Ok my front left run flat tire is flat and I want to go ahead and get new regular tires. What is recommended? And can i install 215/45-17 instead of 205/45-17? Because it is a more common tire size.

 

That will change the diameter to be about an inch more in circumference, but won't change your speedometer more than 1.4% or so. That is such a small difference, that you will be fine.

 

215/45/ R17 will be a bit too big I think. 215 is how many millimeters the tyre is wide, 45 is the ratio of width to diameter. So the tyre will probably be a bit bigger overall and will need to almost taper in where it attaches to the rim.

 

I went with 215/40x17 to keep the diameter close to original but get a little wider tire.

 

What type of tires are recomended? And how does the 215/40x17 run on your mini?

 

I see some multiple runflat tires in 205/45-17, but none at all in 215/40-17 or 225/40-17, so I'm afraid I may be stuck with 205 size since I would rather not be without runflats.

Currently I have Dunlop SP Sport 9000 DSST, which have pretty poor ratings and extremely high cost at TireRack, I noticed that the ContiProContact SSR also available in the same size is rated much higher and costs less too, so I'm thinking that will probably be the way to go.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

To be more accurate, 45 is the ratio of the sidewall height to the tread width. A 215/45's sidewall will be taller than a 205/45's but only by a small margin in this case. 45% of 205mm vs. 45% of 215mm in other words.

 

I liked the 215/40x17 on my MCS, however I did go with non runflats. I am not a fan of runflats because of the high cost, poor performance, and poor ride qualities. I would call tirerack to discuss tire options that best fit your needs and requirements.

 

I used 1010tires tire size calculator. You will be fine with 7" wide rims(your's are the stock ones, right?), but they are the minimum width for the 215/45/15 size.

 

I replaced Pirelli Run Flats with Yokahoma S-Drive in the 205/45-17 size. Read all the posts about poor ride quality and noise with Run Flats but didn't think they could be that bad. The NON run flats made a huge difference. Before I was not even considering suspension mods since the car is street only and the ride was harsh enough. With the new tires, I'm looking at suspension now.

 

One issue I read from reviews on Tire Rack, was that non-runflats had more give to them. Which to the reviewer made the ride more spongy, leaving me wondering if more give could lead to hitting a rim more easily?

 

i am wondering the same thing

my tread wear is very low on the stock goodyear run-flats and i hit a pophole yesterday and crushed a sidewall still driveable but we need tires anyway like today

i to am having a hard time finding 205/45/17 that are instock

so we can run the 215/40/17 on the stock s-lites with out a problem ?

thanks

 

I have 215/45R17 Bridgestone RE760 on my R53 and my wife has the same size Bridgestone RE01R. These tires are 24.7" in diameter and 8.4" wide. Rim width must be between 7" and 8" with 7" as the optimum.

The same tire in a 205/45R17 is 24.3" in diameter and 8.1" wide. the rim for this tire can be between 6.5" and & 7.5" again with optimum width at 7".

Tire size calculators are okay, but are for general use only. To be sure, each tire manufacturer publishes the EXACT specs of their tires as each manufacturer makes tires of different specs (even though the sidewall numbers are the same). So a 205/45R17 brand "A" is a different size than a 205/45R17 brand "B".....confusing huh.

Run flat tires are heavy...this is unsprung weight that makes them undeseriable for handling reasons. A "45 series" tire has stiff sidewalls by nature and is not "spongy" (although some manufacturers are better than others). I'd stick to the major brands and not have any trouble.

BTW neither of our R53s have any rubbing issues...they handle great and ride smooth.

 

I have runflats on my current mini, they are so noisy, on the current on got the standered tires

 

ok so im getting kumho ecsta's AST 205/45/17 from firestone they are having them delivered since i need tires today

anyone have experience with these on a mini cooper "s"

i have ran them on my VW's and they seemed good enough

and the price was right so i cant complain

but i think we will be looking for a suspension upgrade sooner then later

 

I decided to go with the General Exclaim 205/45-17 from tire rack and the total was like $385 with shipping for all 4 tires. I'm looking forward to getting them bc/ all 4 tires together with shipping are a little over $100 more than just one runflat with install and balancing. I will keep ya'll updated on how these tires do. The only problem is... What do i do when i get a flat and i dont have run flats or a spare tire?

 

Carry a fix a flat kit and a AAA card. Which reminds me, I really need to get that fix a flat kit since we recently went non-runflat.

 

I also looked at getting the Kumo ecsta's, but i went to safercar.gov and read the traction, temperature, and treadwear... the list i could'nt really understand because i couldn't find which kumho tire i was trying to look up so I went with the General which had the best ratings in temperature and traction and the treadwear was 380. I had Kumho's on my SAAB and they were good tires so you should be fine.

 

Where would be the best place to get fix a flat... ha and how do i get an AAA card?

 

You should be able to get a can of Fix-a-flat anywhere that sells car stuff. Your local walmart even has them. It's a can of slimey goop and a compressor. If you get a flat, you hook it up to your tire valve and it fills your tire with air and slimey stuff that coats the inside of the tire, effectively sealing any leaks.

AAA stands for American Automobile Association. It is a club you pay to join. It has annual dues. One of the benefits is free paper maps and roadside assistance. I tried clicking on AAA.com and it automatically redirected me to the local chapter.

 

fix-a-flat is convenient, but i hear they can kill your RF modules in the
valves for the R56's and any RF module based TPMS. plus, they are quite
a mess to remove. i also heard they dont disperse well inside tires with 45
profile or less... all hearsay, but enough to get you thinking.

i run regular 215/45/17's and carry a plug kit and air compressor. good
to have a few extra towels and disposable gloves too. it's not
difficult to plug a tire.

 

I use General Exclaim UHP also on my old 215/35/18 & the present 215/45/17. Good performance dry or wet, quiet & not expensive at all. And they are made in Germany NOT China...

 

kumhos are on and they ride so much nicer then run-flats the harshness has gone away and the noise is much quieter well see hw long they last ?

however now my TPS light is on and the DSC light came on at the same time

i tried the reset and no go

i have had this happen before when putting snows on for the season and then summers back on but i have never had the DSC light come on and my toggle does not turn it off any ideas

and on top of i need new rear brakes(the inner pads are almost gone already) and i just did them last summer this month is getting expensive for the cooper

 

I have them on my MCS - decent tire, I run snows in the winter (New England) and these otherwise... not too loud, decent handling (haven't really abused them) and a reasonable price for the size I thought..

 

Thanks, that really makes me feel more confident with my purchase. All my mustang friends are telling me that it would be fine to drive with regular tires on front and RF's on the rear.

Would it be possible to buy like a spare tire rim and put one of my old runflat tires on it to use in case of a flat, or will that absolutely not fit in my trunk?

If I use the fix a flat stuff on my regular tires is that fine or will it possibly be bad for my tires?