Perhaps it's an odd subject, or maybe not. In any case, I've got stock (the one's with the holes) wheels, and stock (175/65-15) tires. I don't scrape the bottom of my front end often, but when I do...I find it to be pretty irritating. From what I've read, it doesn't seem like I can get tires that are much larger in diameter, but I could be wrong. If I could get about an inch (which is A LOT, come to think of it) extra, it seems I could eliminate bottom out scraping entirely, plus give myself a little more winter driving snow clearance, and maybe a slightly smoother ride?

About the best I can do looks to be 205/50-15's, which may or may not be available in a good winter/all season street tire, and which won't likely give me more than half an inch extra clearance (though that MIGHT be enough). Am I right in this? Anyone tried this, or anything else along these lines, to cut down on bottoming out? I'm probably not ready yet to buy new tires, as my car is...only a few weeks old! But I can't help being curious about ideas on this subject.

 

205/50-15 tires will lower your ride height by almost 0.50" compared to 175/65-15 tires (23.07" versus 23.96"). 195/60-15 (24.21") or 185/65-15 (24.47") tires will raise you ride height, but only 0.25" maximum.

Just go up driveways real slow to prevent scraping the bottom of the front bumper trim

 

The scraping sound you hear is just the plastic airdam. if it was metal bottoming out you would know with a clunk scrape and feel in the car. I wouldn't worry about your plastic airdam scraping to much. if it really bothers you remove it. or find some bigger springs and lift your mini

 

If you're having trouble scraping when pulling into or out of a driveway, try angling so that only 1 wheel at a time is hitting the dip.

 

I went to 205/50-15's and it lowered my MC. I was worried about the scrapes too - until I looked underneath the front.... nothing but friggin plastic for days.. The scrape is that plastic. Its not hitting metal ----- unless you're having WAY too much fun.

 

I have the 15's and the only thing I have scraped on is a parking lot curb.Now I don't pull up so close to them.
You will plow snow though.Never got stuck with the all seasons last winter,have new snows for this winter.
1/2 an inch of lift won't make that much diff.

 

I have a curb to drive up each day and if I take it at a very slight angle with one wheel at a time I do fine- no scraping. Other things to do- make sure tire pressure is up in all tires on a regular basis, don't change to an aero body kit that lowers your MINI, don't add lowering springs, and take out extra heavy stuff that you don't really need if at all possible. It doesn't hurt to drive a little slow over bumps if you have four people in your MINI.

 

Yes, I know it's just the plastic airdamn scraping (believe me, I've checked a few times ), but I still find it irritating. I try to approach big dip driveways at an angle, using one tire to protect the undercarriage, which works fine for the most part, when I can remember to do so. But...heck, I do have to do some spirited driving SOMETIMES. Like, for example, when I have to pull into heavy traffic from a parking lot driveway with a big dip. (If I try to CRAWL over it, I'll get my nose taken off by oncoming traffic! )

I'm a bit confused by tire sizes. Did I really get things that backwards? It seems there is a thread here (easy to find) regarding the likelyhood of various tire sizes rubbing, from something first posted at MINI2. The tire diameter is clearly listed as being larger (slightly) for a 205/50-15, compared to a 175/65-15, as opposed to a 205/55-15, which is supposedly slightly smaller. I wasn't sure about 195's, though I suppose they'd make a better fit to the wheel...I think.

So, let me get this clear, you are saying that a 195/60-15, or a 185/65-15, is a larger diameter tire (and thus would raise the car, slightly) than the 205's mentioned? I'll have to look into that. (Not that I don't trust you, it just counters what I've read elsewhere, so I'm left a bit uncertain.)

Raising with springs seems like it would be a more costly option, including install, but I could be wrong on that too, as I've not looked at springs (or other suspension mods) at all. It's worth looking into as well, or in combination with a tires change. I suppose some folks out there would be AGHAST at the idea of RAISING a MINI, as opposed to lowering it (as many seem to do with their MINI's). I just like to have some extra clearance, for when the ride gets a little rough, and for non-MINI designed curbs, driveways, and heavier than light snowfall. Plus, if I can get a slightly softer ride (and cut down on road vibration rattles) in the bargain, well...hey, sounds good to me! This car already corners better than I drive anyway, so I don't think losses in that area are a concern, unless they are SERIOUS losses?

