well after a long search i have finally decided on a rim i want. but im still undecided on tire size.

im gonna go with ASA AR1 in 17"
they have a offset of 42mm and is 7" wide.

i want to get 225/45 R17 for all four corners i wont rub when i go full lock will it? or will it rub when anywhere else besides the rear fender liner?

thanks.

 

R53 wheel & tire combo help

You need to make comparison checks here

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

Check before you buy…

 

I have two Mini's: a 2008 and a 2012..........boh have ASA AR1 wheels and both have no problems with rubbing. But, I use 205 45 17 tires. I find the wider the tire the slower the car feels and the more "numb" it feels too. The cars are just not as "lively" as with a thinner tire in the handling department.

 

225 tread width tires would be better suited on a 7.5" or probably 8" wide wheel. Depending on how much clearance there is on the inside you may want to decrease offset a little bit as well running tires that wide. Maybe 17×8 et 35 or so. On a 7" wide wheel 225s would probably look sort of strange. There would be about an inch of sidewall sticking beyond the wheel on either side. They would only rub in the rear fender liner if you're lowered, I'd imagine. I'm really looking to go the opposite route with the tread width to 195 or so on my R53 next time I need tires just to decrease the possibility of rubbing in the rear.

 

i have not much time right now im at work.

should i go with 215 instead?

 

I think 215s would be better than 225s on a 7" wheel. Personally I'd stick with 205s but I know there are people on here running 215s without issue

 

would 215's still give that numb feeling? or are they good?

im coming from 175/65 15 all seasons so im looking for fat grippy tires.

 

I have 225 50 16 in the rear on my stock rims which is 7" wide on 2012 Cooper S with no rubbing issues ever. I run 215 50 16 in the front, no rubbing there also. The wider tires makes the car look more aggressive compared to the stock tires in my opinion.

 

What is the thinking behind the wider tire on the rear. On a front drive car a narrower tire is sometimes used on the rear to reduce grip and balance understeer.

 

stance?

any way i want the same size in all four corners.

 

very cool site. i think ill go with 215's instead. i dont want a inch of tire past the rim lol, ill deal with the half inch though.

 

The R56 has more space in the wheel wells than the R53. I don't think 225s would cause any rubbing on an R53 with stock offset but idrk I don't have the money for wheels/tires

 

well im saving my money until late winter early spring so i can get rims and tires because i cant stand the feel and look of these black 15' steelies with bicycle tires on it.

but i am surprised at how well the car can handle with such crappy tires on it. also the other thing that drives me nuts is that the tires have 0 grip to them and the traction control goes off at the littlest thing. so i drive with it off so i can keep power to the wheels, and drive smoothly.

 

Pretty much just for better stance nothing else. A wider front than the rear would look funny....Just kidding. Yeah, I hear you. I don't race at all, just use the car on weekends for cruising.

 

I went from 175/65/15 to the 205/45/17..............

 

AR1's with 215's are a tried and true combo! Did you have a tire picked out?

 

Is your car lowered? I would think depending on your vehicle's ride height, the 215 or the 225 rubbing would be very dependent upon that little variable.

Also, you could run a 215/40-17 if you are worried abut rubbing. I am currently on 205/45-17 and I have to say that I am rather impressed with the ride and performance right now (coming from 205/40-17)

Tire that I am running is the Kumho LE Sport. Great grip and solid in cooler weather for a summer performance tire.

 

yea im thinking the Sumitomo HTR Z II

im not lowered but i will be buy either coil overs or good set of shocks and find some nice springs. not sure which direction i want to go yet. im still weighing the personal pros and cons.

 

Given the same tire, would a 215 or a 205 actually handle better on the Mini? I know the 215 will look better and fill in a bit of wheel gap, but if it diminishes the cars playful nature I'm not interested.

 

I put 215/45/17s on my car for a short while. I did like the extra width but I did get an occasional rear liner rub and the tires looked balloonish to me and a little goofy. After a couple months, I put stock sized tires back on. Now running 205/45/17 PZeroNeros which were $79 from TireRack.

 

True.........I have the AR1's on my 2008 Mini.

 

I read through your build thread.

It seems to me you want-
Excellent Summer tires for a 17x7 et42 rim and you are willing to get the best, good for both street and some spirited driving.

205/45-17 is a perfect fit for 17x7 wheel and will minimize risk of rubbing with a lowered suspension and still handle well with less weight.

225/45-17 will fit a 17" wheel but 7" is narrow. 225/45 is tall for an R53 and a bad choice for any lowered MINI.

215/45-17 is workable for stock suspension and lowered with adjustable coilovers to minimize risk of rubbing in the rears. 215/45-17 is 1/2" taller than stock.

215/40-17 will fit 17x7" rims but is smaller in tire diameter so would increase wheel gap with stock suspension so lowering is almost required.
215/40-17 handles well but is jarring on anything but smooth roads.

If you are going for best fitment with least risk of rubbing and good for daily driving or on the track then consider-


Michelin Pilot Super Sport (Max Summer tire) 300 treadwear
205/45-17 $186 each, 20 lbs
215/45-17 $163 each, 21 lbs

Or

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position (Max Summer tire) 280 treadwear
205/45-17 $141 each, 23 lbs
215/45-17 $146 each closeout. 24 lbs
Note these tires are a little heavier

You could get more grip with an Extreme Summer tire but they wear out faster. If you drive low miles per year then-


Dunlop Direzza ZII (Extreme Summer tire) 200 treadwear
205/45-17 $174 each, 20 lbs
215/45-17 $153 each, 22 lbs