I Admit not rotating the stock contiprocontact ssr 195/55R16 's on my 2013 Coupe S. My left front tire is worn down to just about the wear bar:( All other tires have plenty of tread. I have 27,000 miles on them. The right front was replaced due to a pot hole blow out:(

What would you do?
Replace all tires with non run flats?
Replace just the one with new?
Replace just the one with a used off eBay?

 

No-brainer - a used one off eBay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NO-PATCH-95-...a7b421&vxp=mtr

 

Never put run flats on it, I would replace the two front tires with new ones.

 

+1...I'll finish the sentence...then when the rear tires need replaced move the front ones back and put the new ones on the front. The better two of the four should always be the drive tires. Alternatively, replacing all four then rotating them EVERY 5K miles is the optimum option.

 

per ALL tire manufacturers and tirerack.com (watch their video) if replacing only 2 tires put the new tires on the rear axle so that the front axle will lose traction (understeer) before the rear axle (oversteer) in adverse conditions

the average driver can survive understeer but will spin off the road in oversteer in adverse low traction conditions

 

Interesting, I was always told to put the new ones on the end where the power hits the road, told being the operative word. Of course that was as it related to the Detroit iron family sedan battle cruiser well before the days of MINI. I'll go visit tire rack and get re-educated.

 

Here is a link to the article.

 

hmm i always replace the front and then rotate...so that way i always have more grip on the drive tire. Seems to wear better to. Im not a tire pro though. Just read the article, and it makes sense. But what about acceleration around a wet corner, wouldnt you want the grip on the power wheel?

 

I would recommend replacing all 4 at the same time, followed by a quality alignment. Mixing runflats and non runflats gives an unpredictable ride and handling in my experience. Try to stick to a rotation every oil change (every 5,000 miles).

The ride improvement by going with a traditional tire over a runflat will be quite noticeable, and you won't bend wheels due to the runflats being so stiff anymore.

I will however recommend you carry a spare if/when you ditch runflats: http://www.detroittuned.com/mini-cooper-spare-tire/

Personally, I've always run the best tires on the front of the vehicle, regardless of FWD or RWD, but to each their own.


Nick
Detroit Tuned

 

The rear tires don't have traction, they just have to follow (FWD)
We speak here for normal people driving on a normal road.No rally pro's.
The ESP helps here a lot to eliminate any problems.For FWD the best tires have to be on the front.Just my 2 cents and 50 years of driving experience.

 

I 100% agree.

When you lift off the gas, momentum shifts forward. The rear of the vehicle was initially lighter in the rear end than the front. If the rear of your vehicle doesn't have equal or better traction potential than the front tires, your setting yourself up for some serious oversteering. Rally pro's might love this but it is not as easy to drive as understeer for most people. Just an example.

 

I 100% agree with Alex ... best tires on rear axle ... one oversteer in a panic situation in wet or slick conditions will convince you, if you survive

 

There is only one solution :good tires on 4 wheels and let the ESP do its job.Saving on tires is not done.
When I was young "heel and toe" and using a hand brake to provoke a drift was done in rally situations.Now the modern Mins are much more safe and faster if you drive in an intelligent way.

 

+1

Get another same make/model/wear rate tire off eBay to finish off the set you have on right now.

THEN migrate to proper non-runflop tires (better traction, better ride, better quality tire, lower price point).

Too many others have expressed opinions on rotation, nothing more to add other than: you can do the smart thing, or you can do the lawyer-approved thing. Do what makes sense to you.

a

 

Just replaced factory 205/55/17 run flats on 2012 Countryman with 225/50/17 Bridgestone Drive Guards. What a huge difference! They drive smooth and quiet like regular radials but you still have security of a run flat.