If I put new wheels on my MINI, do I also need an alignment?

 

Probably not, especially if you have relatively low mileage on your car, normal tire wear on your old set, and if you haven't noticed any tendency to pull L or R when driving on a relatively flat road.

 

Anthony,

You don't need an alignment. Really the MINI doesn't offer you that much to adjust alignment wise anyway. Even if you unbolt the entire rear subframe (rear sway bar install), and bolt it back up, I doubt you'd notice it in uneven tire wear.

Dave

 

>>If I put new wheels on my MINI, do I also need an alignment?
New wheels need to be only mounted and balanced.
Suspension on your MINI can be aligned but only if you change something big like shocks or springs.
Smaller changes like rear swaybar or front swaybar, or tower strut brace don't usually need alignment.
The alignment shop I went to said that even though there aren't many adjustable points to the MINI, they could
do some adjustment and bring the MINI to factory specs or custom specs.
I did alignment (4 wheel) after H-sport springs/ rear adjustable control arms were installed. Made a big
difference for me. Cost $80 took 100 minutes.

So new wheels- no alignment, just balancing for each wheel.
Rotate every 5000 miles

 

The wheel wieghts on my 16's are "glued" to the inside rim. How
do tire shops balance your wheels when you get new ones?

Jim

 

minihune

could you describe the ways that the alignment made a "big difference?"

Dave :smile:

 

>>The wheel wieghts on my 16's are "glued" to the inside rim. How
>>do tire shops balance your wheels when you get new ones?
>>
>> Jim
Usually stuck on behind the face of the wheel with tape wheel weights.

Alex