Hi,i recently bought my MCS '11 and im currently using my stock 16 inch wheels.My problem is the ride is a lil stiff for me so i was planning to get aftermarket 15's wheels and 195/15/R50 tires.My question is how does it looks on 15's?Is the ride will be smooth compare to 16's?Here in my place is a lot of potholes thats why evertime i bump it feels like PITA.Need some advise.TIA

 

Are your 16" tires run-flats, by chance? I'd ditch them first before I went about putting 15" wheels on the MCS.

 

Yes they are run-flat tires,but i'd like to change into 15's aftermarket wheels and tires. Did you still do some mods like adding wheel spacer to fit 15's or the front caliper will hit underneath the wheels?

 

I didn't switch to 15s. Couldn't if I wanted to - the brakes on the GP2 can't fit anything smaller than 17".

But, there are certain 15" wheels that will fit the MCS, however, I wouldn't recommend it, as it reduces the caliper clearance considerably, and you might run into issues with wheel weights hitting your brakes. Tire Rack does have 15" options available, and their fitment is guaranteed, although with wheel weights, that may change.

I strongly advocate going with non-RFT tires before putting your Mini on big squishy marshmallow tires and lose all of the inherent handling capability.

 

I had this idea, too. Instead of getting new wheels, I'm thinking of using my stock wheels, putting 1" spring spacers in, and getting a little more plush tire. I'm not racing the Mini so I'd rather have more comfort.

 

1" spring spacers aren't going to give you more comfort, though...

 

Why not? If you put them under the springs (and not in them) and use rubber or urethane spacers I figured it would add some more squish and then you can put on a taller tire, too.

 

I think it would be easier to put on a set of FSDs than to add spring spacers and put on a taller tire on which would throw off your speedometer and make your car slower. That, plus it will look whack with fat tires and a lift.

 

Thanks to your advise, so it means that its only possible on some aftermarket 15's wheels that would fit on GP2 because of the clearance issue between front caliper and wheels?I would have to sacrifice into non RFT tires only to get the ride comfort i wanted.How about changing my coil spring to softer aftermarket one and just stick to my stock 16's. Does the ride will help or doesn't help anything?TIA

 

mocha,

If you have stock 16" wheels and stock suspension then you can just change the tires (provided you want to keep your wheels) to 205/55-16 in a Grand Touring All Season tire class such as Bridgestone Ecopia 422.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....22V2&tab=Specs

Just the tire change alone will help to make commuting much more comfortable but the downside is that crisp handling will be muted by the soft and taller sidewalls. For the average MINI on public roads and for commuting these tires work well. Otherwise if you really want a blend of both good performance and reasonable performance then in Ultra High Performance All Season tire class there is in 205/55-16:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....CDWS&tab=Specs

If you really want new wheels then a 16x7" wheel would work fine with these tire sizes and still fit over your front brake calipers.

 

Unless you get softer springs, don't expect spring spacers to change your ride quality for the better. In fact, it might actually make it worse, since you're forcing the suspension out of it's engineered range of motion - the shocks will harshly bottom out when the suspension is unweighted. You're essentially making the spring height 1" taller without allowing any extra room for the springs to expand.

All of this.

No aftermarket wheels smaller than 17" will fit the GP2.

On a regular non-GP and non-JCW R56 MCS, some aftermarket 15" wheels will fit. But not many. Tire Rack doesn't even allow you to choose 15" wheels when browsing wheels for the MCS - you'd have to call in and make a special request.

Your best bet will be to go with non-RFT tires first with just a little more sidewall. Stock size is 195/55R16 - I'd go with a 205/55R16 and call it a day.

 

It made clearly that by changing my RFT tire alone to non RFT 205/55/16 will give a comfort ride with no need of changing my stock wheels.TIA

 

Those tires have the same aspect ratio so sidewall stiffness is not going to change an appreciable amount. Ride quality improvement will come primarily from being non-RFT and a bit due to the larger diameter.

 

Right. I took both of those things into account when making a recommendation.

 

+1 on going with non-RFT tires - it will make an absolutely AMAZING difference in road feel and handling.
As an added bonus, most non-RFT tires are available with higher performance rubber compounds at a lower price point. Win+win.

If you are worried about punctures, consider two facts:
1). RFT tires are good only for ~50 miles, then they are toast. And so are you in the middle of the road, unless you found a tire shop with a hotel nearby (*it will take a few days to get a replacement RFT tire shipped*).
2). As an alternative to the above scenario, carry tire goo with compressor kit and/or Dynaplug:
http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/...nce+and+Safety

I carry both in all my cars.

Agreed.
The difference in feel between 195mm tire with 55% sidewall and 205mm tire with 55% sidewall is minimal. You may notice a slight handling difference duing transitions (turns) from the extra 10mm wider contact patch, but that's about it.

Far more difference will be felt between different tire models, and espcially, non-RFT sidewalls.

a

 

Aspect ratio is based on the width of the tire. So a 195/55 will have 107.25mm of sidewall. A 205/55 will have 112.75mm of sidewall. A little more than 5mm might not seem like much but it will make some difference.