how big of a tire can i put on my 17s before they rub?

also what is the lug pattern on these things?

 

on these wheels.

 

How big do you wanna go?

Im pretty sure 235s are do-able. Not sure about anything larger though. Wide tires on skinny rims arent my cup of tea.

Bolt pattern is 4x100

 

Those are R97 Flame Spoke's. 17x7 - 4x100 - et 48 and are about 22 lbs ea.

In regards to the 235's. I believe Tirerack stipulates 6.5-8 inch rim for that width tire. And FWIW, Skip Barber runs 235's on 7 inch rims at his schools.

Whether or not 235's will fit in the wheel wells of your MINI, not sure.

 

215/45 is a good pratical width for street use.

235/40 may fit due to being a bit shorter, but consider
Mounting a 235 down to a 7" wheel - works great when pavment is perfect, like track use.

On the street this may cause wandering or tramlining - becasue you'll have the edges of the tire pulled up off the ground. When these edges meet up with road crowning, they may pull twards it.

Alex

 

I just want a tire with alittle more side wall than i have now at 205 45 17. tires on it now have a terrible ride that i blame on tiny side wall and that they are run flats.

i guess the 215 45 17 would be good. but would a 225/45/17 fit, or would it have to be 225/40/17 ?

 

oh and thanks for the info on my wheels gray raven.

 

225/45 is tall enough you could possibly have rubbing issues. Some guys run it with no problem.

Alex

 

Cole,
I can relate - totally. When I lowered KOOPER, I knew I'd sacrifice some ride comfort. Then, I got away from the RF's and it improved. After that, I went to a 225/50R-17 on 7.5" wheels. It was bone jarring! I also had issues with rubbing. Due to theft, I had to change wheels/tires again and after much research, I went with a 235/45R-17 on a 7.5" wheel and the very first thing I noticed was the significant improvment in the ride! Same make/model tire, just a different size. I honestly didn't think it would get better as I went to a shorter sidewall. All we can figure is that the wider tire on the 7.5" wheel pulled the sidewalls in a little so the slight angle lets them deflect a little more than the vertical sidewall of the 225. D.C./Northern VA is pothole city these days so I've tested the set up against some real doozies and they are great! Yes, I do get a very light rub up front (probably on the struts) when making turns with the steering wheel turned all the way to the locks. This past weekend, I had a couple of hundred lbs of "stuff" and 280lbs of me in the car and I did hear a very light rub in the rear when I hit a pretty big dip at speed. Yes, I have had a couple of instances of the tires wanting to tell me where to go when the road surface isn't pretty but it wasn't erratic or suddenly out of control, it was just a little tug on the wheel to let me know. Good luck!

 

thinking of doing 215/50/17 on my OZ 35th anniversarys. I was thinking a slightly thinner sidewall for the gokart like handling but the thick tire to be safe for all the NJ roads. I want a soft ride, but I want a tough tire because I seem to lose traction completely after 2 rotations, I'd like an opinion on this...

 

For both Drag and Track 215/40-17 would be best for gearing, much better than 215/45-17. 215/40-17 not only has the best gearing but is a bit wider than 205, and the lower profile gives you better steering response. On a 17 inch MINI wheel, it's the best compromise for performance driving considering available tires and fitment issues. Only 2 tires that come in 225/40-17 are the Nitto NT555 which DO NOT have flattering reviews and the Hoosier A6 is a track tire an excellent one. You can go 235/40-17 but will have some rubbage, you gotta cut some plastic and flatten the inside metal area to mitigate issue, there is a how-to on this forum some where. btw R56 have much more space for bigger wheels than R53.

 

Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 and the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec both come in 215/40-17.

 

I think the widest I have seen is 245. But this was on the track on an r56.

On the r53, many seem to run 215/40/17 probably due to lower torque. On r56, I find most going to 215/45/17 for a plus 1.

Remember not all 215/45/17 (or any size) are the same width.

 

He has R53 though
Isn't Plus 1 One, a size increase in tread width along with one size decrease in sidewall?

 

Understood.

Just wanted to explain some differences in recommendations...