I just purchased a set of V-Spokes for my Mini. Is it safe to install the wheels myself or should I have a professional do it? The wheels have 3k miles on it. The previous owner (a.k.a. Miniko) told me to switch the front to the rear. I'm just wondering why that is?

 

The front tires wear faster than the rears, so it is good to rotate them front to back. I generally do it about every 3,000 miles or every couple of weeks. It is easy to do just remember 17mm socket and 88.5 ft lbs torque to put them on MINI recomends.

 

Definitely safe to do it yourself.
Ideally you'd have a good jack and a torque wrench, though if you're really cheap you could get away without them and just use the jack and lug wrench that was supplied in the boot.
You can get a decent torque wrench at Harbor Freight or Sears for what a shop will charge you to install the wheels. Cheap jacks run $30-35, a good one is $90-100.

FIRST - loosen lugs on front wheel (much tougher to do once the wheel is in the air). Work on a level surface, and set the parking brake. Ideally you'd chock the opposite wheels (though I never do.) NEVER get under a car that is only supported by a jack!!
Just use the front jack point (small plastic block behind the front wheels) and you can get both wheels on the side up in the air.
Remove all four lugs, put on new wheel(s), snug lugs front and rear progressively in a star pattern (top, bottom, left, right), then lower car so wheels are just touching the ground (the rear will come down first, and you can tighten them to 88.5ft-lbs because the parking brake is set)
Repeat for opposite side.
Always put the tires with the most tread on the front. On a FWD car like the MINI, the fronts wear drastically faster than the rears. As previously said, rotate regularly (5K miles is fine.)

Are the new ones white, too?

 

You got it Eric- Also front to back rotation is neccesary with some tires as they are directional, so if you moved them from left to right, or vice versa, the tires would be rotating opposite from its intended direction. Which, I've heard, makes for very weird and unpredictable handling. Most directional tires will have it printed on the side along with an arrow in the direction of rotation, as well as having a very angled tread pattern, favoring a certain direction. I'm not sure if run flats are directional, cause I have an MC. But I do have directional tires.

Post some pics when you get them on!

What mod is next?

 

Thanks for all the info. I will probably put them on later this week. Unfortunately the rims are not white, I wish they were but I guess it would be too easy to get dirty. I also have a Dinan CAI waiting for me to install. I just don't know which to install first I might just do it on the same day. I'm also talking to my parents to let me get an aero kit and get the arches painted as well but no luck so far But thanks again, everyone at NAM is so helpful

 

Uh oh. Running mods by the parents is slightly worse than getting them approved by your wife/spouse. . . low chance of approval without plenty of safety style FAB closing (feature; advantage; benefit= for those outside of the sales realm) Just remember to use that style of reasoning and you should be OK.

Oh, and we're not here to help- We're here to point and laugh.

 

Well I'm kind of making progress with the aero kit because I might be able to get a deal on the installation and paint. If I get the aero kit from Morristown Mini its $1000. So if I can get a good deal on the installation and paint my parents just might let me get it.

 

Clasic MINI still can get prepainted pieces for a great price from the factory. Call and see if they can still get them. I think it will cost around $1400 for a prepainted set + shipping. The pieces have trim in the factory matte black.

 

Is Classic Mini painting these themselves? When i checked with my 2 local dealers back in March, though the accesory catalog lists painted Aerokit part numbers, they said that Mini had Discontinued all pre-painted Aerokits and now they only offered the primered aerokits.

Also, yes Morristown Mini had the best price on the aerokit, however they wouldnt willing to deliver it to my bodyshop! So i paid extra and got it from outmotoring and they shipped it to my Bodyshop. If it wasnt so big and able to fot in the Mini obviously i wouldve drove there and get it myself

 

I thought the Mini could hold it. If not I'll use my dad's minivan to pick it up to save me some money. But I still didn't get a quote for how much the installation and painting would be.

 

HAHAHAHahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!

That is probably the funniest line ever written about a MINI, when taken out of context. . . So many levels. . .

I've got the emails from the dude at Classic, but it was a month or two ago. I'll have to check tomorrow.

 

 

The total for the aero kit is $1471.20. But would the entire aero kit be painted and only the trim is black. And does it come with the aero grills? Or should I email him if I have any questions?

 

Yea, I'd shoot him an email. His address is above.