve variant. Tire pressures of 30 psi will be greater than those advised when these vehicles were initially manufactured. However, it is worth noting that in the 1920s and 1930s, there were a lot more loose surface roads, and it was impossible to sustain the high speeds we do today, therefore greater emphasis was focused on absorbing the shocks of non-tarmac roads.

Morris Minor Traveller

Morris Minor Crossply Tires

The Moggy Minor 1000 and Traveller came fitted with crossply tires 520X14 Dunlop D75 which sadly is no longer currently being produced and there is no alternative period tire, though there are some budget tires available in this size. The advantage of the Dunlop over budget crossply tires is that it would give better directional stability. Even the best quality crossply tires tend to wander compared to the radial tires.

Dunlop’s period tire pressure recommendations for the Morris 1000 and the Morris Minor are 22psi front and 24psi in the rear. These are the tire pressures when fitting the Crossply 520-14 Dunlop D75.

Morris Minor Radial Tires

Because of the dual carriageways and highways we now use, modern travel necessitates sustaining greater cruising speeds. As a consequence, in the majority of cases, antique automobiles like the Moggy Minor, people opt to add radial tires to make their cars more suitable for the environment they are driving in today. Of course, because the Moggy 1000 is such a useful vehicle, they put in considerable miles, so the added lifespan provided by a radial tire is also welcomed.

When it comes to selecting a tire for a Minor or a Traveller, having something like the 145 R 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO TM CA67 is great news since it means that there is finally a tire that looks correct. What could look better on these pragmatic little cars than a PIRELLI CINTURATO TM, but it's not just about looks.

Morris Minor Wheels with Cinturato Tires

In this case, we may have something that looks good on a Moggy Minor while still being the proper size, shape, and having a carcass that is suitable for the thin rims of a Morris Minor 1000 or Traveller. These vehicles were initially equipped with rather thin rims, to which this 145 R 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO TM CA67 is ideally suited (these tires will also work perfectly on the wide Morris Minor van wheels as well).

Owners of the Morris 1000 and Morris Traveller frequently mistakenly believe that a larger 155R14 tire will give the car longer legs, which it will to some extent, but it will also give the car a broader foot print and be unstable on the rim. The instability can be mitigated by installing the wider van rims, but this does not change the fact that the wider tire will still have a negative impact on handling, especially when using a modern tire. The Michelin 155 R14 X is the best tire in the size. However, a 145 R 14 tire is better suited to a Morris Minor, and the Pirelli Cinturato is ideal for these vehicles.

The tire pressures for Morris Minors on radial tires vary drastically according to the manufacturer, from 22psi front and 20psi rear for a Morris Minor to Dunlop saying 24psi front and 26psi rear, with no extra pressure in the back for a Traveller, which does seem weird.

Morris Minor Wheels

Morris Minor Traveller Wedding Car

The basic wheels supplied to the Morris Minor automobiles were a 3.0D-14" wheel, also known as a 3jX14" wheel. This 3D rim part is suitable with the old 5.20-14 crossply tire as well as the 145 HR 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO. There is also the option of installing the larger Morris Van wheels. These slightly bigger replica wheels allow you to install tubeless tires. Though these bigger wheels allow for the installation of a 155R14 tire, all versions; Morris 1000, Morris Traveller, Van, and Pick up will drive better with genuine period 145R14 tires.

Morris Minor Wheels and Tires Special Offer

We are now running a sale on sets of original Morris Minor wheels with the PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67 authentic era 145 HR 14. They come with a Michelin innertube and have been installed and balanced at Longstone tires, where we put vintage tires on classic vehicle wheels on a daily basis. We sell genuine Morris Minor wheels with PIRELLI 145 HR 14 Cinturato tires in sets of 4 or 5 at a favourable discount.

Morris Minor Innertubes

Michelin innertubes are the finest in our expertise working with historic automobile wheels and tires. The normal 3" Morris 1000 and Traveller wheels are pressed steel wheels that were developed prior to the introduction of tubeless tire and wheel combinations. Because the rim is too thin to fit a safety bead, the standard 3" Morris Traveller and 1000 wheels need be mounted with an innertube. If you plan on using a normal Morris 1000 thin wheel, we recommend using Michelin 14CG innertubes in a 145 R14 tire, and a 14D13 Michelin innertube in a 155 R14 tire. However, the wheel and tire special offer we have here uses the bigger 4.5" wide Morris 1000 Van and Pickup wheels with a safety bead, which are well suited to fitting tubeless. It should be noted that the 145 HR 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67 can be ordered with or without an innertube.

Morris Minor History

The Morris Minor made its début at the Earls Court Motor Show in London on September 20, 1948. Between 1948 and 1972, more than 1.3 million were created under the guidance of Alec Issigonis in three series: the MM from 1948 to 1953, the Series II from 1952 to 1956, and the 1000 series from 1956 to 1971. The range was expanded in 1950 to include a four-door saloon, a wood-framed estate (the famous Morris Oxford Traveller) in October 1953, and panel van and pick-up versions in May 1953. It is recognised as an example of car design as well as an English icon.