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My wife has a 2014 Mini Cooper S Convertible. It currently has 205/45/17 run flats.
I'm interested in using some 16" R83 Mini alloys with it for winter tires. I'm planning on getting Blizzak 195/55/16 for them. Either the LM60 or the WS80. The latter being non-runflat.
Do I need to bother with TPMS at all? With runflats or otherwise? Granted, not having it on runflats would seem like a dumb idea.
Which TPMS unit can I use? The rims do not have TPMS now, just rubber stems. Are there any issues with the current TPMS sensors and fitment onto previous model year R83 alloys?
I searched through a few threads and I'm not clear on the combination of 2014 S, R83 rims and TPMS.
You need TPMS to tell you if a runflat has lost air pressure. Although designed to go up to 50 miles at 50mph with zero pressure, they can and likely will be irreparably damaged by doing so.
Otherwise, you don't need TPMS sensors unless your wife will be bothered by the constant warning light in the speedo.
Well, I'll have to see. I have the R83 wheels and I'll see whether they clear the caliper/disc effectively. Better to know this before mounting rubber! Likewise some new TPMS sensors are on the way from tirerack.com. Worst case I'll have some R83's that'll need a new home...
I put an R83 wheel on the front left hub and it fits fine. Clears with about 1/4" between the spokes of the rim and the brake caliper. Even more between the rim and the outside edge of the caliper. Spinning it produced nothing banging or scraping against anything else. So, yay for actual testing.
TireRack kit for TPMS looks like it'll fit, and came with metal stems.
Off to get the tpms installed, tires mounted and balanced. Have to haul them over in the Jeep, though! No way all that'd fit in the Mini!
I didn't save the packaging but the TR ones looked exactly like those. The stem at the rim has 'just enough' to get a bite on it with an air nozzle. Not a lot extra, to be sure.
Meanwhile, the wife's comment on the 195/55/16's is they don't corner anywhere near as well as the 205/45/17's but they do provide a more forgiving ride. Her observation was when they break traction, on cornering, there's a lot more body and wheel snap. As to be expected, of course, but it was interesting hearing her describe it that way.
The real question will be what to re-shoe it with come Spring. We'll see if the cushier ride keeps its appeal.
I have the 16 inch steels with Dunlop WinterMaxx on mine, been really happy with them this winter. Did not get the TPMS, just have to ignore the warning on the dash and check your pressures the old fashioned way.
I have the 16 inch steels with Dunlop WinterMaxx on mine, been really happy with them this winter. Did not get the TPMS, just have to ignore the warning on the dash and check your pressures the old fashioned way.
Agreed.
I figured it was worth the $200 expense to avoid the wife & child getting a flat on a winter ski trip and end up with bigger problems. My wife isn't the type to readily notice something like a runflat that's running flat. And I figure snow wouldn't help make it any more obvious. So a flat would lead to it being ignored and potentially shredding it, with additional consequences from there.
Yea, some people might not know who never drove on a runflat ,its gets a little wobbly when it goes completely flat, but i could see people just driving on it for a while.
And, as I said 14 posts ago, if you add air and patch it before it goes wobbly/flat it won't be damaged internally.
Indeed. Which would require the driver to actually be paying attention to that sort of thing. I've driven a runflat when it's run out of air and the difference wasn't enough that I figured my wife would properly notice it. Granted, my experience wasn't with 195/55/16's but with some low profile tires on another vehicle. So it may not directly compare. Given the fairly reasonable cost of a whole set of TPMS units it didn't seem worth skimping on them. Especially not after spending $800 on rubber & TPMS, $400 on rims and another $100 on balancing/mounting.
It's a toss-up, sometimes we all get so hung up in figuring out all the angles for 'saving money'. This expense saves me the 'down the line' headaches of panicked phone calls regarding a shredded tire and then having to hunt down another replacement rim. The latter being, honestly, my bigger concern.
02-12-2016, 11:03 AM
