....it's like i'm driving a 4x4 truck. well, not really, but it looks like i've put big old snow tires on my mcs and although it rides brilliantly now, it just doesn't have the mini cooper, go cart feel anymore (which i actually enjoy the harsh ride of a sports tuned car!)

here's the story - originally had michelin pilot ps2 215/40/17 and shredded through the fronts in barely 12k miles with daily driving. to save $ went to falken fk452 same size and although a decent tire, i didn't get nearly as many miles out them (with very meticulous care) as i'd hoped for. since my car has the stock "s" suspension on it, the 215/40/17 gave a generous wheel gap that i'm sure made all who observed my car wizzing by just cringe!!!!!!

in an effort to decrease the wheel gap i decided to go to a 225/45/17 (continental extreme contact dw - i originally ordered the dws but alas their on back order). well, i have less wheel gap, but it looks like i have giant tires on my car - there is definitely no low profile in a 225/45! frick frack flippin eh!!!! i'll be heading back to america's tire tomorrow to exchange these babies and i'll be going back to the 215/40's and holding out for some new suspension at some time.

lesson to be learned - don't go with 225/45 unless you want your mcs to look like a snow machine!

 

An adjustable suspension like coilovers would have solved your problem. Adjustable ride height FTW.

 

x2

1.Loose muddin tires
2.Get coils
3.?????
4.Profit

 

would love a set of coilovers and the $$$ to pay for them too. in the meantime, i'll be gappin like mad!

america's tire ordering 215/40's which makes me happy. i will admit though - the 225/45 did fill the wheel well nicely but just doesn't make the mcs look agressive at all. and, i guess if you're someone who buys a go-cart but doesn't like it to drive/feel like a go-cart, then a set of 225/45's isn't all bad - probably especially so if you're doing a lot of freeway/highway commuting. in fact, i'm gonna make a little run down the I-10 later today - i'll report back how these monster tires make the car feel.

i'll also create a thread once i get the 215/40's put on to elaborate on how the extreme contact dw's are overall.

 

Well you went from a 215/40 to a 225/45 that is both 10mm wider and 5% taller.

The sidewall went from 3.4" to 4.0". Your speedometer is also reading 5.1% too slow. So going 60mph is actually 63mph.

A 225/40/17 would have been a better fit as it's closer to your current diameter and is only 1.3% too slow.

 

Any photos of what it looks like with those 225/45/17 tires?

 

true - however the conti extreme contact dw isnt avail in that size. it was an experiment and i guess we have to consider that b/c all tires aren't created equal, a 225/45 from a different manufacturer may have looked completely different on the mcs. in that case i guess i have to hope that by going back to 215/40 but in the conti ec dw will not only restore the aggressive look, but the aggressive go-cart feel to the car.

 

yeah - i took a few on my fone - let me upload em later - not the best shots but i think it conveys the idea that the 225/45 just didn't have a low profile, aggressive look.

 

what about trying a 215/45/17?

 

yeah - thought about that but it's about .1" shorter than the the 225/45 (height is 3.98 on a 225/45 and 3.8 on a 215/45). i think part of what i'm not liking in both looks and feel is the taller sidewall.

i just took the car for a ~ 40mile round trip excursion on the freeway. wow - the car just feels completely different with 225/45s. i'd guess if you want your mcs to feel like an accord or maybe even a 5 series (not a 550i or an m5) then maybe these bigger tires could be your bag baby!. but, if you're into the mcs feel then stick with something in a lower profile. i do like the wider stance of the 225 and i think if this particular tire came in a 225/35 it would be an interesting and probably satisfying option (although i will admit on the r53 the 225 is just fitting in the rear on a 17 inch rim).

i'm hopeful the 215/40 conti ec dw will give me both the look/stance and responsive feel that i'm looking for. if it turns out to be a good tire then i've scored big time as america's tire gave me a 45000 mile warranty on it since i originally ordered the conti ec dws and it was on back order til who knows when.

 

here ya go

 

I know someone who put 225's on 15 inch rims, and those who have driven his car say it rides like a Cadiliac. Basically saying it rides awesome.
Nice pics too, looks great!

 

Just because the diameter is 15" doesn't mean anything when talking about the 225. It's the width of the wheel that determines the width of the tire...to a certain extent unless you're looking to either stuff a tire or stretch it.


OP: Have you considered looking at 235/40/17 and 235/35/17?

 

235 would certainly be beefy on an mcs - however i don't think there's enough room in the rear wheelwell for a 235 - the 225's just fit - there's but a smidge of room on the inside

 

What's the width and offsets of the wheels? A conservative offset can cause backspacing problems.

 

they're 17x7 ac schnitzer wheels from the 2005 r53 ac schnitzer package.

 

What are your offsets?

 

Okay, there's a whole bunch of stuff I want to mention here:

1. Generally you want to keep within 2% of your factory tire size, for several reasons:

• It keeps your speedometer and odometer working properly.
• It keeps the gearing of your car the way it was designed.
• It keeps your ride height the way it was designed.

Most MINIs come with a 195/55R16 tire, or equivalent diameter factory tire size. I highly recommend staying within 2% of that diameter. Note that 225/35R17 is 5.1% smaller than stock -- too small, in my opinion.

2. You can do the math to figure out what tires are similar to the stock diameter, but to make things easy there are plenty of online calculators. One of the best is over at Miata.net.

3. Different tires will have different levels of sidewall stiffness, even in the same exact size. In general, run-flat models will have very stiff sidewalls. R-compound or near-R-compound tires may also have stiff sidewalls, but that's not always true.

4. Some tire sizes just are not manufactured, and although Mr. TKHarris is right about the 225/40R17 being a perfect fit, nobody makes it except Hoosier. And that tire has no tread. :(

5. Wheel width and tire-to-car clearance will determine what width tire you can run. The largest I'd try to squeeze on a 7" wheel is a 225, and even that bulges quite a bit. Having a tire that's too wide for the wheel will also contribute to a mushy steering feel, as the tire sidewall is going to roll around a little bit under load. I wouldn't put a 235 width tire on a 7" wide wheel.

--Dan
Mach V