Ok so I have searched and have not found sufficient information on the R56 to R53 wheel fitment issue. Apparently I gather that R56 wheels can fit the R53 but not the other way around. I am aware that the holes were enlargened for the bolts. Does this mean that when you put a R56 wheel on a R53 you're lug holes will be too big? Will this cause problems? I can't seem to find anyone mentioning a negative effect of doing so. Also are they use the same hubcentric ring?

 

No problem with the wheel lug holes going from R56 to R53. Also, the OEM wheels would not have a problem if you decide to go either direction. The hubcentric ring is the same size which is 56.1 mm for both R56 and R53. Many aftermarket wheels are also OK in fitment, but there are some aftermarkets have room only for the smaller 12mm lug bolts.

 

And the R53 has the 12mm lugs correct?

When you say fitment is 'OK', does this mean it fits good or it's 'ok, but not great'?

 

They work just fine with no issues.

Yes most r53 have 12 mm lug bolts. Toward the end of the run in 2006, they started to use 14mm as well.

 

Thank you very much slinger.

 

Just to add onto Slinger's excellent posts:

The bolt holes in the OEM MINI wheels have always been about 16mm - that's why you can fit the earlier wheels that came off of a car with 12 mm bolts onto a later car that uses 14 mm bolts.

About the only problems with putting earlier wheels on later cars is that I don't think all of the earlier OEM wheels supported the in-wheel tire pressure sensors that came later, as well as the fact that the 'S' brakes on the second-gen cars are larger than the 'S' brakes on the first-gen cars, so none of the OEM 15" wheels and most of the OEM 16" wheels will fit on a second-generation 'S'.