Hi guys,

I'm new here and recently purchased a used 2020 F60 Countryman. I come from the Honda S2000 world and this is my first "new" car since I purchased that Honda brand new in 2005, so it's been a while since I've been researching car forums.

My car came with 16" stock 517 wheels with 205/65R16 tires. From my understanding and research, the wheels are 16x7 +41. I'm looking to upgrade to some better/bigger tires and want some opinions on whether it will work. I'm looking at Sparco Gravel 17x8 +35 wheels with 225/55-R17 or 225/60-R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail tires. I know the 225/55-R17s fit as per many website fitments like Discount Tire and Tire Rack, but my question is does anyone know if the 225/60-R17s also fit? From my research, there are guys who have fit 225/65-R17s with a slight trimming on the inner front wheel wells to prevent rubbing at full lock, but I have not seen any evidence that anyone has tried the 225/60s. I just want a slightly taller tire and almost the same sidewall to keep the ride and look almost as is and protect against lots of potholes in my area, while filling out the wheel wells a bit more with a more aggressive look.

When comparing the 225/55R17 to 225/60R17, according to Falken and many tire/wheel converter sites, the 60s should be slightly bigger in diameter at 27.7" compared to the 55s at 26.8" and slightly more narrow actually at 9" vs 9.2". To me, those variances are minor and should not have much effect, but I'd like to hear what others think. I know those websites for tires and wheel fitment usually play things on the safe side and don't really list everything that will fit.

Thoughts?

 

There are some good tire/wheel calculators available, but, I never heard of 16 wheels on an F60 Countryman. I guess that shows ignorance on my part. I had one S Countryman for a while, a 2019 with 18 inch OEM wheels, then two JCW's, one a 2019, the current one a 2020...both with 18's. The JCW's both run 225/50/18's. The OEM wheel on the 2019 had +51 offset and 7.5 inch width. I put an aftermarket NM Engineering wheel with 8 inch width and I THINK a +45 offset...my memory may be fading on the offset. Anyway, the STOCK 2020 wheels did not clear the calipers on the 2019! The calipers of the 2020 are much taller, and the calipers on the 2019 were thicker. The NM Eng wheel fits both years just fine. So, at least with the 2020 JCW's, there was a change in caliper design...which may or may not affect your car. So you have to consider caliper clearance as well as suspension as well as fender clearance. It's tough to guess on these things...especially as they change from year to year. Better use a good calculator people have pointed to on several of these threads...there are a few good ones. Good luck!

 

Well, I have the base model (I know, I know, but I found it used for a good price as a family car with a little one on the way) and it definitely comes stock with the 16" wheels, as per the door jam tag, so I don't think I need to worry about larger calipers not clearing 17" wheels. I think the 16" are listed technically as 'winter wheels' from Mini. I know there are a lot of factors to consider, but when Discount Tire recommends the wheels I listed and at least a tire that is 225/55R17, then I would think that only adding the approximate <1" diameter to the tire with a 225/60R17 would not give me any headaches. Using the calculators online have given some pretty good insight, but yea, it's always a risk of course.

I suppose another question I could have would be if 215/65R17s would work on the 17x8" rim? These would definitely fit as per plenty of people on this forum running the size. Falken lists the 215/65R17 fitting rims between 6-7.5", but I have also seen examples here of people running that size on an 8" wide rim...

 

Since it came stock with 16 inch wheels, I'd guess almost any wheel with the correct lug position and the correct center bore would clear your calipers. So, it's a matter of what fits the suspension and opening (fender) geometry. If I were doing this, I'd not push putting 215/65/17's on an 8 inch width. If you find many people are doing that, that's great, it will probably work. I just don't want to go outside a manufacturer's recommendation on tire/rim width relationships. Whatever you come up with will be fine and fit your eye, since you are doing your homework on the possibilities! Be sure to post a picture when you get it done!

 

Thanks @Mini-Titan ! I'll be sure to post some pictures once I do get them. I actually did manage to find one example today of a F60 with 225/60-17s in almost the same rim size and there looks to be plenty of room. So from the looks of it, that's what I am going to order!

 

I'm now debating between 225/60 and 225/65s on the 17x8 +35 rims. I've seen a few examples here of 225/65 on F60s and they look terrific. Guys like @BDI @veritas137 @OverRev all have that tire, 2 of which run it without a lift, but @veritas137 did install the tires and wheels prior to that lift. I don't plan on lifting mine at the moment, but I could see myself doing it at some point down the line and I wouldn't mind future proofing the car with the larger tires from the start, plus the higher ground clearance and more wheel well filled. The difference would be .9" diameter higher and .7 lb heavier......Hmmmm.

 

The 225/60R17 tires should fit your F60 Countryman, but they may require some minor adjustments. While 225/55R17 is a safe choice and widely recommended, the 225/60R17 tires will be slightly taller (27.7") than the 225/55R17 (26.8"). The difference in width is minimal, and the tires are more narrow (9" vs. 9.2"). Some owners have successfully fitted 225/65R17 with minor trimming, so the 225/60R17 could work with slight modifications, especially at full lock. If you're looking for a taller tire and a more aggressive look, it might be worth testing, but trimming might be needed.