Where is the comprehensive guide to wheels and tires..? 17’s vs. 16’s vs. 15’s pro’s con’s yada yada yada.. Tires as well.

I would have guessed maybe a there was a sticky. 161 pages of info is a big much to find the readers best guide

The deal is I have the MC40 with stock rims (very nice stock rims mind you) and stock run flats. The dealer is telling me I need new front tires (15K) miles, and from what I read people are saying ditch the run flats. Ok I don’t have a prob with that. But I also think I want to change up my wheels. If that’s the case, what size? Pro’s and con’s.


Thanks all..

 

A lot it depends on what you are trying to acheive, what your goals are, etc. Generally, 17" wheel and tire combos will weigh a bit more than 16" ( not always the case). The lower the side wall, the less the tires will flex but will also result in a harsher ride. From what has been discussed elsewhere on this and other forums, the consensus seems to point to 16" as being a good compromise between handling and ride quality. Again, it depends on what is important to you and what you are trying to accomplish.

I'm confident that others (many others) will chime in with opinions as well.

 

My opinion? Just keep reading stuff on this board. That's what I did, and I'm starting to have a better understanding...

 

If you got a MC40, you got the R90s in anthracite. To this day, they are the most expensive wheels MINI sells. They are 2 piece wheels made by BBS.

Now the question becomes, HOW do you use your car?

If you intend to Autox, MINIhune or one of the experts in autox will tell you all you want to know ... probably go 16s.

If you intend to track the car, probably lighter 17s with regular tires.

For the street, there is NOTHING wrong with the BBS wheels. They are most likely stronger to take abuse for potholes than the ligher wheels. Going with regular tires is fine.

Personally, I would never get rid of the R90s unless you had a VERY specific reason to do so.

 

ok i am cool with what chows4us says.. i like my wheels, i don't plan on getting rid of them... now as for tires? i am guessing most would say get rid of the run flats.. i am ok with that too as they are way to expensive (esp at the dealer), now what to put on my R90's.? how do i drive it? fast, and i love the parkways in NY (long island) lots of tight off ramps. if i can take a road with twists rather than a straight road its twists all day.

 

Consensus seems to be eagle F1s. Just look them up on tirerack.com

 

Do you swap wheels/tires for winter driving or do you run all-season tires?

 

I've run the same stock run flat tire that came with the car for the past 15k miles. (since i've had the car) (I got it a year ago with 4k on it) so no, i have not swapped out anything. I don't have an issue with getting 'winter wheels' and summer rubber for the stock wheels

 

Is there a rule of thumb that suggest a range for tire diameter compared to the oem? If factory is 24 dia., is 22.5 too small? Is there a favorable ratio?

 

I try to never go more than 5% larger or smaller than the factory diameter, 2-3% max or less is usually better for most people. The change from 24" to 22.4" like you mentioned is nearly a 7% change.

For instance, the stock tires onmy MC are 23.9" in diameter (175/65-15) and my summer tires are 195/55-15 Toyo T1R's which are 23.4" diameter, for a difference of 2.2". The slightly smaller diameter gives me better effective gearing for quicker acceleration than stock, the wider with helps with handling, and the 1/2" shorter diameter keeps the fender gap looking ok. The Toyos are lightweight too, weighing within 1/2 lb of stock, even though they are wider.

-Keith

 

Yes, read the FAQ here http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f...factory_wheels

22.5 is too small