- My Mini: '09 MCScm, Dallas, TX
- Tire equipped: Bridgrestone Turanza, 195/55R 16 (Run flat), Summer

Guys,

I found out recently that all front tires excessively worn out unlike rear tires - based on thread, rear tires seem fair condition.

Besides finding out how it happened (I should have checked tire thread when I bought my Clumbman S a year ago), I'd like to ask following questions and appreciate your help:

#1. Should I replace only front 2 or all? (Like I said, rear tires seem very good condition)

#2. If only front 2 needed, do you recommend different brand/speed rating than current Turanza summer tires? (I live in Dallas where there's snow and ice)

#3. Do you recommend non-run flat tires?

#4. Do you recommend equip new all-season tires at rear and original Summer tires to front? (assuming I will remove current worn front tires.)

#5. Or new all-season at front and leave rear as-is?

#6. I plan to buy tires from tirerack.com as always. Will any tire shop allow me to replace only 2 tires?

#7. Will they allow me to replace current front tires with rear ones and equip new tires at rear?


Many thanks in advance!

 

Move new tires to the back and place old on the front. More even tire wear that way. Ditch the run flats its cheaper and a better ride. For the Cost of 2 run flats you can get a nice set of 4 new non run flats.

 

Thanks!

Then do you recommend Summer tires in front (cuz current tires are all Summer) and all-season in rear (cuz I am going to buy a pair of all-season)?

 

The front tires generally wear faster than the rears, as they do almost all the work. The more fun you have driving, the quicker the fronts wear.

You're at a turning point similar to what I'll be facing some day, so I've been reading about replacement tires here and at Tire Rack (TR). I've read a lot of tire opinions here, but here's what I think I'd do in your situation.

I'd switch out of run-flats forever and get 4 new all-season (A/S) tires. I'd get high performance A/S tires, but you may have a different preference (maybe Grand Touring A/S, for example) depending on your usage. In any case, the info at TR can help you decide what kind of tires best suit your needs. All street tires are compromises, but we get to pick what kind of compromises we prefer.

Once I got all new tires, I'd eventually have to decide whether I intend to buy two new tires at a time (moving the rears to the front and replacing the rears with new tires) or rotate all four tires frequently (every 3k or 4k miles) to keep them about even. In the latter case, all four would wear at about the same rate, so I would be replacing all 4 next time as well.

Another choice you can have coming up is whether to switch tire size from your current 195/55/16 OEM size to 205/50/16. The latter size offers a wider selection of tires, so I'm leaning toward that size.

 

Jim,

Thanks for sharing your thought. Big help!

You said that switch tire size from your current 195/55/16 OEM size to 205/50/16.

Will 205/50/16 fit my current Mini's stock wheels?

 

theyll fit fine.

4 new non-RF 205/50s will be the way to go.

 

Yes; fit is good. From what I've read here, the 205/50/16 size is a very popular switch from the OEM 195/55/16 size (which is what I have on mine now). The 205/50/16 is a little wider (6.9" tread instead of 6.2", at least in the Yoko AVID ENVigor tire), and a little smaller in diameter (24.1" instead of 24.4"), but well within the acceptable range for our 6.5X16" wheels. Your car will look mean with the resulting .15" drop.

Some have even switched to a 215 width tire, but I'm not attracted to that much increase in width and diameter. It would be a somewhat taller tire than what you have now, but still within the acceptable diameter range.