Taxi Tyres

Taxi tyres are regulated by the Public carriage Office. Small diameter tyres would cause the meter to over charge customers. Wide tyres might interfere with the PCO mandated 25 foot turning circle. When Austin built the first FX4 chassis in 1958, they choose 6.00x16 tyres. The PCO approved the cab for use with this size tyre.

Radial tyres for the taxi trade had to be the same rolling diameter as the old 6.00x16. Dunlop called this size 175R16. The tyres received PCO approval and became the standard taxi tyre. The London taxi was and still is the only vehicle in production that uses a 175R16 tire.

The right rear tyre on the bomb didn't hold any air. I needed to get the car rolling ASAP. I took the right rear wheel off and headed down to my local used tire store. The guy at the shop was certain I had the size wrong. 175R16? "6.00x16 or something close" made no sense to him at all. He kept looking at the 235's on my BMW. Repeating, "Its not for this car" a few time sent him off searching the stacks and stacks of used tires. Eventually he found a T155-85R16. Spacesaver spare off of who knows what. It fit on the rim and I didn't mind if the tire was an inch or two low. Good enough to roll the bomb on. By the time I got back to the house, the left rear tire was dead. The extra load from leaving the right side of bomb sitting on a jack stand was enough to kill it.

I can get brand new Dunlops from Universal Vintage tires. Only $162 each. Time to start e-mailing tyre shops in the UK. One of them is bound to be able to mail me a tire.