Just wondering what the best wheel and tyre size is cooper s r53

Would it be 15" 16" 17" 18" wheel size

Would be used for street

Thanks

 

My opinion, 17x7.

For me 16 inch has too tall of a sidewall. I like the stiff ride from 17 inch

17x7.5. I think it's more tire than I need. I want to be able to break it loose a little sometimes = fun. Not to mention, decreases in fuel economy from the larger footprint.

18", too much mass for me.

This balance of mass and footprint and gripping power is very important.

I see many track cars with 15 or 16 inch wheels, presumably because it keeps the mass down, and with dedicated track tires, I'm sure they're not compromising a lot on grip. Maybe also easier to lower a car on smaller wheels???

I like einke rpf1 17x7. They're only 14.6 lbs each. Little over $200 a piece. I'll buy them someday.

 

All are a compromise....
So pick based upon your needs/wants etc....

 

I have found light 15 or 16 rims to be great for a daily driver..
Key is LIGHT....
Car feels more "mini".....
Heavy 17' make the car ride a bit too hard, and makes it harder to turn...more stable in stright lines...but less "mini"...less nimble imo.

 

It really depends on your taste in wheel designs and your priorities for tire budget and use.

First think about your goals:
Looks
Weight
Handling
Ride quality
Budget
Tire Match
Treadlife

As a general purpose size, 16" is the most versatile. You can pick tires with 45, 50, or 55 series sidewalls in a variety of tire classes. You can find wheels and tires to fit almost any budget, it all depends on your priorities.

15" is also good but won't fit over a large brake upgrade and is geared more for street use and comfort. These days there are fewer good 15" wheels to choose from, tire sidewalls vary from 50, 55, to 60 series. You can find good handling tires but the sizes will allow a little more sidewall flexing.

If you have poor roads, both 15" and 16" wheels and tires will give you less to worry about.

17" wheels are workable for the MINI and allow for tire sizes with 40 and 45 series sidewalls which can be stiff riding and jarring. Wheels can cost a little more and weigh a bit more. Long wearing tires geared more for commuting make not be as common.

18" wheels look nice but tend to be heavy, tire sizes are 35 and 40 series which is hard to endure except for the smoothest roads. Tire selection can be limited for general street use but that is changing.

More on each of these-
Looks- This can be subjective, larger wheels attract more attention and sometimes push the limit of being in proportion to the MINI. Most times a lowered suspension will make wheels fit and look better. Sometimes the look you want will only come in 17" and larger sizes, sometimes 16" and smaller. It's not common to find the same wheel in many sizes from 15" to 18" diameters.
Weight- Since you have an R53 you can manage a wheel up to about 24 lbs but lighter is usually better. OEM 15" holey rims I use are 12 lbs each and good for general daily driving for me. 18" wheels are big and if you get any wheel that is wider than 7" it usually will be heavy. Consider the weight of the tire before selecting a wheel. A combined weight of 30-36 lbs is ideal
Handling- Will depend on your tire size and which tire you choose, and the total weight of your tire and wheel. Less weight is easier to accelerate, brake, and handles more responsively. Taller sidewalls are softer and flex a bit more giving a smoother ride while low profile tires handle quicker to steering input.
Ride quality- larger wheels and tires means much stiffer lower profile tires and a potentially harsh ride. Add bad roads and a stiff lowered suspension and it can be jarring. As tires get older the rubber gets harder and ride quality suffers, tires get noisy too.
Budget- there is a great range of prices both for wheels and tires. Popular 17" and larger wheels can be very expensive, tire prices vary.
Tire Match- tires do not come in sizes to match every wheel, if you choose a wheel it may limit which tires you can fit on it and your MINI. If you really like a certain tire, look to see how much it costs, how it will work for your weather (do you need all season tires or will summer tires (mild winters) do?, and check the MINI friendly sizes it comes in.
Treadlife- if you are a commuter you may want decent treadlife. Some tires are built with less rolling resistance like 175/65-15 while more lower profile tires reduce mpg by about 2 mpg. Consider that if a cheap (or soft rubber grippy) tire wears fast you may have to replace it more often.

So how do I determine what to use for my MINI?

I pick the tire first based on my needs on driving and my budget, I see which sizes it comes in that will fit a MINI. I look for wheels of a size that will fit the tire sizes of my selected tire. Sometimes I have many options open, depends on which tire I am working with. Sometimes there is only one or two sizes that will work.

For many owners, if looks count the most, larger wheels and low profile tires with a lowered suspension is "king".
For the daily driver and commuter MINIs, smaller wheels with longer lasting UHP all season or even Grand Touring all season tires work best, looks is secondary.

Have fun shopping.

Most of all. Unlike many other cars, your MINI is versatile and built to handle much better than most cars. As a result any higher performance tire you can put on it will repay you with good performance. So as you select tires pick the ones that will perform better over ones that are not as good for a given price range.

