I've been looking at replacing the tires on my Mini as most seem to be suffering from dry rot from sitting too long with the previous owner. I have 165/70 10's on there now. I'd like to go to 12's or even 13's.

My first question is :
What 13" tire exists that has the same outer diameter as the 10's listed? I've used a lot of online tire size calculators but I can't find any that go down to 10". For 12's I've seen 145/70/12 or 165/60/12 and those are with a % or so at 60mph. Mini Mania lists a 13" 165/50/13 but that outer circumference is much bigger than what I have now.

Second question :
I keep reading about needing fender flares to cover, my car has fender flares already (see pic) are those not sufficiently wide to cover the 12's or 13's?

Thanks

 

I'm confused. Do you want a 13" tire that is the same size as your 10" tire? As for fender flares, what you have looks sufficient. Are you trying to put a larger tire on your existing wheel size? If you do increase to 13'' tires, expect to have to raise the front end to avoid tire rub when the wheel is turned. A Hi-lo kit will fix that problem.

 

I was looking for a 13" with overall diameter close to the 10's I have so as to not affect the speedometer and to avoid rubbing issues. I ended up going with the 13's mounted with 165/50/13s. I had to run 3/8" spacers in the rear. I have not run spacers up front yet mainly because of the sagging suspension. Pushing the wheels further out would only cause the rubbing to be worse. I have ordered a hi-lo kit to remedy the issue. Not sure if I'll need to run the spacers up front or not once the hi-lo is in?

 

The 13's are about a 1/2 inch taller, but that's not the issue. The tire width, even with a 4.5 rim (if you can find them) causes the tire to rub against the front of the front wheel well. It's a matter of cutting the wheel well to solve the rubing, however it also effect your turning ablilty. You'll need a steering lock that allows the wheel to only turn to the poin that it doesn't touch the inside wheel well.
Finally you may need to adjust your ride height, depending on the condition and quality of your current suspension.

The ride will be more ridged as the suspension will have less travel space, but then again, these cares weren't built for confort.