So I just got a 2013 justa MINI and it comes with 15" wheels. I'm not that aggressive a driver but it frequently squeals when starting off of a green light, especially when taking a corner. Drives me nuts. So I thought maybe I would keep the 15" wheels for winter and buy some wider wheels for summer. First newbie question: would getting wider tires actually help? Assuming yes, I was trying to decide between 16" and 17" wheels. Second newbie question: are all 16" wheels wider than my stock 15" ones? I think I want 16" diameter / 6.5" wide wheels and the MINI R94 ones (seven spokes) look good to me. Third newbie question: would 17" wheels be even better? I suppose they're even more expensive. And I think I've heard the ride is rougher. Fourth newbie question: I read about "offsets" and "spacers" - are they the same thing / do I need them? Fifth newbie question: what did I forget to ask? OK, five's more than enough - thank you!

 

For oem wheels, you have 15 x 5.5 inches, 16 x 6.5 inches, 17 x 7 inches, and 18 x 7.
The offsets for these are 45mm for the 15s, 48mm for the 16 and 17s and 52mm for the 18s.

You can get also 15x7, 16x7 (or 16x7.5), etc. in aftermarket wheels. Most people get
offsets of about 42 mm for 7 inch wide aftermarket wheels, slightly less for wider ones.

You need to keep stock width and offset within 5 mm of stock offset if you're going to
compete in a stock class autocross event or you'll be disqualified.

I'd go for 16 x 6.5 or 16 x 7 in a light strong wheel (the R94 is 20.9 lbs - strong but on
the heavy side - you can likely do better - R84 or R102 are the lighter oem ones in that
size, and there are a lot of aftermarket choices, too - I'm thinking Enkie or OZ which have
a good combo of light and strong in certain models, or Volk or SSR if you have lots of money).
17 x 7 will be a little heavier with a stiffer, shorter sidewall, but still suitable for the street.
With 18 inch wheels, you get a heavier setup and a very short, stiff sidewall and
more chance of bending your expensive rims on potholes and rough roads and less enjoyment.

 

Cristo, wow thanks for the detailed info! If traction is what I'm after, why isn't a 15x7inch wheel the way to go rather than 16x7inch?

I'm unclear on what offsets are / what they do. Are they shims or spacers between the wheel and the thing the wheels bolt on to? And their purpose is to prevent the tires from rubbing the inside of the wheel well? So if I took off my stock 15 inch wheels would I find some 45mm offsets in there already? And when I buy new wheels, I will need to buy offsets for them as well, right?

I don't compete in autocross events or anything like that so disqualification isn't an issue for me.

I'd like to stick with OEM wheels if possible so I'll take a look at the R84 and R102 ones. Would I be crazy to buy them used off of craigslist?

 

Selection is a bit better for 205/50/16 tires than, say 205/55/15 tires, and the 16 inch
with 205/50/16 is about at the sweet spot regarding comfort vs. performance, in my opinion.
You can certainly make a case for going to down to 15 or up to 17 if you can find what you like
in those choices.

Offset is a measurement, not a part.
Offset is the amount of space from the midline of the wheel to the inner hub surface.
A larger positive offset means the wheel will sit further in from the middle of the car.
Spacers can decrease offset when desired. For instance, you can add a 15mm spacer to a
wheel with a 45 mm offset to get an effective 30 mm offset when installed between the
wheel and the hub.

Here's a link with a lot of info about MINI wheels and tires; unfortunately most of the pics
are gone and many of the tires listed are now discontinued:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f...lacement_tires

 

BTW, the certain models of Enkei and OZ I was thinking of were the
Enkei Racing PF01 and RPF1, and the OZ Ultraleggera and Alleggerita HLT
which are all only about 14-15 pounds in 16x7 size and stronger than
regular cast wheels at less than half the price of forged gems like the
Volk Racing CN-28N or TE-37 wheels.

 

One tip..
Heavy rims on a mini changes the feel...makes steering feel heavy...
The stock 15' cooper tires ARE narrow...but mostly to help with mpg's...
185 or even 195 width tires can go on oem 15' fine and in most cases....
16' IMO is the sweet spot for weight, handling, performance and ride...lower costs too!!
17's tend to be heavy unless $$$....mostly about looks.
One tip...your 2013 has tpms....they may/may not be included with used rims...and cost $60-90 EACH X 4.

