I have a Mini 2009 Chilli (non S) that came with 195/55/r16 runflats, which get broken -and I mean shredded- in Mexico City streets, so I want to change them for r15 with normal tires. The MINI service says I can't because the car is too heavy for non-runflat tires, but I had already done that in my previous Mini (a 2002) but can't remember how I made the conversion. Using a tire calculator, it says by changing to 175/65/r15 the speedometer will run 2% faster and I can live with that. The question is, can I change the runflats r16 for normal tires r15 in my car? Any suggestions, please? My wallet can't stand the runflats anymore.
Thanks,
ary

 

Yes
Even with the same rims
Or with different rims
Some places will not install non runlats (sam's and bj's mostly) due to liability concerns, but many many folks have done it.
I runs uhp's on my oem 16's and winters on a cheap set of alloys...
the 15's are lighter, and do change both the performance and the feel of the car. Just be sure to check the load range of the 15's to ensure they meet the mini's needs....the mini is pretty heavy for its size, and not all 15's approprate even when sized right.
With an s, the stock 15 size is a bit narrow, and like you i went with an alternate size 15 to keep the width right.....
Edit...saw you said you have a gen2 now..not the 02...
So not sure they will fit. The gen2 s brakes are the same as a jcw gen1.
So very few, depending on offsets will fit...
But there are lots of common 16' sizes if you cant find tge oem size in a non runflat.

 

PS
On a 2009 you will get (if equipped) a flat tire/ low preasure warning unless you move the sensors to the new rims or buy new ones...

 

The rims I'm thinking of are also MINI's gen 2. They are 15' 4/100 with Continental Premium Contact 2 tires that belonged to a Mini Cooper 2010. Do you think they'll fit and support the weight of my car? I really appreciate your help as I'm lousy at this.
ary

 

Are you thinking that 15s will hold up/wear better than 16s in Mexico City?

The OE 195/55/16 MINI tires are load-rated at 1201 lbs, while the OE 175/65/15 tires are load-rated at 1102 lbs. That may be the source for the dealer's claim.

If you went with size 195/60/15 instead, they are load-rated at 1235 lbs. They would be about 20 mm wider than OE 15s, and only .2" larger in diameter than the 175/65/15. The 195/60/15 tire will fit on a 5.5" rim, but the tire is molded to optimally fit a 6" wide rim. Many MINI dealers may not be willing to mount those.

I assume you know that you would have to buy new rims for 15" tires. I wouldn't normally even think to mention that, but recently someone on another car forum asked if he could just buy 18" tires for his 19" rims to save money.

I think I'd just stick with the 16" wheels I already had.

 

I can't. One gets shredded to pieces, literally, not figuratively, every week. I can't buy a tire a week. they're about 300 USD over here and there are only two brands, so most agencies or tire shops don't have them in stock and you have to wait 2-3 weeks, if you're lucky, to get one. It's silly!

Thanks for your help. I'd appreciate it if you could help me a bit more.

Have a great evening,

ary

 

I can't believe a MINI dealer gave you that BS excuse. And they wonder why people can't trust dealers.

 

I know. In fact, I DON'T trust dealers. That's why I'm asking here.
So you think I can change them for non-runflats, right?

thank you,

ary

 

Yep, as mentioned you can run regular tires. Go for it, you won't be sorry.

 

ThanX! I know I won't be sorry. I'm going to be so happy by getting rid of the runflats I might throw a party!!!

 

Don't know if they'll ship to Mexico but just seeing a huge list of possibilities should give you hope.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...55&diameter=16

 

Changed my run flats within 2 months and have never looked back. In fact Discount Tire bought the run flats from me and then installed similar Continteal non run flats on my COuntryman. Will NEVER run on run flats again! My clubbie had them too, but never got around to changing those...

 

macavitymc: Yes, there have been many happy returns from switching to non-runflats, but I'm concerned enough about your continuous shedding of 16" runflats that I'd be hesitant to recommend anything until the source of the shredding is better understood. [I'm assuming that tire pressures have been correct.]

Tire Rack is a sponsor here, and Alex is our usual TR guy, so I think you should contact him about a possible solution to the continuous shredding problem. That problem is not one that we're used to dealing with here.

Some questions might be: Would a 15" non-runflat hold up better than your 16" runflats? Does maximum load rating of the tire make a difference here? Would a V-rated tire hold up better than an H-rated one? Would a slightly taller (larger diameter) than OE tire last longer than a slightly shorter tire? [The 195/55/15 tire you asked about is about .8" less in diameter than the 195/60/15 that I mentioned] What are the effects of a slightly wider versus a slightly narrower tire in your driving conditions? Those are the kinds of questions that Alex should be better able to address.

 

Id' say it is possible to change from 16's to 15's on your non S Cooper. I do think have the tallest possible sidewall will be your best bet. You can still damage tires, but getting replacements would be much easier. I'd look at 185/65/15 for tires, and you can see wheels here.

 

Hi, Jim,

Thanks for the advice. I'll try with Alex, as you suggest.
Yes, runflats have made me paranoid about pressure so I check it myself every few days.
Everybody I know in Mexico who has runflats goes through the same problems I do: they get bumps or they get shredded. The same happened with my 2002 MINI and after I switched to non-runflats I was as happy as can be. I had a spare and I think I never even used it. I think the problem is the sides of the runflats are so stiff that when you drive and there's a hole on the street or something, they actually "brake". And because of that you can't have them repaired, you have to buy a new one (about 350 dollars) whereas a non-runflat costs about 6-8 dollars to repair.
I know that my 2009 MINI is larger and heavier, so I guess I need to find a rim 15 tire that has a very similar load rate and doesn't alter the speedometer by more than maybe 1%. And I'll get MINI rims, of course.

Again, thanks for your help!

 

Hi, Alex,

Today I got the suggestion to keep the rims 16 and get 205/65/16 in order to keep the tallest possible sidewall as you suggested. What do you think? They also told me that tires such as Toyo, Tokohama (?) and some other Asian tire are good buys. What do you think? Or should I go for something as Pirelli or Michelin?

thanks in advance, and have a great evening.

 

The 15 will have a taller side wall physically than the 16, but the 16's save you the cost of the new rims..
In my experance, you get what you payfor in tires...ask the local tire guy which ones are holding up well on you streets...some of the perelli tires have a poor reputation for flats/wear in my area (p4+p8). For some extra duribilty..some tires a sometimes sold in an extra load carrying tire for the size (losts of junk from china stay away imo), but some reputible brands do also have rhem...used often in plus or minues sizing...kinda like what you are doing.

 

Until Alex gets back ....

The 205/65/16 size is about 2" larger in diameter than the OE 195/55/16 size. That will raise your MINI about 1" above OE ride height. The 205/65/16s also have close to 1500# maximum load, are on the heavy side, and relatively few tires are offered in that size.

A more popular size option for MINIs is 205/55/16. They are only slightly larger in diameter than OE (24.9" versus 24.4"), have a maximum load of 1356# (versus 1201# for OE size), and many more tire choices are available in that size.

 

I have had 205/55/16 rub on the Mini before, 205/65 is definitely taller than I could promise to fit.