I've been searching NAM for the last couple of days and haven't come up with a good answer. What 15" wheels will work with the 11.75" Wilwood race big brake kit without spacers? Tire Rack has a fairly decent selection of 15" wheels including the Kosei K1 Racing and K1 TS, both of which I'm considering. I've got the 17" K1 Racing wheels on, now, but I need winter tires and also want to go to 15" rubber for street and track next year. I like the K1 Racing wheel enough (if it fits) to "standardize" on them, but I'd like to know what other options are out there.

Thanks,
Brian

 

I tried one of my 15x7 Kosei K1-R's on Waylen's car last year, and it will fit without spacers if you have the wheel weights mounted on the inner edge (closest to the middle of the car) to clear the brake calipers.

Scott
90SM

 

Thanks, Scott. That's good enough for me!

 

Great timing, I'm thinking about that brake kit too. I run 15" holies for my snows & wonder if they will fit that kit? Any idea?

Thanks

 

Stock wheels I'd say are hopeless without spacers. Aftermarket market wheels are almost certainly needed. Buy some cheap ones maybe?

TEMPLATE

 

Todd thanks for the fast response. I guess I'll do some investigation on aftermarket 15" wheels.

 

Any hits on other compatible 15" wheels? I just got off the phone with Wes at TireRack and the K1 Racing wheels are just plain gone. Nothing available in 15 or 17" guise. So, onward to plan B (whatever that is). I sent him the template Todd linked to above to see about compatibility with the K1 TS, but I'm also interested in other first-hand experiences folks have had.

 

These will NOT fit. I tried. Had to sell the holies. Sad.

mb

oh - I even tried with a 5mm spacer.

 

I know you said you wanted to know about wheels without a spacer, but a 5mm spacer is really minimal. It fits:


mb

 

Now that's about as tight as it gets.

 

Yea - I had to have the weights that were there moved, and I was worried about it going out for the first session. Didn't think about it again for the rest of the day - next season's gonna be fun!

And, now that I really think about it, with the TMS studs, there's no reason I can't run a larger spacer for the track to give the brakes more room to breathe. It'd also help handling, at least that's what the people who know more than I do say about it.

And Todd - the b-comps were awesome on track, and I enjoy BP20 on the street - thanks for all your help.

mb

 

Wow, that *is* snug!

Oh, what wheels are those?

 

Rota slipstream 15x7 +40et.

mb

 

I would love to put a 11.75" brake kit on my mini so I could still fit 15's. Is tehre any significant change in the handling characteristics of the car with 15's as opposed to 17's?

 

I can't speak about 17s since I've never had them on my car, but this really depends on what 15 inch tire and what size you choose. Steering with my 205/50/15s feels lighter, quicker, and more exact. But when I had tall winter tires, that wasn't true.

So as much as that's a non-answer, it is what it is. The main differences you'll feel are in acceleration and braking, in my opinion.

mb

 

I went from the stock 17" S-Lites with 205/45/17 Goodyear all-season runflats to 15" Konig Rewind wheels with 225/50/15 Yokohama ES100 tires. For the first hour I noticed slightly slower turn-in (probably from the taller sidewall) and slightly heavier steering feel (probably from the wider contact patch). After that hour, I never noticed the difference again. Beyond that, I noticed a much more comfortable ride and cheaper replacement rubber.

MB's right in that much of it comes down to tire construction and type (high-perf summer vs. winter; runflat vs. non; &c.).

 

Does anyone know if the new Slipstreams in 15x7.5 et40 would fit with a stock suspension? It should clear the caliper without a spacer, but it will also extend about another 6mm toward the suspension.

 

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1's in 15x7 work, IIRC...

 

Pro Race 1 or 1.2? Is there a difference? What offset works well on the MINI? Seems to me that my Konig Rewinds were 40mm... The price for the Pro Race 1.2 seems decent ($129 from Good Win).

 

Looks like there's several current Pro Race 1.Xs available. 1.2, 1.3, etc. Who's a reputable dealer for Team Dynamics wheels?

 

good-win is reputable, but a Miata specialist, so they might not know everything about MINIs.

outmotoring sells Team Dynamics wheels.

 

Edit - sorry you asked about 7.5 - don't know.

mb

 

Thanks, Jason.

The Pro Race 1 is a nice looking wheel. Not outrageously expensive (about $20/wheel more than the K1 TS from OutMotoring).

 

Got 'em on tonight. Team Dynamics Pro Race 1 in 15x7, 40mm offset:




I forgot to ask the shop that mounted my snow tires to not put weights on the inside of the rim right up against the spokes, so that's exactly what they did on just the two front wheels. *sigh* Clearance is tight but it looks ok, and I drove the car a bit tonight (for the first time in a couple of weeks! Woo hoo!) and didn't have any problems. I'll post another shot of the clearance between the weights and the caliper when I get a chance.

So, there you have it: proof that these wheels fit with the 11.75" Wilwood BBK!

 

There's WAY more room there than on mine. Looks nice.

mb