So, based on all that, what would you recommend that I plan for in tire and suspension changes? (Being as I just bought this baby, I'll be broke for awhile, so none of these mods are going to be happening anytime soon. )

 

175/65 15 ...(175 x 0.65 x 2)/25.4 + 15 = 23.96"

185/65 15 = 24.47"

195/60 15 = 24.21"

205/50 15 = 23.07"

205/55 15 = 23.88"

 

You could upgrade to 17in. wheels (Kosei K1's, $179) and some 215/45-17's (AVS ES100, $97). That would get you about 0.33in. more ground clearance.

p4

 

185/65 all day in 15 for best ground clearance!

Alex

 

Click over to http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html and add it to your favorites list.

You plug in your stock tire size and the size you want to check and it will show you, both in specs and graphically, the difference in the tire sizes. It also gives you the difference you'll see on your speedometer from the tire size change.

 

No matter what you do will not change things more than 1/2 an inch.If snow is the issue,1/2 an inch is nothing.
Get snow tires,and have fun.The e-brake is not just for parking

 

Thank you folks. 185/65-15 it shall be then. Now...um...what brand tire would you recommend in that size? (Do Blizzaks, or Alpines, come in that size? Are those only recommendable as winter tires? If one can only afford one set of tires, which brand should that set be for all season/winter street use?

 

Billy- I recommend the Yokohama AvidH4's. I've had Avid's on previous family sedans and they worked quite well throughout the
seasons.

http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&...omCompare1=yes

 

http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&...ce=W&x=17&y=11
Blizzak offers superior snow and ice traction.

Alex

 

Hmmm...decisions, decisions. The Blizzaks look to be very good winter tires, though I think it'd be a shame to use them all year. The effective winter tread would not wear well that way, I presume, and I can't afford to be buying new tires very often. Am I wrong to not seriously consider Blizzaks for these reasons? (Somebody please tell me if I'm wrong.)

On the other hand, the Yokohamas Avid's sound like a better possibility, being as they are more of a true all season tire, but still with superior wet traction, and good tread wear, and all around performance, for the money. I read all of the reviews for this tire at The Tirerack site, and they sound quite good overall. Kenchan, have you had a set of these on your MINI? Or have you just had them on prior vehicles of yours? I'm curious as to how soft or harsh they ride. It sounds like tire noise is not an issue, but it's not a big issue with me anyway. However, getting a bit of a softer ride IS an issue. Getting affordable, good all year traction, in a tire that cuts down on road vibration, in a size that better suits my personal needs, well...that'd be just great! That's not too much to ask for, is it? :smile:

Oh, by the way, I just scrapped over an unnoticed concrete parking block today. Arrgh! If I'd had just a 1/4 inch more clearance, I'd have been ok, except for the airdam...which is already nearly toast in any case. No significant scrape damage done, surprisingly. *breathing a sigh of relief* But, boy, I couldn't help thinking how nice it would've been to have bigger tires already on my baby. (Of course, perhaps I'll just be scrapping over other things instead, eh? )

 

>Kenchan, have you had a set of these on your MINI? Or have you just had them on prior vehicles of yours?



Billy- no, Ive not had those on my MINI, but on another sedan. The ride
was quiet and comfy. In any respect, if you increase aspect ratio you
will most-likely end up with a softer ride no matter what tire you get....

 

Strangely, I'm having to look at the idea of getting these slightly larger, better performing tires...much sooner than I thought. Winter has hit us hard here in Reno, harder than usual (which usually isn't much). We've had a couple of feet of the white stuff drop on us, spread out over the last couple of days. Being as I'm a delivery driver, I don't have much choice about having to plow through the stuff, one way or another.

To add insult to injury (worse snow storm here in the last 10 years or so), the snow, ice, and water (yeah, there's some of that too! ) has tore up the streets pretty bad, and there are pot holes showing up all over the damn place. Of course, I had to hit one of them, and...BAM! There went one of my factory tires. *sigh* (Changing out a MINI tire for the donut spare under the boot was quite an experience in itself...in the middle of a snowstorm.) Driving around for long with a donut spare tire...IN THIS STUFF...is not much fun. (And...heck, I thought the MINI was a little low before, but NOW...sheesh, heaven help me! )

So, long story made short, I figure I'll just get all 4 tires replaced with what I've been looking at already, instead of just replacing the one sidewall destroyed tire. (Thanks to the magic of credit cards.) Oh well, I guess that'll be my way of feeling better about how things have been going so far.

