Fellow Coop enthusiasts,

I currently have a 2007 COOPER with the stock 15" rims & tires. I would like to add a wider tire to this rim. It currently has 175s and I was wondering how wide to go? Would a 195 or 205 work on the stock 15" rim? I'm looking to get a more aggressive stance in a tire and better cornering grip. I don't want to complicate things by adding spacers and possibly having problems with tires rubbing the wings. Is it possible to just have a wider tire mounted without creating problems? What brands would you recommend? Are Koumo tires any good? I'm looking to do it low budget with a tire no more than $70 a corner. What venter would you order them from? Tire Rack or go to a more local type store?

I really like the Cooper but miss the crisp grip from the tires I had on my old Cooper S. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Jay

 

I too would love to hear the answer to this question. Anything has got to be better than the Continentals that came stock!

 

I believe that the 15" wheels have a 5.5" wide rim. According to tire specs at TireRack.com, 205/55-15 tires will just fit. However, I don't know the offset of the 15" factory wheel, so I don't know whether you would need spacers. If the wheel is in the center of the wheel well, you shouldn't need spacers.

If you can find the offset, this page can be helpful.

 

I would suggest going to bigger rims. 15s are going to defianetly limit how wide you can go. Unless you go with a wider 15" rim thats aftermarket.

 

This is response to Robin Casady:

The picture of your car shows a set of brilliant looking rims(alloy rim lip w/ black centre). Is Rota the name of the rim producer? Did they fit on your Coop S, right off the rack? What size (wide) tire are you running? Where the rims really pricey?

Cheers mate!

 

There's a sub-forum called Tires, Wheels and Brakes which will have more information on upgrades for 15" rims.

Search on 15" rims to get you answer.