Hey folks,
Just wondering as order time draws near...other than looks, why don't more MC and MCS owners have 15" wheels on their cars??? With all the weight discussion that goes on, I would think a holey or comparable lightweight 15" wheel with a 195/60 would perform nicely and give a smooth ride.......Would the taller sidewall ruin the ride or are 15's just not "cool" looking???????
Any thoughts????

Thanks!

 

I think the biggest reason comes down to hitting some bad rain or puddles, have enough mass in the wheels gives you enough confidence to keep going. I know that 15" steelies are a popular snow wheel though.

 

I think people may prefer the look of other wheels more, but once holeys grow on you they certainly present a great all-around OEM choice. Perhaps larger wheels lend themselves to a wider range of tire combination, too. I kept my holeys once I realized how much they enhance the performance of my Cooper.

 

tpetro33: I think it's a combination of factors. Take a look at the images below. Many people think the 17 inch R85s really complement the overall design of the car. They're heavy, but sturdy. They don't vent the brakes very well, but they somehow just look right. The ride can be very harsh with runflats. Going to a 15 inch wheel you gain ride quality; turning, braking, and acceleration response; but you lose grip (with OEM tire sizes). You are limited to tire width by the width of the rim. For a winter wheel/tire combination in a pot-hole prone area, it's a good combination. Once you look beyond the OEM 15 inch rims there are several that look great like the Konig Rewind. Many people such as myself have opted for the middle ground, going for 16 inch wheels. My regular summer wheels are 16 inch R90s which you don't see too often, and Kosei K1 Racing wheels for autocross (not pictured). People who autocross in the stock class and want an OEM wheel prefer the 16 inch Y spokes (R84) because I think they're the lightest stock 16 inch wheel. Hope that helps. (I'm thinking of selling the 15 inch R82's if anyone is interested, PM me.)

 

I run 15" wheels for autocross... Light, cheaper tires, and just as fast as anything bigger.

My car came with 16" wheels when I got it so I didn't bother to change those out... Otherwise, I'd be running 15's on the street, too.

In 15's, I'd run 205/50R15 personally... still plenty of sidewall, wider footprint than a 195/60...

 

I'm running 205/55 R15. The 205 width is just as wide as the stock 17" tires on the MINI.

 

If you auto-x under the SCCA as stock you are restricted to 16 or 17 in wheels because that is the only way they are shipped from the factory. 15’s may be good for the street use but illegal for track.

 

Check out my big fat fifteens!

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2's with
225/50/R15 BFGoodrich G-Force Sports

The ride is amazing, smooth, fast, responsive! Much more cornering grip than 205s... Very happy I switched out my S-Lites. I love the rally-look as well.



RM2k5

 

That only applies to the MCS. The MC does ship from the factory with 15's. They are perfectly acceptable for H-stock.

 

rallymini- digging the tires, where did you get them and for how much?

 

I just posted this thread in 1st Gear about which OEM 15" wheel is most desirable:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=65367

Looks like I'll change my order from the "Rocket" wheels to the "Holies".....by popular demand. :-)

 

Tire rack sent them out promptly, and for a mere $79.00/each! Very good deal as far as I am concerned. The specs list these as 340 Treadwear, AA traction, A temperation, V-rated.

So far everyone I have talked to has been very pleased with this tire (I'v always liked BFgoodrich tires).

ciao
RM2k5

 

One, note... I did white-letter these tires myself, so don't expect them to show up that way.


RM2k5

 

Just a quick "thanx" to all who responded..........

***Also, anyone know how wide a tire the 7-hole wheel can safely handle????????????


ps-- Rallymini2005, those 225's ROCK!!!!!!!!

 

Wrong!

On actual roads here in reality, you gain lateral grip with a 15" wheel, because the tire stays in contact with lumpy roads better.

A heavier, lower-profile, tire will tend to bounce across the tops of the bumps, where a taller-profile tire on a much lighter wheel conforms to the road and keeps the contact patch better connected to the tarmac.