 

PS
Think of spacers as a way of making a rim fit on a car that it would not fit otherwise....than can also be used to change the look of a car a bit...pushing out the tires... But like all things, $$ add up fast...spacers cost $$, as do the longer lugbolts to use them... So try to get RIMS THAT FIT FIRST.

 

You have lots of options, actually more than your number of questions.

Start at the beginning.

Have you driven your MINI through the winter in your area? Do you need or want dedicated winter tires/wheels? If so then using the stock 15x5.5" wheels are fine for that use. You will need a place to store them when not used.

But, if your OEM 15" All Season tires did work for you through cold weather or some snow you can consider an Ultra High performance all season tire or even a Grand Touring All Season tire. They do come in sizes that will fit the stock 15" wheel and work well for street use.

What is your budget for tires and for wheels?

If you want to spend the least then-
keep the stock 15" wheels and purchase only tires like-
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Ultra High Performance All Season tires
195/60-15 $91 each, 400 treadwear
This will give you a comfortable street ride with good handling and moderate treadlife, good in dry or wet and in some light snow. Since you use stock wheels you don't have to consider wheel offset or spacers.

Or if you would rather have a quiet softer ride with longer treadlife, a little less crisp handling, good for dry or wet and in some light snow then-
Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus Grand Touring All Season tire
195/60-15 $93 each, 600 treadwear

If you roads are poor with lots of potholes and ruts then getting a tire with a shorter sidewall will make the ride quality worse. Using a 15" wheels you can choose various size tires to your advantage besides using the stock 175/65-15 tire. 195/60-15 is a compromise of wide enough for handling but narrow enough for less rolling resistance and to cut through deep snow better but still have a 60 series sidewall for comfort in daily driving.

Moving to a 16" wheel usually means you choose tires like-
205/50-16 or 205/55-16 which may have stiffer sidewalls or even worse, with 17" rims you use 205/45-17 or 215/45-17 which can be stiff but not always depending on which tire you select.

You do not have to make the wheel any wider than you need for your intended use. There is nothing wrong with a stock 15x5.5" wheel if you use the right size and class of tire for daily driving. You can go wider but usually with more weight and with more rolling resistance so likely slightly lower mpg. You do get more traction and a little better handling up to a point.

Going to route of separate winter wheels and tires you'd need-

Winter wheels (could be OEM 15")
Winter tires to fit- see tirerack upgrade garage

Summer wheels (pick a size)
Summer tires or All Season tires, if you use tirerack upgrade garage they will offer you wheels with the correct offsets to fit your MINI without needing spacers, they can mount and balance tires on the purchased wheels before sending them to you.

Have fun shopping but first look at your total budget. Then decide what use do you have for your MINI with what priorities-

Comfort
Handling
Treadlife
All Season tire vs summer tire (not for any cold weather- you must change to winter wheels)
Noise
mpg

And for the tire squealing, that's common on budget OEM all season tires, nothing wrong with that, just irritating. Replacement tires as listed above won't be as easy to make noise under normal street use unless you get a little "crazy".

 

All these comments have been super helpful - thanks! I've done some more research and I like Minihune's suggestion: use the original 15" wheels for winter (with their 175/65 tires) and buy some 16" ones for summer (with 195/55 tires).

I looked at the Enkei and Oz wheels (thanks Cristo!) and it's got me wondering about weight. The stock MINI 16" wheels range from 17.4 lbs (R102) to 20.9 lbs (R94). The Enkei's and the Oz were about 14 lbs so that's a big difference. How does wheel weight affect the handling? What would I notice was different?

The Enkei's and Oz were about $230 a pop. What do y'all think of the Anzio Light wheels? They're $95 each and weigh 17 lbs. OTOH, I would greatly prefer to stick with an OEM wheel (I like the 19 lbs R92s) but maybe that's not so smart.

Also, any reason not buy these used off of eBay or Craig's list?

