From what I've seen on this forum, the max tire width that can fit on a Mini Cooper is 215/45/17. I'd like to try and shoehorn more rubber in there. It seems that people have problems with rubbing on the plastic fenders extensions on the outside, but what if a 7.5" wheel with a less aggressive offset were used? Is there enough control arm clearance on the inside? Is all the offset needed to clear the brake calipers? What if I used a rim like an OZ Superleggera with TONS of caliper clearance?

Thanks!

 

Check previous posts, especially of guys who are using race spec rubber, most of those tires come in 225/45R17. So w/ the right offset it might work, but I think most would agree that the 225's are a bit too large and will rub especially if you carry anything larger than a Venti Latte as cargo. 215's work great (have 'em on mine)

 

You've piqued my interest because R comps are usually very square ont he shoulder, making them extremely difficult to shoehorn in where space is in short supply. A less agressive 225 street tire might be possible after all, with the correct offset, as you stated.

 

The front and rear have different tire fitment problems. If you want to fit the widest possible tires in the rear get a wheel with a lot of offset. If you want a 7.5" wide wheel you can go up to +48 or +50 with a 16" wheel and more with a 17" wheel or a narrower rim. You can also reduce the rear track of the car by getting a set of four control arms and moving the factory toe adjustment at the front of the trailing arms to the maximum toe in position, then adjusting your control arm length to get the toe and camber you want. 225/45/16's would be a breeze like this or even some 235/40/17's.

 

Sp just to clarify - there is tons of INNER clearance in the rear (a al control arms and struts/springs) but the outer fender wells can be a problem.

Am I therefore to assume that up front the innards are generally the issue, as oopsed to the fender?

Thanks for your help!

 

With a wheel like Superlegera - you'd be on the outside of your fender well. the rub would be noticed on fender lip/ bumper brakets- if you lower - you may have top of fenderwell issues, due to 25 inch diameter.

Alex

 

Alex -

If I were to go with 225s, they'd be the 225/40 Nittos.

 

Correct. Seems like you are interested in a 225/40/17? That's not to tall to be a problem, up front, if you don't push it out to far on a lowered car. A 17x7.5, +45 would be about as far in as you'd want to go but I'd resist going out more than +40 unless the suspension is very stiff or has minimal lowering.

 

Looks like the 42 offset 17X7.5 gramlights, in conjunction with the 225/40/17 Nittos and my JCW suspension might be a good conservative combo then?

 

You should have no problem with this combination if you are willing to reduce the rear track as I mentioned earlier.

SSR's and Volk ce28n's are good choices as well.

 

You realize you're getting one of the most obscure tire sizes out there?? Even the "Rack" doesn't carry anything in that size. Nitto (555's) and maybe some of the Korean brands, Wanli, Hankook....who knows. Food for thought, you never know when a road hazard will sneak up on you and you only have one tire choice. Pray that Nitto doesn't have backorder problems like Michelin.:smile:

 

Actually after reading some fairly awful reviews of hte NT555s, I've decided to further research getting 235/40/17s in there.

 

Yeah, I didn't want to totally rain on your parade, but we've noticed a lot of guys ditching their 555's also. Definitely not for the faint of heart in the rain. The 235's (bold choice, good luck) will offer you a lot more brand/model options.

 

For 17x7.5" rims most of us have found that the common 215/40-17 will work and is easy to find in a reasonable number of different tire brands. It has a slightly smaller outer tire diameter so better wheel clearance. It's wide enough for decent performance, has less rolling resistance and is a little lighter in weight than a wider 235 or 225 mm tire. Usually 225mm is the limit on width unless you are willing to do trimming of the wheel arches/fenders.

 

Buying a FWD car was a *HUGE* compromise for me; especially one with so little power, so I promised my myself I would squeeze the fattest damn tires I could in there in an effort to put some of the power down.

How does the arch need to be trimmed? If it's simply a matter of trimming a piece that is inside, curved back toward the center of the car, then point me to the nearest Dremel. If you mean that I have to cut some of the exterior wheel arch away like a Crash-Up-Derby car, then it's not gonna happen. Has anyone made aftermarket arches that afford more clearance and a more aggressive stance?

 

Try ZEEMAX and CARZONE for wheel arches/body kits. It'll be a matter of taste as well as function, some of those body kits look a little, um..er..for lack of a better term, ricer.

Check out Team mighty miniz website for how they look.

HTH

 

Just did a search...and threw up a 'lil in my mouth.

I was hoping for something that didn't quite look like it was grafted on with a putty knife and a soldering iron.

 

Do the wheels need to be large? Will you settle for performance and sacrifice looks?
If so then you can consider 15x7" rims (very common size that will fit the MINI) or even 15x8" custom rims and put on 225/50-15 tires which are smaller than stock (23.9") to help with gearing. This wide 225mm tire will work and not need trimming and it is available in various tires for street or autocross/track/street use.
Bridgestone Potenza S-03
Yokohama AVS ES-100
Toyo Proxes T1S
Toyo Proxes 4
Toyo Proxes Ra1
and more (search at tirerack.com and at edgeracing.com)

Also if you want more power down you might want to install a Quaife differential which will help no matter which wheel you have on.

 

I've resigned myself to the fact that this car will not be a straight line monster; I just want to minimize wheelspin and make it a bit less cutesy looking. The car I ordered is an 05 w/ LSD.

I'm all about form over function, but yeah, I want 17s. A weight savings of 6 pounds per corner from stock from wheels alone is good enough for me.

 

Just throw some 17's of your liking on there w/ some Bridgestone S03's (215/45ZR17), H-sport sways and enjoy the, dare I say....gription

 

Can I shoehorn some 17x9 Falken Hanobis on the rear if I uses a 215/40/17 or will it bew the offset The wheels all light but I really like the stagerd look....17x7.5 front and 17x 9 rear can it be down if I chosse the right widht and profile maybe a 215/35/17