I run 18s on both of my cars

The MCS with the SPAX coilovers, slammed, 35s rides rough, never had much of a problem with holes or such but it's not much fun on rough roads

The MC with the 18s and stock suspension rides much better, the tires are 40 series also

Now it has come bad weather here in Ohio so I went with stock 17s, stock size tires (non run flats), the ride did improve over the 18-40 combo
as the weather has gotten worse, now I'm on 16's with X-ice snow tires and have noticed that the ride has improved more

18-35 is going to be rough no matter what, I guess you decide if you want to live with the rough ride for the style and handling.

BTW: I'm 45 and have drove my MCS 600 miles on one shot without my back hurting, 24 years old I would of ran 20s with rubber bands to make it look cool! Then again, I might be a little more nuts than the rest

 

Tiaan - stick with the 18's.. get rid of the altas and get some eibachs..and change those tyres.. whatever u do.. dont get rid of those rims!!!

Put it this way - 18's with 35profiles are going to be a 'rough' ride no matter what car u drive.

 

My bad - should have read from the beginning. If you want plush, go with M7 springs and 15s.

 

Seriously, when I picked up these wheels, they felt lighter than the s-lites.....could be my mind playing tricks on me though... I didn't weigh them...

OK...so I take it that smaller wheels, bigger sidewalls = more comfort - that's a given.

I need to compare the options. Ignoring that FACT that smaller wheels are likely to give a more comfy ride, what reccomendations would have have for making the 18's ride better?

I can think of:
- go back to stock suspension
- better alternate suspension (coilvers, ebachs, better shocks)
- a wider series tyre (ie. 215/40, or 205/40)

Going back to a smaller wheel would mean:
- selling the wheels - possible minor loss of $$$
- search for better wheels begins again...
- I will look at the suspension anyway....the alta springs are going...!

Anyway....thinking out loud....(as it always comes down to money )

Probable cost for keeping the 18's
- (AUD) $1200 for tyres,
- $500 for better springs....

Probable cost for going back to a smaller wheel:
- $200 loss of $$ on buying/selling wheels, - $1100 credit for regained money
- <$1600 for new wheels
- $1200 for tyres
- best case, wheel and tyre package - $2400
- $500 better springs

So....best case, it's comparing $1700 to $1900...

I think I'll buy the better springs first....try out the ride....and if it bites....I'll sell the wheels...

Is $200(ish) worth it? YES!!

 

I shoulda known you would be a fan of the rims! youd should put them on your car *wink wink nudge nudge*

 

I'm in the same ballpark with Gabe.

You can roll with 18" rims but you might have to go back to the original springs or in my case I went with the JCW suspension. I my humble opinion, this set up did not degrade the ride quality, gives the car a slightly more aggressive stance and improves the handling.

As it has been stated...comfort is in the seat of the beholder but even my wife thinks the ride with my JCW 18's with 205/40 18 Dunlops were smoother that the 17" S-lites with Goodyear RSAs. (winter setup)

Here is a beauty shot of Greta.

 

I'm running 215/35/18 with ultra low profile nexus performance tires.H Sport springs with stock shocks.My ride is fine.

 

I replaced my 17" with 18" 215/35/18 falken wheels and tires, and the only suspension mods were a 22mm rear sway bar and strut stablisers. I am actually quite pleased with the tires. The ride compares to stock and handles 100% better. This is a daily driver 03 mcs. The only down fall is, as I pull in the drive, the rear wheel lifts off the ground about 4". Living in the Carolinas, we have pretty good roads, and pretty much year round motoring. I don't do any track racing, so I can't speak for those type of handling issues. But for everyday driving and the look and feel of the set-up I have, I will do it again on my next mini.

 

thats more like it! big dawg's territory
but why ALTA springs?

 

Lol haha - mate i already have my own 17" v 18" dilemmas!!

But go with the new springs first - cheapest option to take.. ur altas are goOne anyhows, so u need to replace them either now or later.

Then determine if u want to get 17's instead (or just different tyres).

and with the money u save on not ditching ur rims + getting new ones, u can then buy the alta air diverter off me ! lol

 

makes me think of JCW suspension with 18" JCW glossy-black rims.... God bless JCW....

change tires, enjoy the rims with 205/40/18s.

 

haha...there's no way i'm going JCW suspension, just out of principle! No lies...I could get coilovers for the same price.....check out this pricelist in Aussie dollars...($1AUD = 0.74 USD)

JCW suspension = USD$1056!!! (not including installation)

 

FYI - That's about $100 more than the US (before any discounts).

 

Such a shame...Did you see the price of the base car? Pre-JCW? - USD$30,634.47

What are base MCS' going for in the US?

 

$20,600 USD

 

is that w/any body paint option included?

 

That's the base car, non-metallic paint, with the chilli pack - not including on road costs.

Chilli pack = xenons, 17's, Climate contol, HK, OBC, 3 spoke MFSW

Base car is AUD$39,990

 

...........Y I K E S ! !

 

Tit,

Some suspension set-ups allow a car to achieve incredible handling numbers, while others make fast drive more accessible. The two can be exclusive of one another. In the case of the JCW suspension, a group of sales folks and journalists drove standard S cars and then standard S cars with the JCW suspension. The really good drivers improved lap times by an average of 1.5 seconds - after the first lap. The novice drivers improved by between 2-3 seconds - again first lap only. I cannot remember where this comparison took place...maybe Gabe can chime in.

The point here is that some set-ups require lots of skill, work, and, risk. Others elevate the driving experience by making higher limits accessible to everyone without lots of work, skill or risk. Driving fast takes a lot of work and concentration. Any set-up that allows you to achieve better numbers without provoking extreme fear factor is a good one.

Adjustable coil-overs by themselves do not guarantee anything...the sum of the parts do not always equal the whole. In the case of the JCW suspension, the reverse is true; very few non-exotic parts make the whole a much nicer experience. The example I drove was very well buttoned down. I would strongly urge you to take a drive in one. It's not a track set-up, but you'll definately be satisfied with your track experience.

 

That would be anywhere other than Los Angeles where Minis are 5,000 dollars above MSRP!

 

I'd love to.....the only one I've encountered in Australia is the "Red Devil" demo car at the Australian Auto Show....(from which I posted that price list)....

I'm putting the wheels on a friend's car in a few weeks. He has eibachs on, and std shocks. I'll take it for a drive along some Sydney streets for a while (which are worse than most Aussie towns). In a sense, I'll get a sort of reasonable idea of what how they'll work with the eibachs....and from there I'll be able to make a decision...

By the way, I don't think this happens often, but I want to thank you all for offering your advice and opinons......it is appreciated!

 

Not the case at all at either South Bay or Long Beach, both of which are at MSRP with no mark-up.

I purchased my '06 MC from South Bay at MSRP a few weeks ago and had a great sales experience there from Jennifer.

 

no one wants to talk about tire pressure, i guess. He could be running them
at 40psi or something... :impatient :impatient :impatient

 

How loooowww can you go?

 

Mate - let us know how u go. Im going with 18" and M7 setup. *Fingers Crossed*