I have a 2003 Mini S on 17 in' wheels..looking to buy some steel wheels and mount studded tires...question is...

What size tires and wheels....already found out that they don't make studded tires for my original set of wheels....so just looking for what will work ...

thanks,

Shannon

 

I'm running a set of cheapie aluminum 15" wheels, and P185/65R15 Pirelli Winter Carving tires from TireRack.

This setup provides a smoother ride than the 17s on bumpy winter roads, the tires are narrower - great traction on ice/snow, and they are relatively inexpensive compared to some 16"/17" setups.

Around here the studless tires don't work so well (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much ice), and I've found that most all 16"/17" setups utilize the studless tires.

 

I've always wanted to try a set of these:


http://www.fourstarmotorsports.com/t...1/Default.aspx

Not sure where or how you'd put studs in it though...

 

Those look pretty awesome. I wonder how the 135/85R15 size compares height-wise to the 185/65R15's I'm running now?

 

Well, since all tire size calculators I could find only go to 145 as the narrowest, I input 145/80/15 as a rough diameter equivalent and compared it to your size. It says there is only a 1.4% error - too fast, and the diameter is only .3" smaller.

 

I've never run chains or studs on any of my autos, but the Coop is a little squeamish in the snow and ice..not a bad thing..but not the best of situations. ;-)
I'm running low profile Falken Ziex ZE-512 Performance Tires. Great in the twisties and in wet weather , but ..one can't have everything! haha

Thanks again,

Shannon

 

i went with 15" steelies with general altimax arctic studdable tires from tirerack.com. fits the '03 s and are 60$ with 15$ for adding studs. if you buy the wheels too they will mount/balance for free and ship to you. less than 500 dollars for highly rated winter tires and wheels, as long as you put them on yourself.

 

the wheels cost 46$ each

 

You may want to consider studless since the tradeoffs are high with studded tires, and many studless perform as well or better (see www.tirerack.com for details). IIRC, the Altimax is actually a rebadged Gislaved tire (can't remember where I read that), and is pretty highly rated - and inexpensive.

 

I am running Gislavard Nord Forst II 185/65/15, in the front and a old set of dunlop snows on the back that are 195/60/15, that I had on the front the last two winters so I know those two sizes are ok ], and my mini is lowered an inch.