 

Im running 215/45/17 non run flat tyres on the std mini"17" S-lites/S-spokes

It has a nice driver feel and not so harsh as to run flat tyres

Think all I need is lighter rims but I like my S-lites

If I went 16" what is the best width 45 series tyre and what would I gain

Thanks

 

Choose from below:
15s

16s

17s

18s

 

Some more:
18s:

15s

17s

 

Hey Minisanity, these are awesome pictures!

Would you happen to have a couple photos that compare a 17" x 7 et 43 vs. 17" x 7 et 35?

I'm wondering how close the 35 gets to the edge of the fender arch on the top, and/or if it sticks out a little.

 

Hmmm, sorry, I'd have to dig as many of these builds tweak w/ spacers & camber.
Just for relative comparison the Rotis on pic2 are et30.
I'd assume these would be from 38-42:

 

These CVs are et38:

 

^That offset looks really nice! Any rubbing? Will those fit wildwood bbk?

 

Love it. Thank you!

 

Anytime, Alex.
Rubbing will depend on how low & the camber you're running. Rear upper & lower adjustable control arms can let you adjust camber. Most 17s should be able to take Wilwoods for our cars, sandplasma.
These 17s even fit Porsche BBKs:

Anti-rub upper & lower adjustable arms:

 

Apologies for thread hijack. More pics of the epic Porsche BBK R53:



This, probably the best MINI build one can find. Enjoy!

 

A clearer pic of the R53 on 16s:

 

See post 5

I added a few more considerations when looking for a wheel/tire combo.

Check out-
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-handling.html
see post #17

 

That looks absolutely fantastic. I never knew 16s could look this good. What's your setup?

 

I really like this combo. I can't stand people that try to put the biggest wheels on their car so they can brag to their friends. At some point it looks so ridiculous because they never upgrade their brake rotors and pads to a larger size. In the end they are hurting their brake performance because their "larger" wheels add so much weight to each corner. Braking distance will be so much longer and acceleration will be hurt greatly.

 

This was built by Batou, now NotSoAverageJoe's R53, among my faves!
Domo's set up:
Wheels:16x8 et20
Tires:215/45/16

Suspension
-KW Clubsport Coilovers
-KW Clubsport Top Mounts
-Hotchkis Competition 25mm Rear ARB
-Super/Powerflex Poly bushes
-OMP Lower Strut Brace
-KAVS Motorsport front arm spacers/Roll centre adjusters
-Adjustable Rear Control Arms

 

want mo' Domo? here ya go:

 

I really like the way this looks!

So 16x8 et20 with 215/45 16

Compared to stock:
17x7 et48 with 205/40 17

It sticks out 40mm (1.6 inches) more than stock.

I see the diameter is also less, 24.3" v 23.6"

I wonder if the smaller diameter allows it to be able to stick out without rubbing? Does it rub?

I found some 17x7 et 35 that I really like. They'll stick out 13mm more than stock. Does this calc I found mean they'll fit? I'm not sure if they'll rub, or if I'd need to have the metal part of the fender rolled or cut or something. Am I over thinking this?

I tried holding a tape measure up to the tire, it seems tough get a reference in the gap because the edge of the fender is above the tire... Maybe I'll stand a square with a straight edge on floor next to the wheel...

Sorry for the thread jack... All comments will be appreciated.

 

Do you have any suspension mods, Alex? 17x7 et35 will fit, depending on how low you are...camber & stretch are your friends. Get 2 pairs of rear adjustable control arms. They help you dial in camber. For in depth fitment guidance, PM wheel & fitment god ,Rally ,over at m|u.
With all the mods to get Domo's stance, I would presume minor intermittent rubbing initially, til all the obstructing plastic disappears. The smaller diameter lets you tweak the fitment & stance more.

 

I'm stock so far, but slight lowering is foreseeable in the future. It will have to be in stages for me. Tires will be the next thing I need probably, and I'm beginning to feel more serious about pulling the trigger on some wheels.

So that makes sense. A little negative camber can pull the top edge in away from the fender, I hadn't thought of that (duh), -but hoping I wouldn't need the rear adjustable control arms as long as its at stock height.

What's m|u?

 

I love the way the 15's and 16's look on these cars. I am on a restrictive budget at this time but will most likely wind up with a set up similar to what the professor has on his pics. For now, I have R105's which are 18X7 et52. Is it possible to get them to fit the fender the way the 18's in pic 4 posted by Minsanity do? I am currently on a stock 2005 R53 suspension other than IE fixed camber plates. If I look at the list Minihune posted, I would prioritize it as follows, for now.

Looks = 4
Weight = 3
Handling = 2
Ride quality = 5
Budget = 1
Tire Match = 6
Treadlife = 7 I put on 400 miles per month including autocross

This doesn't really jive with R105's at 25 lbs but I gotta stick with the budget for the next six months or so.

Right now on the 18's I have 215 35's (new) on front and 205 40's on the rear.

Bottom line...How to fill the gap with what I have while not sacrificing handling any more than hanging 45lbs off each corner already does.

Any and all comments and criticisms gladly accepted.

Roy