Knowing I can only afford one decent set of tires has made the search for a good match for my MINI difficult. Wanted something bigger than I had before just added to the difficulty. The Blizzaks sound great, but wearing them all year long would be a shame, and not very financially practical. Some other tires looked like good compromises, such as the Dunlop Winter M3's, or the Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S's, or even the new Pirelli Winter 190 Snowcontrols (it'll be nice to get some comparative info on the Pirellis, but they are too new right now). But, if I want more ground clearance (which I could really, REALLY use right about now! ), it looks like the Yokohama Avid H4S's are going to be it. (Isn't that what I already decided anyway? )

Actually, they are not a bad compromise all season tire. Good snow rating, just not great like some of the others, but with very good overall ratings in every other department...especially in the area of tire wear. So, unless something else comes up (God forbid), I'll be going with the Yokohamas. Compared to any other performance all season tires in that size, they seem to be miles ahead. (Right now, ground clearance is a BIG issue.)

Honestly though, after using my MINI as a snow and ice plow over the last few days (and bottoming out, badly, more than once), I doubt a near 1/2 inch of clearance is going to help much. So much so, I'm asking around elsewhere on the forum about doing a lift job on the MINI (just another inch and a half, or so). Yeah, I know, a little crazy, since most folks on that forum are lowering, not lifting, their MINI's. Personally, unless they've got another car, and only race their MINI's in the Summer, I think they're the one's that are nuts! (But hey, that's just me.)

The MINI did well with properly sized cable chains on. A MINI in the snow, with chains, can overcome a lot of ground clearance issues with snow. But, as is usual...after a few days pass, main streets get cleared down to pavement (more or less), and side streets get left unplowed (for the most part). Then, you're either rolling along great in the snow, or rattling along not so well on the pavement...all on the same day, off and on, all day long. Not much fun, and not healthy in keeping a MINI's many rattles in check. I almost miss my old RAV-4. The MINI is so pretty though, even after all this, so what's a fella to do, eh?

 

Don't even consider it. I've just put my blizzaks on for winter and it feels like you are driving on jello. Snow traction is awesome, but for day to day all year driving, forget about it.

 

Thank you for the advice. I've already decided that the Blizzaks are just not a workable full time time, at least for me. In the tire size of decided on (which will help quiet the MINI, as well as providing a touch more "lift"), there were few top raning choices. The only other practical option, for me, were the BFGoodrich Traction T/A V's (or H's). It's a good sounding tire, with better snow traction than the Yoko's, but with less tread life, and more road noise transfered to the vehicle (at least according to customer reviews), as well as being a pricier tire.

I think the Yokohamas will be very helpful, but I've recently started a new thread asking about how to lift a MINI, because I could sure use it this time of year. As somene here has previously mentioned, for serious snow, 1/2 an inch won't make that much of a helpful difference...though it should help a lot with standard driving bottoming out concerns.

Any advice in the area of lifting my MINI a few more inches would be highly appreciated. So far, it seems some sort of coilover set up, along with some wheel camber and caster modifications, would seem to be in order (which will likely run about $1,500.00, not chump change to me). However, so far, standard after market kits for the MINI don't seem to be oriented towards lifting the MINI. They are all aimed toward lowering the MINI. Which, to my mind, is a bit nuts, being as the MINI seems awfully low already. (Clearly, I'm in a minority on that subject. )

 

Due to losing one of my factory tires recently to a pot hole, my need to do something right away on the tire front increased drastically (being as donut spares are only so, so in the snow). So, I ended up purchasing a full set of the Yokohama 4HS's in 185/65-15 size.

I don't intend to do a full review now, but will post that seperately. My deepest apologies to The Tire Rack for not purchasing direct from them (my loss, I think), though I somehow suspect that these tires may have come by way of their warehouse anyway, being as it is located in Reno, where I live.

