First I have to say...HOT:



Second I say..how did he do that? Looks like a 5-lug wheel. Mini's are 4x100, right? (Assuming R53 and R56 the same bolt pattern?) Swapped out the hubs?

I've seen some discussions about 4-lug LM's but it looks like they're hard to come by. Anyone seen 4x100 18'' LM's or LM replicas? That I think would be the ideal option, given the real ones will cost you a limb at each corner...

Another question: what is the stock offset and what are people running to get a "more flush" setup between wheel and fender? What is the general consensus on how wide you can go (wheel/tire) without rubbing on a lowered car?

TIA from a mini noob.

 

Yes, you can do a 4 lug to 5 lug conversion.

These very wide rims are too wide for the MINI and need a much lower offset to fit. As a result look at the rear tire and you will see it is much more narrow than the rim to the point of not fitting. If this car was driven on the road I am not sure how long the tire would stay safely on the rim. This is a common look for street cars in certain circles.

Stock offset for 17x7 rims is +48mm. As the rim gets wider the offset much drop or the wheel will rub against suspension parts. As offset is decreased the rim will show outside of the wheel well and the tire shoulder edge could rub the fender inner plastic lining especially if the tire is taller than stock diameter of about 24.4". Often tires that are lower profile are also less than stock tire diameter so they could fit.

If you want the best combination of looks and handling/performance you should try to use wheels that are not more than 8" wide and tires up to 225 to 235mm wide in general. If you want more ideas contact Alex@tirerack.com.

 

Yea, I know those tires are stretched and the offset is way off, too. I just love the LM's . I was just curious what typical offset people are running on aftermarket wheels. My Audi's stock offset is 42mm but I'm running a 32mm offset wheel, pulling them out of the wheel wells to be more flush with the fender, but not too far as to look silly (like the mini above) or rub. Good to know that a 8'' wide rim with a 235 is doable. I also wouldn't ever go more than +/- 1% with the rolling radius, too much of a guessing game with the speedo

Seems like a 4-to 5 lug conversion would be way too much work / $$ to make it worth it.

 

Yes the lug conversion is not a common thing.

Problem with any rims wider than 8" is you'll need to start cutting the wheel arch plastic or installing a wider fender flare kit to make space.

Even 235mm is conservative if the tire diameter is small enough. 245mm might also work but then wheel width and offsets become more critical. Largest tires I have ever seen work would be 275mm but the wheel arch plastic had to be cut off a lot.

Wheel offsets are roughly +37 to +48mm for 17x7 rims using stock suspension.

If suspension is lowered then offsets are about +42 to +45mm or you'll need the smaller tire diameter sized tires like 215/40-17.

For smaller sized rims 15x8" you can use +40mm offset in the front and about +33mm offset in the rear but again tires must be stock tire diameter or preferably smaller like 225/45-15 in this case. 225/50-15 might not allow for enough clearance.

 

Most aftermarket wheels for the MINI are between +38 and +48 offset, with 40-45 being the sweet spot, especially if they're 7.5" wide.

General consensus on NAM seems to be that a five-lug conversion is too much hassle/money to be worthwhile. Adapters will kick the wheels out about 20-25mm, so those are usually out of the question unless you find some REALLY high positive offset wheels to use with them.

I know someone who is running 235/40-17s on 17x7.5 wheels, lowered on coil-overs. The tires fit the wheels nicely and the whole thing fit in the fenders. I don't know what offset his wheels are.

 

What are your plans for the Mini? Going to use it on the track or Auto-X or just a looker?

For a looker with NO track or Auto-X time then the conversion kits can work. The jury is still out on bearing life but it can be done. H&R makes the adaptors you need.

LM's also come in 17's and look great on a Mini. I know I own a set.

 

IIRC those are 18x8 front and rear. They require lug adapters that go from 4x100 to 5x130 (i think, cause they're porsche bolt pattern). Those LMs are out past the fenders, I remember them being about a +25 offset or so but I'm not entirely sure. Around an ET35 is flush with the fenders on a MINI.

18" LM's don't exist in 4x100. 17" LM's do exist in 4x100 but I believe there is a wait for them, there is a set for sale here on NAM or if you want I could get you a set.

 

Lol. Stretched tires aren't any more likely to come off the rim .Generally, stretched tires require far more air pressure to install AND remove from a wheel. It's not going to just come off while driving on the street. Stretched tires are also used on drift cars which place their tires under a whole lot of abuse.....and the stretched tires still don't come off.

Stretched tires certainly aren't for everyone, and they certainly aren't for the track....i respect that........but they aren't going to just come off the wheel.

My stretched tires have done fine...certainly no signs of falling off

 

yah porsche fitment is the most common adapter for a 4x100 so that's a pretty safe bet. Porsches also take generally high offsets.....so they're well suited for adapters on our cars.

Et35 sits flush if its a 7 inch wide rim. It changes slightly for 8 inch rims.

 

Yeah I just wasn't 100% sure about 5x130 being the Porsche fitment. What offset would have you flush with the fenders on an 8 inch wide wheel, ET 40?

