Using the Triumph Toledo’s & Dolomite’s 4 x 3¾ inch (i.e. 4 x 95•25 mm) PCD – pitch circle diameter, as the principal search criterion, I identified various potential donor car marques & models, as potential sources of second-hand 14 inch or 15 inch alloy wheels for my Toledo, but the information quoted on different Internet websites was as inconsistent and potentially incorrect as it had been for MG-F & MG-TF wheels.
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » wheel sizes PCD?
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Triumph Torque > Chit Chat Boards > Technical Chit-Chat > Triumph PCD & Suitable Wheels
http://club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/foru ... 197304398/
General search re PCD
http://www.wheel-fitment.com/PCD.html
Specific search using 4 x 3¾ inch (i.e. 4 x 95•25 mm) PCD
http://www.wheel-fitment.com/PCD/4x95.25.html
More specific search using 4 x 3¾ inch (i.e. 4 x 95•25 mm) PCD and 56•6 mm centre-bore
http://www.wheel-fitment.com/PCD/4x95.25/56.6.html
http://www.wheelfitment.eu/PCD/4x95.25/56.6.html
Caterham 7 Classic (1992~1998) - 15 mm offset
Lotus Elise S1 (1996~2001) - 10 mm offset
Lotus Exige S1 (2000~2004) - 38 mm offset
Rover MGF Roadster (1996~2006) - 28 mm offset
Given that wheel-offsets outside a certain range of values would be impractical, unless one either machined the wheel’s mounting face or used spacers as appropriate, this effectively eliminated the various Lotus car models with appropriate PCD (i.e. 1996~2001 Lotus Elise S1 – 10 mm wheel-offset | 2000~2004 Lotus Exige S1 – 38 mm wheel-offset) as possible donors; assuming the information was accurate.
http://www.wheel-fitment.com/car/Lotus/ ... 2001).html
http://www.wheel-fitment.com/car/Lotus/ ... 2004).html
Despite my misgivings, 14 or 15 inch alloy wheels from the MG Maestro, MG Maestro Turbo MG Montego or MG Montego Turbo seemed promising.
MG-Maestro: 1983~1990
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/maestro/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/maestro/1983/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/maestro/1990/
MG-Montego: 1985~1991
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/montego/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/montego/1985/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/montego/1991/
Steel wheels from the Austin-Rover Maestro and/or Montego, might also be an option worth considering.
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/rover/maestro/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/rover/montego/
The 15 inch wheels of cross-lattice style in silver or white were quite attractive, and were a standard factory-fitment to the 2•0 litre models.
Ignoring the 4 fixing holes, the cross-lattice pattern has 20 degrees of rotational symmetry and given that 4 and 20, have 4 as the HCF (i.e. highest common factor), the overall wheel design has 4 degrees of rotational symmetry and 4 degrees of mirror symmetry, which are desirable attributes contributing to the attractiveness of a wheel. Sadly, many of the factory-fitted wheel designs for the MG-F & MG-TF do not share these attributes; especially those of 5-spoke & 6-spoke configuration.
MG Maestro or Montego 15 inch cross-lattice style wheels
I felt they wouldn’t look out of place on a Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL Special” and seemed more appropriate than the various styles that were factory-fitted to the MG-F & MG-TF.
Having little faith in the published data, my only recourse was to have the wheels’ offset and other specifications determined from information embossed on the wheels themselves or where practical, determined directly by measurement and calculation.
Over a period of several months, during 2016 & 2017, I followed up on sporadic listings on British E-bay and Gumtree, of MG Maestro and/or Montego wheels, for which some vendors were asking horrendously expensive “buy-it-now prices or starting-bid prices which already exceeded my budget.
However, during those months, I was able to glean the important information I sought about part numbers, rim-width, offset, maximum-load rating and fixing-stud & nut size, together with gaining some insight into the tyre sizes fitted to them. In some cases, the required information could be gained from published details or by close examination of the photographs which accompanied the listing. Otherwise, I sent a detailed list of questions to the vendors, who had inadequately described the items they had put up for sale.
Whatever happened, I was determined NOT to buy any wheels, whose specifications were uncertain. Having no personal transport available to me, I was limited by the need to have any wheels that I purchased delivered by courier or collected by my local friend who had a Ford C-Max from which the rear seats could be readily removed.
Finally, in March 2017, a pair of MG Maestro 5½J x 15 inch lattice-style alloy wheels (Part No.
NAM 9101 |
415 kg maximum-load rating |
31 mm offset – marked on wheel, but I also later checked this by measurement & calculation) with 185/55 R15 tyres, were listed on E-bay at a starting-bid price of only £10•00, and much to my surprise, I won the auction with a bid of just £10•50; having previously clarified with the vendor that he would be willing to have them collected by UPS from Surrey and delivered to my home on Canvey Island at a cost of £13•73.
