alrighty...ive said before that I wouldnt lower my car...but the more and more i see the wheel gap i have with my 16's i keep thinking to lower it. i just need some reassurance about the whole thing.

in actuality, i am considering lowering my car and buying H&R coilovers. I did some reading and i got a mixture of yes they will rub and no they wont.

Is anyone using 17x7 wheels with a 45mm offset, using 215/45-17 tires, and using the H&R coilover setup on their MC or MCS?

I wanted to get a nice tuck and not a slammed look. I am considering coilovers because I have the adjustment factor and I can play with the settings. If all else fails, I will just end up getting the coils and using a 215/40-17 tire, but i really want to run 215/45's....

TIA
-chris

 

You will likely have some trimming to do to get all that tire to fit after dropping it.

 

FYI, the H&R's are only height adjustable. There is no damping adjustment. So if you want some drop and damping adjustment you might be better off with a set of koni's and h-sport springs.

 

with a +45 offset, you will be fine and not rub, especially with a 215 tire.

go for it. Only rubbing that I think would happen would be on very sharp turns

 

I have H sport springs and 17X7 Prodrive P1s with 215/45-17s. I DO get a little rubbing on the driver's side rear on big dips. However, as the miles have passed, the rubbing has lessened (I'm sure its the combination of tire wear and the tire pushing/wearing on the fender liner.)

I also had a little rubbing in the front when hitting a dip or bump at full lock, but that wore itself away after about a week.

FWIW, I was told that 215/40-17 tires wouldn't support the weight of the car, per Alex at TireRack.

But it looks (and handles) great!

 

If you choose 17's with 48mm offset and use 205/45/17's the car will not
look lifted.

My 16's using 45mm offset and 205/50 tires do not look lifted either...rather
looks lowered. :smile:

 

>>I have H sport springs and 17X7 Prodrive P1s with 215/45-17s. I DO get a little rubbing on the driver's side rear on big dips. However, as the miles have passed, the rubbing has lessened (I'm sure its the combination of tire wear and the tire pushing/wearing on the fender liner.)
>>
>>I also had a little rubbing in the front when hitting a dip or bump at full lock, but that wore itself away after about a week.
>>
>>FWIW, I was told that 215/40-17 tires wouldn't support the weight of the car, per Alex at TireRack.
>>
>>But it looks (and handles) great!

how much of a drop do those springs give? if i do get the coils, i will probably use the minimum settings for driving and full settings for show.

>>FYI, the H&R's are only height adjustable. There is no damping adjustment. So if you want some drop and damping adjustment you might be better off with a set of koni's and h-sport springs.
>>
>>


i understand that they are only height adjustable. thats all im looking for. even if i go with the minimum settings, which are 1.0" front and 1.0" in the rear, is there still a chance of rubbing with 215/45's?

-chris

 

I've got H Sport springs (that lower the car about 1" all around) with 215-45-17 Kumho MX's wrapped around 17" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1's. I have noticed that if I have a full or nearly full tank of gas and a passenger, the car will scrape the bottom of the skid bars if I hit a decent sized dip in the road (not so much a bump) going at least 55 mph. I have gone over the same stretch of road without a passenger (and a full tank) and no noise. So far, no rubbing on the wheel mouldings.

ftbt

2002 Works Cooper S, Sn. 1165, DS/W; Sport + Premium + Alta CAI + H Sport Springs, Competition Front & Rear Sway Bars, Rear Camber Control Arms + 17" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1's; 215-45-17 Kumho MX's + Clear Bra + Schroth Harness and a full tank of 100 octane ... life is good!

2002 CVT Cooper LY/W + Sport + 17" S Lites & Pirelii Euforias + Clear Bra

 

215/40/17's are being run by several owners, myself included. It's under the load rating, but so far so good. I had little choice with the style I wanted run as far as sizing went. I was also nervous about the 215/45/17 rubbing with my H&R's....

 

thanks for all the replies...

i think im going to play it safe and run the stock 17" size 205/45-17. this way i wont have to worry about rubbing with a +45 offset wheel.

-chris

 

Just get the 40's you wont have anything to worry about. most of those tires only have a 300ish tred rating and i dont think load will be a problem over the life of the tire. If they were 500 tred rating, maybe they wouldn't live their whole life

 

I run Toyo's 215/45-17 and have not lowered my MCS.
I don't autox/drag... etc
Take a look... the wheel wells...look...full.... IMO.
I've been told that my MCS looks great lowered... even though it actuatully is not


Peace,
D

_________________
PM d-mini-ero

 

My car sits on 215/40/17 with Eibach springs. About inch in front and inch and half in rear. No rubbing.

 

mycpr-s- how do you like your eibachs? I had them on my Protege5
before the MCS and it was very very good. well matched to the struts.

 

those eibachs look like they are close to 1.2"
they are a bit lower than the h-sport. I can tell.
but I love your look!

 

2percooper,
You selections for tires is much greater when you choose 215 x 45 x 17 as opposed to the stock 205's. Take Alex's (Tire Rack) word for it. You won't have any rubbing problems...or minimal at best.

Get the tires and wheels, and then see how it looks before you decide to lower the car. Try a rear swaybar replacement first.

I'm ordering Team Dynamics Pro Comps, 17 x 7 with an offset of 45 (from Outmotoring.com) and 215x45x17 Bridgestone Pole Position S-03's (from Alex) for my MCS .
Charlie

 

>>2percooper,
>>You selections for tires is much greater when you choose 215 x 45 x 17 as opposed to the stock 205's. Take Alex's (Tire Rack) word for it. You won't have any rubbing problems...or minimal at best.
>>
>>Get the tires and wheels, and then see how it looks before you decide to lower the car. Try a rear swaybar replacement first.
>>
>>I'm ordering Team Dynamics Pro Comps, 17 x 7 with an offset of 45 (from Outmotoring.com) and 215x45x17 Bridgestone Pole Position S-03's (from Alex) for my MCS .
>>Charlie
>>

yeah, alex has informed me that 50% of mini's require fender lip trimming with 215's...

im trying to eliminate rubbing all together. even over the smallest bumps.

as far as tire selection, i was looking at the yoko es100's and both come in that size.

im still debating though....im so confused! :???:

-chris

 

You might be better off with the ParadaSpec2's as they have
rounded shoulders than the ES100's.

If i were you, id just get the factory size (205/45/17) ES100's.