The 18x8 BBS LM in Porsche fitment are an ET50. Lug Adapters are usually 25mm but I think some can be found in 20mm. Therefore essentially making the offset an ET30. Which (I think) puts the wheels/tires about 10mm (appx. 0.4") or so outside the fender. Run a 205 for a bit of stretch and adjust your camber so you have the tread under the fenders and you're good to go. Rally, I'm learning here so please correct me if I'm wrong with any of this.

Oh yeah, and all this will cost you over $4,500 haha

 

MOSTLY for looks, but definitely going to track / auto-x every once in a while. The conversion is out, I have no interest in doing that. Sounds like a 7'' rim with et35 or an 8'' with et 42-45'' would look nice.

Sounds like 17'' LM's might be the way to go, unless someone makes a replica that is significantly cheaper. What's the weight on those?

RallyMINI, what wheels are you running? I dig the lip... Got any more pics?

 

There are no nice replica's of the LM's so you're stuck going with the real thing.

Rally's car has been posted all over the forum, gotta look around theres a couple of recent ones.

 

OK, good to hear that's fine but if so why do I not see much of that in track, autocross and performance driving school resources. If it is safe then would any tire manufacturer recommend that fitment? Would costco install that?

I don't go to drifting events and we do not allow any drifting at autocross and track events that I attend.

Is it basically OK for street use and also gives the fitment advantage of wider rim and smaller tire to not rub? Certainly that IS an advantage if you have the wider wheel in mind for any reason.

What about for comfort? Would it be less tread width with more rim weight so not as comfortable for street use on bumpy roads? What about protection for the rim against damage- not much side wall at all since it's being stretched and no longer vertical. Do you have to drive trying to avoid anything uneven or for any potholes- seems risky, it's bad enough with any low profile tire to avoid damage.

Also I notice that the rim edge lies beyond the tire so any scrape on the curb would grind off only rim- there is no protection from curb damage.

 

Well you don't really see them at the track.....because they don't offer any performance enhancements. You want a wide tread on a track wheel setup so you can get more grip out there. Why run a skinnier tire while running a wider wheel out on the track? So i guess you don't see it because there isnt much reason to run it out there.

I don't know about costco....I've never been to one (do they even have them in ohio?) I've had no problem getting tire companies to install them.....they knew all about stretching tires before i even mentioned anything.

The opposite of stretching is done at autocross though......people are known to run wider tires than reccomended on thinner wheels. I dont know how it compares to stretching.....but it is still out of the reccomended pairings. Just something to explore....i dunno

This is the main reason for stretching. I can assure you 100% that if i didn't run stretched tires, there is absolutely no way for me to avoid rubbing.....i would have extreme rubbing issues if i was running 215's or 225's instead of the 205's that i have. It also keeps you legal while running low offset wheels.....In many states (and other countries), its illegal to have tread outside your fenders. If you like your wheels to poke (its a personal thing.....not all people like it) stretch keeps you legal by tucking the tread.

You can see in this pic that someone took of my car that if my tires were wider and bulged out past the edge of the wheel....they would certainly be rubbing on the arch: http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...o/IMG_0165.jpg

Yes, stretching stiffens the sidewall and thus, stiffens the ride. It's a lot like going to 18s and really low-pro tires. Personally....i still have 50 series tires....so they still really arent that stiff after stretching. I still find the ride comfortable.

If you look at the crowds that this is popular with (Euro cars and lowriders) the cars are already lowered extreme amounts so they are already avoiding potholes and dangers. It just takes a careful eye and nice quality roads in your area. It's not too bad for daily drivers.

There is less protection of the rim....so you should be careful. The lips i installed on my two piece rims happen to be made by schmidt in germany.....meaning they are curb/scratch/bend proof which is nice (see their site for movies....pretty cool).

 

unfortunately, the seller isn't an active member here and doesn't seem motivated to sell. I'd love to buy them but alas, it ain't gonna work out my wallet thanks me

 

If you're still motivated to buy.....he's over on vwvortex and has them for sale too. He may frequent that place more often I dunno. His lack of response might be why he has been selling those two new sets of wheels for over a year on multiple forums

 

yeah. he's moved to NC and I'll be close by next month....you'd think he'd want to work something out. methinks he's just doing it to make his wife happy, not really intending to sell. oh well..I'll be happy with some anthracite R90's instead :P

 

LOL....d00d you JUST got new BBS's!

 

ya, and?

 

I thought one or two people here on NAM had LM replicas, and they look good. I think Maxicooper has them.

 

Maxicooper has Work VS-XX, those are HARDLY BBS LM replica's. They are 3-pc wheels and cost the same, if not more (I think more), than the LM's.

 

Ah, ok. Still, I could swear that someone here had some LM reps - one-piece, and the finish was nice but not quite as nice as the real thing, in the approximate words of the owner. If they're out there, they may be almost as elusive as the actual LMs, lol.

 

I believe Ace or similar company makes them. From 50 ft, they look the same but that's about it

 

So just keep a 50ft restraining order on everyone from your car

 

Replica BBS LMs in one piece are made, cause a friend on mine has them on his GTI.