I am thinking about going with 15" by 6" wheels so that I can get some better rubber w/o getting into a 16".

This means aftermarket only so I am wondering what issues I may or may not have to deal with?

I am thinking of the hubcentric thing and the Mini's tire pressure sensor...

My MC is a late 2006 build.

Thanks for any input.

 

I am very happy with my 15x6.5 inch wheels. I shod them with 205/50/15 200 treadwear rubber for track days.

I suggest going with 6.5 instead of 6 so you can properly fit the 205/50/15 tires. They are plentiful and cheap.

Alan

 

which tires did you go with for that size wheel?

 

Decision on tires should be made by the area you live, what you are going to use your Mini for and size availability in the tires you are looking at.

I had really good luck with RT-615's on my old STi for autocross, but would go with the Advan AD07 or RE-01R if I had multiple drives, as the Falkens heat up fast on a heavy, high hp car. On a Mini, they may be fine. I just don't see any reason to drive a Mini in STS, the Civics are much faster. GS/HS are the best home for Mini's and that requires a separate set of wheels and R comps to be competitive locally. If you go that route, a decent performer like the Falken 452 would be a good street/rain autocross tire on the daily rims.

If you are into track days and are going to have a second set of wheels, shod them with RA-1's and just get a decent tire like the Falken 452 for street.

For strictly street driving, you need to decide it all out grip is what you want, or decent grip and good wet weather manners and comfort. For all out grip at a great price RT615's are about the best you cant get, 01R's a close second, but are a little more expensive, but better in rain.

It all comes down to what you are going to do with the car and how often.

 

Thanks. Do most current aftermarket wheels work OK with hubcentric and the Mini's tire monitor system?

 

No problems with aftermarket wheels- they usually centering rings but that works just fine. On my MCS, I run 15x7 wheels with a 205/55/15. 15x7's are very common in the aftermarket world and they fit great. A 205 width tire on a 7" wide wheel is a great match.

Jason

 

The tire pressure monitoring system in the MINI isn't the kind that requires special wheels. It just compares the rotational speed of the front tires against one another, and the rotational speed of the rear tires against one another. If both tires in a "pair" (front or rear) aren't rotating at close to the same speed, it assumes it's because one of them has become underinflated and illuminates the warning light, along with sounding a chime.

It's not the most sophisticated system, but it's really easy to implement, because the ABS and other systems are already monitoring wheel rotation speeds anyway, so there's no need for additional sensors.

What the MINI system *can't* give you is an in-dash readout of the individual tire pressures, and it won't give you a warning if both tires in a "pair" are losing air at the same rate, but that's a rare case.

 

Get a set of used Holeys. They are light and cheap.

 

I think they're too narrow.

I want 6 or 6.5s...

 

I don't know if you have a particular tire size in mind, but several of the people in our local club have 205/50-15 tires on Holeys for their autocross tires with no problem, and that's a good overall combination for price, weight and tire size.

For my track wheels, I went with Konig Heliums. They're 15 X 6.5", about 10.8 pounds each, and you can buy them all day for $360/set plus shipping. They're no great shakes, looks-wise, but I have my Webspokes for everyday driving.

 

I've used both the Falken Azenis RT-215s and the Hankook RS2 Z212s. I had issues with the Hankooks chunking on the outside edges. I have a set of Falken Azenis RT-615s on the way.

Alan

 

I mounted some 205/55r15 Bridgestone Potenza RE750 summer only tires on my holies and love them. They have a "w" (up to 168mph) speed rating and 340 tread wear rating. I have run them on the track, on the Dragon as well as every day tire. They have great grip, no chunking, no tire noise and are pretty good in the wet. No snow. The tires look really cool on the holies and really give the Mini the right stance. If I were going to use them for track only I would have gone with a 50 series and help increase my torque.

 

Are the Holies 5.5" wide?

Thanks.

 

yes, they are.

 

That's how wide mine are...are 205s OK to use?

 

"MiniHune" usually chimes in here on these matters, with good advise.