Both of these wheels featured the following markings surrounding the flat portion that abuts the car’s wheel-hub:
MADE IN BRITAIN
X-RAY PWE D 91 HT
MAX LOAD 415 KG
P. TEST
5•5Jx15CH31
NAM 9101 DATE/MELT
The two tyres are very different. One is a Michelin MXV2, 185/55 R15 81V, made in West Germany, with very little remaining tread depth (probably about 2½ mm), so would only really be suitable as an interim get-you-home spare. Noting that the unification of West & East Germany occurred in October 1990, I suspect this might be one of the original tyres that was factory-fitted to the car. The other, is what appears to be a nearly-new Cheng Shin Maxxis, 185/55 R15 82V, made in Taiwan, with a substantial tread-depth (probably about 6~7 mm).
Given that a factory-standard Triumph Toledo 1300 could barely reach 85 mph downhill with a tail-wind, even a T-speed-rated tyre is significantly over-rated so a V-speed-rated tyre would be grossly over-rated and have a greater rolling resistance!
Ultimately, I wanted a complete set of at least
SIX matching wheels, so that I would have a matching spare in the boot, together with at least one spare-spare in the garage, in case a wheel was damaged beyond repair at some time in the future, during an encounter with a pothole, road debris or kerb.
If I could not obtain symmetrical and/or non-directional tyres, then having at least six wheels would allow me to have three right-handed wheel & tyre assemblies and three left-handed wheel & tyre assemblies, which could be rotated in sets of three to wear out complete sets of six tyres. I see no economic purpose in having one or more spare tyres that seldom if ever get used, but still deteriorate with age (n.b. six years from date of manufacture, is the estimated lifespan of a modern tyre) and periodically need to be replaced!
I surmised that the majority of people wishing to buy such wheels, probably seek either a set of four or five wheels (to upgrade from another type of wheel), or just a single wheel (to replace an identical damaged wheel or provide a matching spare, in place of a “space-saver” wheel. Hence, I was on the lookout for partial sets of either two or three matching wheels, which I hopefully might be able to acquire at similar “bargain-basement” prices! Sadly, I never found any more partial sets.
Several vendors were decidedly uncooperative with regard to identifying the technical specifications of the MG Maestro/Montego wheels they had listed for sale and more than nine more months passed, before I found any more MG Maestro 5½J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels with
31 mm offset, which were clearly identifiable as such!
Finally, in December 2017, I purchased a set of five MG Maestro 5½J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels (Part No.
NAM 9101 |
400 kg maximum-load rating – 15 kg less than the first pair |
31 mm offset – marked on wheel) without tyres for £90, from a vendor in Yorkshire, but it took some hard-nosed negotiation to persuade him to package them appropriately in sets of two and three, for collection and delivery by UPS at optimal cost.
All five of these MG Maestro wheels featured the following markings surrounding the flat portion that abuts the car’s wheel-hub:
F 89 H T
MAX LOAD 400 KG P. TEST
5•5Jx15CH31 NAM 9101 DATE/MELT
MADE IN BRITAIN E.I.F. X-Ray
Other Embossed Markings are 5025B XHT P plus something I can't read
A maximum load rating of 400 or 415 kg per wheel (1600 or 1660 kg for four wheels), should be more than adequate for a 4-door Triumph Toledo 1300, whose maximum all-up laden weight is stated to be 1265 kg.
During my long wait between March & December 2017, I was beginning to doubt whether I would find any more MG Maestro
5½J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels with
31 mm offset, so I resorted to buying a set of five MG Montego 6J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels (Part No.
NAM 9073 |
425 kg maximum-load rating |
28 mm offset – marked on wheel, but I also later checked this by measurement & calculation) from a vendor in Braintree, Essex; less than one-hour’s drive from my home on Canvey Island, Essex.
All five of these MG Montego wheels featured the following markings surrounding the flat portion that abuts the car’s wheel-hub:
F 89 H T
MAX LOAD 425 KG P. TEST
6Jx15CH28 NAM 9073 DATE/MELT
MADE IN BRITAIN E.I.F. X-Ray
Given that I now have a set of
SEVEN MG Maestro
5½J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels, the five MG Montego
6J x 15 inch cross-lattice style alloy wheels are probably now surplus to my needs!
Mine would not be the first Triumph to have been fitted with MG Maestro or Montego cross-lattice style alloy wheels, as indicated by the following picture of a Triumph GT6 and the topic-thread post on Wednesday, 29th November 2006 (i.e. 12 years ago).
Triumph GT6 with MG Maestro or Montego 15 inch cross-lattice style wheels
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » The Public Bar - General Chat » What other wheels are there?
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If seeking to acquire either MG 2000 Maestro or Montego, cross-lattice style, 15 inch alloy wheels, of 5½J x 15 inch or 6J x 15 inch sizes respectively, be aware that there are some very similar looking 1982~90 MG Metro cross-lattice style, 13 inch alloy wheels (with circular, central trim-cap | wheel-offset = 48 mm!?!), of 5½J x 13 inch size, with PCD of 4 x 4 inches (i.e. 101•6 mm) and/or 4 x 100 mm, which are NOT compatible with the MG Maestro or Montego wheel-hubs, yet alone those of the Triumph Toledo or Dolomite!
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/metro/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/metro/1982/
https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mg/metro/1982/
MG Metro 5½ x 13 inch cross-lattice wheels