OK,
I have decided to upgrade my 2002 MINI Cooper and replace the original 15" wheels with the 8 spoke 17" wheels with pirelli run flats. Will it be a straight swap or will I have to get spacers. I have a cooper, not a cooper S.

Thanks

 

It's a straight swap, but make sure you have read the threads about the 17 in. runflats. First, the runflats and the larger wheels are much heavier, you're going from the mid-30 lbs. to 50 or more per wheel/tire. That extra weight has a noticeable effect on acceleration and braking. Second, the handling in terms of cornering will improve but some people have reported tramlining with the Pirellies on grooved roads. Finally the ride, the runflats have very stiff sidewalls and will not give as comfortable a ride as the regular radials that you now have. Don't get me wrong, I have both types of tires and they each have their plusses and minuses, I just wanted to pass on some observations.

I would suggest looking at some of the light 16 in. wheels that are available and a sporty non-runflat like the Toyo T1-S or Falken Azenis. :smile:

 

Thanks for the reply. I will look at those options. Do the 17" wheels work with other types of tires that are not run flats?
Curiousl

 

lbc-guy,

Welcome to MCO! :smile:

They will fit no problem. No spacers needed.

Nobody likes the runflat tires; too heavy, too harsh a ride, eye-popping replacement cost. I'm planning on running the (8-spoke) 17" S-Lite wheels on my S, but will run a standard performance tire. This poses a risk for me in that the S has no spare, but you're lucky; your car has a spare. Do some searching in these forums for runflats and you'll see what people are saying.

You will also read that the 17" S-Lites are heavy compared to aftermarket wheels. This is true, but I can't get past just how "right" the S-Lites look on the MINI. They look soooo good, and the extra 5-10lbs per wheel should translate to better pothole durability.

Classic Auto Campus, an MCO sponsor (see the sponsor directory), has a pretty good price on brand new S-Lite wheels.

Best of luck to you,

James