Wondering if anyone can clarify whether 17 x 7 Mini cooper wheels with 54mm offset and 5 x 112 lug pattern on 205/45R17 will clear Clubman S brakes. Seems like a dumb question, but Tire rack only recommends 17 x 7.5 with 225/45R17. Cant think of a reason why they wouldnt fit other than brake clearance.

Thanks for the insight.

 

Since no one else replied.... I would say that 205/45R17 vs. 225/45R17 should not have any baring on brake clearance. Though it would have an affect on speedometer accuracy.

I just went thru something similar, and what I decided to focus upon was does MINI itself offer the MINI brand wheel I would like to get, as an option from the factory, on my model? For me, the answer was 'yes'. So I went ahead, got those wheels, and they fit just great.

 

I ask not because I'm questioning your knowledge, but because I don't understand: how would it affect speedometer accuracy? The only difference is the first number, which is width.

 

Despite the same profiles the 205 sidewall is shorter by about 10mm. So circumference of tire will be narrower. Said another way, the profile is a percentage of width to sidewall. Same percentage (45) on a narrower tire equals less sidewall.

 

Easy way to answer the speedo variance question- Go to a site like Tire Rack, look up the tire you are interested in, determine the diameter of the sizes you are considering. If the diameter difference is only .1", the actual vs indicated speed difference will be pretty small. If the data sheet indicates the revolutions per mile this will also give you an indicator of the difference. After you sweat and shake and make the decision, take the car out and measure the speed using a portable or hand-held devise with a GPS app. This allows you to 'calibrate' real speed vs indicated speed.

 

Interesting. Thank you for sharing.

 

The difference is a bit more than that, 24.3" vs. 25", or about 3%. Revs/mile are 832 vs 808.

 

Factory tire sizes on the Clubman are different than the smaller hatches/convertibles. Some wheels are shared between them, but the Clubman always has slightly larger tires. The MINI speedometers are optimistic across the range (e.g., 60 MPH indicated is actually about 58 MPH), so if you put a smaller tire size on you will amplify that effect. Might look a bit strange on the Clubman, too, by visually making the wheel wells appear larger. If anything, you might want to upsize your tires a bit. Will help correct the optimistic speedometer and fill out the wheel wells a bit more. Also has the added benefit of enhancing ride quality a bit (because of slightly taller sidewalls).