The extra 1/2 inch of clearance feels like more than that. The usefulness of that extra bit of air under my vehicle has made a huge difference in real world driving terms, at least for this particularly nasty Winter. Normal bottoming out on driveways, and such, is no longer an issue, even when I approach head on at higher than usual speeds. Some dips will still require due care, but I've got a lot of practice in that now, so no problem. Just the extra ground clearance alone has also helped significantly in traversing deeply rutted, packed snow covered roads.

The Yoko's have very good grip, and handle snow very well, though they are not as good as full time snows would be, or chains. Pure ice, such as black ice, is a whole other story. In that department, I'd say these tires are no better, or worse, than most any other average all season tire...though my DSC has been coming on about half as often as before, so I might be being a little hasty with that opinion. Stopping distance has improved, and the vehicle seems to also launch more positively. Yet, despite that, launches and brakes feel softer, less of a sudden jerk type sensation than before. Tire noise, and more importantly...road vibration transfer to the vehicle chassis, has been reduced noticably over the stock MINI Conti 175/65-15's. Ride is definitely softer, but I still feel every bump in the road. Because of this, ride "feel" has been reduced, causing a heightened sense of uncertainty during cornering, which takes some getting used to. (After only one day, I'm not used to it yet. )

These tires definitely feel a bit squishy in cornering, making you feel like the car might begin to fishtail, though it always stays in the turn without losing sufficient traction. On closer analysis, as best as I can figure, what's really happening in those instances is more of a car body lean, due to the softer sidewalls of these tires, combined with this size being a bit higher than usual for the MINI, rather than any actual tire skid occuring (at least according to my *** sensor, and the DSC light). When you begin to accelerate out of the turn, the vehicle snaps smoothly back in line, and everything is cool. It's sort of fun, and so I'm not sure how to feel about this characteristic of these tires on the MINI.

It's possible that an increase in tire pressure (perhaps up to about 40 PSI) might reduce this affect. I'll try that tomorrow, and report back on how well that goes. Such adjustments in tire pressure for this sort of reason are not out of the ordinary, and are even sometimes recommended, so I'm not overly concerned about any undue results transpiring from such an experiment.

If you would like to get as big an all season tire as can properly fit on a MINI 15" rim, but would like a more "solid" feel, and don't mind a more harsh ride that goes with it, then the BFGoodrich Traction T/A V's (or H's?) would likely fit the bill nicely for you. The tread wear rating is much less than that for the Yoko's, but it's also a somewhat cheaper tire, with a slightly better snow traction rating. More of a "seat of your pants" type tire, but an apparently very good one. Having looked at both tires in person, I found them to be really rather close in appearance. Up close and personal, the Yoko's are much more aggressive looking than they seem in pictures, but that may in part be due to their overall larger (wheel well filling) size and appearance on my MINI.

As a side note on the Yokohamas, I've noticed that they seem to shrug off pot hole impacts a heck of a lot better than my "old" tires did. I find that very reassuring, considering how much of a pain in the behind changing a MINI flat is. (The tire shop guys had a little trouble getting my donut spare back in under the boot. Luckily, they were smart enough, and considerate enough, to ask me how it's done.)

These tires are still very, very new and fresh, so it remains to be seen how well they will perform and hold up after they are "broken in"...hopefully not literally. (It's also too soon to tell what affect these tires will have on my gas mileage. In that area, I have no idea what to expect, as previous reviews have had little to say on the subject.)

Damn...I guess I ended up doing a nearly full review anyway. My apologies.

I'm still interested in possibly raising the MINI maybe another inch. For that, it's been recommended to me that I just go with spacers (at least at first), rather than getting involved in trying to replace every spring and strut. The only problem being, that there may not be any spacers that'll fit a MINI. I need to find out how to measure the spots where the spacers would go, so that I can then search for something that accidentally just happens to be a perfect fit. (How much variation could there possibly be in this stuff?) You may have noticed that I've dropped my desired lift height by half an inch. That's entirely due to my seeing how much only a 1/2 inch of real height gain can accomplish in real world terms. (Before you know it, I'll only be asking for another 1/2 inch. )

 

It's been awhile since I last posted on this subject, and I've long since given up on the idea of raising a MINI as being impractical, at least for me. But, now I have another question...