That's not to say that wider wheels aren't better, and 7" wide 15" rims are readily available from many vendors. I personally use 205x55 on my 15x7" wheels, to retain the stock speedo reading and ride height.

 

Forgot the best angle of these fatties... From the rear the car looks AWESOME, really WIIIIDDDDDEEE.

RM2k5

 

The prevailing attitude on this forum seems to be that if you put 15" wheels on your MCS, it's like taking a $5000 titanium mountain bike and installing training wheels, rainbow stickers, a heavy gel seat, and a baseball card to make cool noises in the spokes. This is ironic, of course, since lighter wheels actually improve nimbleness and acceleration compared to the 50-pound S-lite/runflat combo...

Obviously the auto-x crowd knows better.

 

3 Dubs and a Donut...

The prevailing attitude that 18" rims are good on Honda's in Boston has lead to this phenomenon. Look around and you'll see it all over the place... three big rims and one space saver donut. Thus my meaty tires... now if only DMS made rally struts for MINI's!

"The masses are a$$es." is as true now as it ever was...

RM2k5

 

hahahahahahahahah

I rock 15s too. And after having aftermarket 17s 16s and 15s on my car, i would never leave my 15s

 

I've got 195/55's (Toyo T1R) on one set of holeys for street use and 205/50's (Kumho V710) on my other set for race use. I wouldn't recommend going any wider than 195 for street use

-Keith

 

I run 205/55-15's on Konig Rewinds. Got the idea from DiD. IMHO, a great combo. I love 'em, good on real-world roads, and decent on the track.

un

 

I am so getting 15" steelies for my winter tires. I can't wait.

 

15s for me--closest in spirit to the original Mini, which had 10s! Can you imagine?

Plus my SSR Comps weigh only about 9.5 lbs each--the holies weigh just 12. Car feels more alive.....the original 175mm tires' lack of grip actually lets you slide the car around easier.

 

Lots of the autocrossers I have seen are running 225's on their holies... they just baaaaaarely fit...

 

There is no physical reason any MC or MCS cannot use 15" wheels for street or for performance driving.

From a weight standpoint it is much easier to get rims that weigh less using a 15" diameter. Tires vary but in general are also lighter given the same model.

Selection of rims does vary some. Most rims are offered in the 16" to 18" size that look appealing. I've had trouble finding some designs in15" that look more modern. Classic designs are easier to find in 15".

When choosing a 15" rim there are some limits. They typically vary from 5.5" wide like the stock MINI rims to about 7" wide for aftermarket rims. 8 " wide rims cost more and are much harder to find. The sidewalls that will fit the MINI are typically 60,55, or 50 series tires. Going any smaller down to 45 series tires usually requires the wider 7" rim and 225/45-15 tire size which has a much smaller 23" outer tire diameter (has some speedo error) compared to stock.

If you like wider deep dish rims up to 8" then larger 17 or 18" rims are going to allow for a much larger selection of rims and tire sizes.

You'll get much better ride comfort with 50 to 60 series tires compared to 40 or 45 series tires but not as much performance. You'll find a better selection of all season tires in 50-60 series sidewalls which give longer treadwear with reasonable traction dry or wet.

Some of us have more than one set of wheels. I have two sets of 17x7, one set of 16x6.5, two sets of 15x5.5 and one set of 15x7 rims. All of them work ok for the street with some allowance for speedo error. The 17x7 wheels are the heaviest and the 15x7 wheels are my lightest (for track and autocross).

Tires make a huge difference. For 15" wheels 205/55-15 would be a great place to start, 195/60-15 is possible for more comfort and less rolling resistance. I like the selection of tires in 205/55. For stock 15x5.5 rims the widest tires that easily fit would be 205, either 205/50 or 205/55 sizes but the 205/50 is smaller than stock in tire diameter about 23". 225/50 fits rims from 6 to 8" wide so usually I'd suggest using a 15x7" rim for that size or with use for 225/45-15.

I often run 15x5.5 holeys and 205/50-15 tires on the road and they work just fine for me. My speedo with indicate a slightly faster speed than what I am actually doing which gives me the illusion of going faster.