Greetings!
I have a 2004 cooper S, with S-Spokes 17" and stock suspension and brakes. Just got off the phone with MINI parts department and they have a set of brand new R95's :D ! Wondering what size wheel spacers to use on the R95's? I don't want anything too extreme, just want it to sit nicely. And should I use wheel spacers only in the front, or on all four wheels? Thanks!

 

I believe that the R95 wheels are 18 x 7" with a 52mm offset. If that is correct you should be able to use 15mm wheels spacers without a rubbing problem with stock suspension. But that will depend on what tire size you use.

I use 18 x 7 et 52 with 15mm spacers using 215/40-18 tires on my 2006 MCS with JCW springs (lowered about 5/8"). I had slight rubbing in the rear wheel arch that was resolved with a little plastic trimming. Thus withoout lowering you should be fine with 15mm spacers.

I also notices that someone was selling 12mm spacers that will of course work with even less chance of rubbing.

 

Does anyone have any before/after photos of what these changes look like on a car?

 

Here is a NAM link where I had previously posted some pictures.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com...-question.html
I run about -2.0 degrees of camber in the front and about -1.5 in the rear. Thus that tilts the front tire in a little more than stock.

 

What is the purpose of tilting the tires/wheels in like that? I would think it would promote poor tire wear on the inside of the treads?

 

Negative camber, tires look like this / \ from front, provides better handling but it can increase tire wear depending on how you drive the car. If just easy driving than tires will wear inside edge a litte faster. If you drive hard in canyons (corner hard) the negative camber might actually improve tire wear.

With negative camber, when you drive straight the tires ride on the inside edge but when you turn the tires flatten out across the road providing a better contract patch.

With zero | | camber the tires ride flat when going straight but go on the edge when cornering thus reducing the contact patch.

For people that do a lot of cornering with zero camber, they will see the outside edge of the tires wear faster due to cornering on the edge of the tire. Thus, for those people that corner a lot some negative camber improves the tire wear and handling.

 

That makes sense... I forget sometimes that not all of us are named "Melvin Milquetoast" and drive aggressively. I have seen the rear tires like that / \ on lots of Porsches, and thought they just all had crappy suspensions or bad wheel bearings.