 

If you get used OEM rims (I got a set of 15' with 50% worn tires and tpms sensors) for a good price from a user who was moving to 16's....OEM rims are strong, last a long time, and fit.
If you can find a set for $300 with sensors, tires or not, you are in good shape imo.
Buying used aftermarket rims can be iffy...are they bent, dented, do they fit, do you need to buy hubcentric rings....are they real or replicas? Just watch out. Just factor in sensors if needed for inspection, about $200, and hubcentric rings, $20 or so in the Calculation....

 

Yep, good point about the TPMS sensors.

I forgot to mention one last consideration: since I have a justa MINI I get a spare tire and don't need run-flats. What's the verdict on run-flats? I found a wheel/tire package for four new OEM wheels and run-flat tires at a decent price - but I'm hesitating because of the run-flats. Thoughts?

 

For many of us that own R56s's, the biggest reason we have a conflict between replacing our original tires with runflats or non-runflats is that we don't have a spare. I would guess that a vast majority of "s" owners would gladly choose non-runflats if they had a spare. For my '12 S, I will buy non runflats even though I don't have a spare, because the ride and handling will be vastly improved. There's a reason some call runflats " runcraps".

 

If you buy a set of OEM 16', you can mount standard tires on the rims...
The type of runflats tires mini uses mounts on a regular rim.

 

I don't have run-flats and I don't have a spare but I DO have roadside assistance. I not going to change a tire on the side of the road anyway, to old for that crap.

I'm looking to move up to 17" how you buy my OEM 16" (195/55/R16)? They only have 1500 miles on them.

 

I assume you have checked your tire pressure with a reliable gauge? Mine came overinflated from the dealer. My 2010 justa has a door-sticker spec of 33 psi, but when I checked them the next day after driving home from the dealer, they were closer to 40 psi (cold).

When I asked the dealer about it he said tires typically leave the factory in England over-inflated, and it's up to the dealers to set them right, which, in my case, they neglected to do.

Over-inflated tires do tend to squeal more.

I've gone to slightly wider tires on my stock 15" x 5.5" wheels, mostly because the options for replacement tires in the stock size (175/65R-15) are very limited. My replacement tires are 195/60R15 -- which are 20 mm (0.75") wider than the stock tires. They are also very slightly bigger in diameter - about about 0.25" - or about 1% taller.

However, if the only reason you want wider tires is to improve traction, there may be more to it than that. Rubber compound, sidewall stiffness, tread design, and inflation all have an effect on traction which may be more significant than width, alone.

And I'm not even sure if we can even equate tire squeal with a loss of traction?

For what it's worth, the tire I chose was the Michelin Primacy MXV4 (195/60R15). They are noticeably quieter and more comfortable than the stock Continental ProContact tires, and they also have better traction on wet pavement and light snow. I expect they will last a lot longer, too (the Contis were getting thin, noisy, and prone to hydroplaning at around 23k).

However, the Michelins are a bit of a buzz-kill when it comes to sporty performance. They are heavier than the stock tires, less responsive to acceleration, and (especially) steering inputs. The car is now more comfortable for longer road trips on rough back-roads, but not so much fun to toss around in the twisties as it was before.

I haven't noticed any difference in gas mileage. The last 10 tanks on the old tires averaged 36.0 mpg. The first 10 tanks on the new tires averaged 35.0 mpg. This does not account for the fact that if the new tires go a bit farther per revolution than the old tires. If the new tires are 1% bigger in diameter they are 3.14% bigger in circumference, right? So my actual distance traveled with the new tires is about 3% greater than what my odometer tells me. The first 10 tanks on the new tires took me 4015 miles, requiring a total of 114.7 gallons. Therefore my actual MPG was 4015 miles x 1.03 = 4135 / 114.7 gallons = 36.0 mpg - same as with the old tires.

I occasionally get a bit of a chirp or squeal from the Michelins when launching from a stoplight, but I don't hear anything like that in the corners. Then again, I don't remember tire squeal being an issue when cornering with the stock tires, either.

So if you just want new wheels and tires -- go for it. But if you are not an aggressive driver, and your main goal is to reduce tire squeal, I'm thinking more investigation may turn up a less costly solution.