Got a 2009 R56S with 6.5X16" Bridgeports and GY runflats.

The runflats got to go and the OE wheels got me wondering about their offset. Most fwd cars come with a negative scrub radius but I would like to know what the case is with the Minis and their various wheel options.

I drove a loaner 2008 with 17" OE wheels and Dunlop RFTs and I think that this wheel may have a different offset resulting in more positive scrub radius and better feedback than mine. Could it be the tire? Yes it could.

Before I decide on the type of tire and if I want to spend money on wheels I would like to know the offsets and the weights of the OEM wheels. Several calls to Tire Rack have yielded no results.

So the question is:

-OEM wheel sizes, offsets and weights.

-Scrub radius with the base OEM wheel.

-Any experiences with scrub radius change coming from the installation of wheels with different offsets.

Thanks.

 

http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f...factory_wheels

 

Very nice and thanks for the link pilotart but...

...there is no mention of the scrub radius at any of the various ETs which span quite a range.

Now I see though that the scrub radius between the two cars I drove is indeed different as I suspected since both wheels have an ET of 48 but one wheel is 0.5" wider than the other.

I wonder if the service manual of the R53 (no manual available for the R56, right?) lists the standard scrub radius.

 

With one exception to the MINI2 write-up, the Goodyear Excellence ROF is a Performance Summer Tire...NOT an All-Season Tire.

Where might one find a set of these??
R87 double-spoke ET45 16.5lb (7.5kg) [SIZE=1][silver only][/SIZE]

 

RJK, any dealer can provide those. But they are made for snow tires with a 1" narrower, 5.5" width rim.

The R84 and the R102 are the lightest OEM 16" rims with the 6.5" width.

KrautHammer,

The range of ETs for the OEM rims is really only ET 45 or ET 48, not a real large difference.

The OEM 16"x6.5" and the 17"x7" both have an ET of 48 which means that both have the center of the contact patch in the same location relative to the hub. The 15"x5.5" rims with the ET of 45 actually move the center of the contact patch slightly out, about 3mm, which could cause a small change in the feel of the steering.

Wider tires will generally cause more "tram lining" than narrower tires. Which can influence the feel of how the car drives. Even when mounting wider tires on the same rims.

 

Thanks Bilbo.

The 18" wheels have an ET of 52 and going from 45 to 52 is sure to be quite noticeable. That in combination with the tire cross section changes from 55 to 45 to 40 is communicating some intent on the part of the OEM other than maintaining the same rolling circumference.

It appears that the OE wheels add ET for increases in both wheel width and wheel diameter and also for contact patch change.

The back space measurements increase from 143 mm on the 16" to 149 mm on the 17" to 153 mm on the 18" wheels.

If the SAI (steering axis inclination) is the same between the cars delivered with these wheels then the scrub radius changes.