For reasons that are explained elsewhere, I'm seriously looking at ordering another MINI, and selling my current one when the time comes. This is, don't laugh, mainly because I've never been very happy with the Space Gray cloth upholstery my dealership stuck me with. I ordered something else at the time, but...well, it's a long story. *sigh*

Luckily, I own what is probably one of the highest resale value selling cars in the market, so re-ordering to get things "right", and not losing my shirt in the process...is actually possible. Yeah! *smiling with great joy at the insanity of it all*

Anyway, when I order, I'm looking at getting the 16" R90 wheels option, because they (despite the extra weight) just look great to my eye. If I get these wheels though, I'll want to change them out right away for larger, better overall performing, all season tires that'll give me...you guessed it, the MAXIMUM practical ground clearance possible. For 16" by 6.5" rims (which I believe is the right size for R90 wheels), which tire size would that be?

Oh, and just for everyone's information, I priced getting that lower air dam replaced at my dealership the other day. This splash shield part is only $52.32, but...it's attached to the radiator carrier, that is ALSO cracked, and that part is...$236.50! Plus, because of the cracked radiator carrier replacement, the labor would run about $300, for a total estimated replacement cost of...*gasp*...$643.53! Argh! As you can imagine, I took a pass on getting this job done, since we are talking about a cosmetic issue that only I seem to notice. (Gee, I hope the new owner won't notice when they're buying my MINI from me. )

Hmmm...if I'd only bought bigger tires right away when I got the car. Damn.

Anyway, your advice here would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. :smile:

P. S. The Yokohama Avid H4S's have been doing a great job on my current MINI. While I thought they seemed a bit on the "squishy" side at first, in cornering, they are (with proper air pressure) a very good performing, yet soft riding, all season tire. Thank you, Kenchan, I've been having more fun then ever before in this MINI of mine.

 

BillyB- glad you liked those tires. :smile:

Im currently using 205/50/16 size on my car (16x7.5) which is slightly
shorter (5mm diameter) than my factory 205/45/17's... Tires I am using
are for summer GoodYear F1 GS-D3's.


I think for your purpose the below size might work for you:

205/55/16 ... 15mm larger diameter than stock

A/S Tires: Yok AvidV4S, Michellin Pilots A/S... at www.tirerack.com


Stay away from Bridgestone RE92's, they're very strong OE tires for
may vehicles, but grip is very bad.

Hope this helps.

 

The 16" one piece R90 wheels are a good choice. They are moderately difficult to keep clean with all those spokes so I'd suggest changing brake pads to EBC green or Mintex Redbox ASAP. Brake dust is bad for the wheel finish in any case.

For 16x6.5" rims- some options for reasonably priced tires include:

195/55-16 24.4” outer diameter (stock size)
Mostly runflats and winter tires

205/50-16 24.1” outer diameter
Toyo Proxes 4 300 wear V rated $78 each All season Ultra HP
Falken Ziex ZE-512 360 wear V rated $70 each
Toyo Proxes Tpt 400 wear V rated $89 each All season Touring
Avon Tech M500 280 wear W rated $87 Ultra High Perf summer
Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 280 wear W rated $81 Ultra HP summer
Yokohama AVS ES100 280 wear W rated $81 Ultra HP summer

205/55-16 24.9” outer diameter
Avon Tech M500 280 wear W rated $80 Ultra High Perf summer
Avon Tech M550 360 wear W rated $78 Ultra High Perf All season
Kumho Ecsta MX 220 wear W rated $98 Max Perf Summer 25.1” outer diameter
Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 280 wear W rated $68 Ultra HP summer
Yokohama AVS ES100 280 wear W rated $83 Ultra HP summer

215/50-16 24.5” outer diameter
Avon Tech M500 280 wear W rated $91 Ultra High Perf summer
Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 340 wear V rated $81 Ultra HP summer

215/55-16 25.3” outer diameter
Avon Tech M500 280 wear W rated $85 Ultra High Perf summer
Avon Tech M550 360 wear W rated $83 Ultra High Perf All season
Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 340 wear V rated $68 Ultra HP summer

Tirerack.com sells all of these except for Toyos and Falkens (see edgeracing.com). All season tires can wear longer, provide enough performance and work well in rain and light snow.
---------
Check out the Avon Tech M550 A/S in 205/55-16 for an all season tire.
Talk to alex@tirerack for more info.