Well... I gave up... I got me some 18's. Since they are 18x7.5, I vave about a 1.25" lip... I'll still look for some old school BBS 15's but for now, these will do the work...

 

I also gave up and reshod the 17s. I'll get around to the perfect 15s eventually - just not at this... juncture.

 

Fliks were my first wheel too

 

I'm really looking into 15's for my MCS as well. I love the Minilite style and want a nice fat look (225/50). I'm currently trying to decide between Konig Rewinds and Rota RB's. I'd love to get real Minilites but only the EV2000's are available in the right size/offset and they're heavy! Panasports are hard to find and I don't know if they even come in the right offset.

I like the look of the RB's more than the Rewinds but, since they're new, I haven't heard much about them. Also, it seems like the RB's only come in 67.1 hub diameter which makes them lug centric and +35 offset (which should work). Does anyone have any comments on this?

 

I like the RB's more (i ran rewinds before RB's were out) for sure

Are you looking at the 7 inch wide or the 8? I had some worry that the 8s would rub on the suspension parts. My front wheels are 15x8 et15 and they Are INCREDIBLY close to some part (i can go look and see what it is if you're curious). This would not be a problem with 17's...but with the 15's it puts the inside lip right by the part. With the higher offset (35) i would be worried that the wheels wouldn't fit.

The 57.1mm isn't something to worry about....just be sure to cross pattern the lugs.

 

I'm looking at 7" wide. Since 225mm width is already pushing it in terms of clearance, going to an 8" wheel is not going to help fit anything wider (I'm not a poke and stretch kind of guy ). I know Rm2k5 runs 225's with +30 pro race 1.2's and blalor ran them on +40 rewinds.

 

oh, then with the 15x7 et35 you should be absolutely perfect.....though with 225's you may need to do some trimming of the arches if you plan to lower...but i bet you can pull it off.

 

Cool, that's what I expected. Now I just need to get my current tires worn down so I have an excuse to ditch the s-heavies.

 

i cant decide wether to run 15's or 16's :( such a dillemma.

 

205/50-15 tires with 8" wide wheels installed




I just got my wheels and tires mounted on my Mini. Really like the look. To me it relates back to the old school Mini. Let me know what you think.

Last edited by bassles : 09-14-2007 at 05:28 PM. Reason: spelling

 

I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to cars, what are my tire options if I wanted to keep my stock OEM 15" wheels? I'm trying to save some money by keeping the OEM wheels, if I can.

I currently have 175/65/15 on delta spoke wheels. I've got about 11k miles on them and starting to do research on replacement tires.

Tires that interests me so far, are the Kumhos ASX. Will the 15" 195's fit on the OEM wheel? Or will I have to buy a new set of wheels for these tire sizes?

Any info would help. Thanks!

 

If you guys want a CHEAP, good looking wheel, then check out Ebay. I got a set of Drag Wheels for under $300, thats around $75 a rim. I also got some Hankook tires at Pepboys that are around $60 a tire. By the time you are all said and done you are looking at ~$150 at each corner!





Will try and get some better photos...its hard without a digital camera tho....

 

WHat brand of wheels do you have? I love them!

 

Very nice indeed - what are you running for shocks and spring ?

Ug <img>

 

might as well post these photos in here too





rear stance

 

sport max got them on Ebay for $270.00 for all four. Do your search on wheels 15x8.with +15 offset,the fit is great no rub and with stock suspension.

 

So here is my deal.
I have a R56 Cooper S, and I live in Alberta, Canada. I will be needing new rubber in the spring, and I clearly want new rims to go with it. I don't commute, all my driving is my personal driving time. I might hit the track a few times a year, but mostly just good time street driving. The city I live in does not have the best roads, but I do have a keen eye. I also have winter steelies, so these will be summer/performance wheels only. I have not done any suspension stuff yet, but will down the road.

I really love the look of the Drag DR-20 Machined Black 15X7's. What are your thoughts on these wheels and my plan. I would like to get the Work wheels, but they are about $1000 more than the copy Drag's.

I absolutely love the look that you have Rallymini, great job!!!

 

My one worry about your plan is gonna be the size of your brakes. I'm still learning about the new r56 models and their new features.....but don't the Cooper S's have the larger brakes that USED to be the JCW brakes on the earlier models? I believe that's the case, which means that 15's may not fit. Can anyone back me up on that?

Thanks for the compliment

A new pic for good measure

 

Well I asked my MA and he told me that 15" would NOT fit because of the larger R56 breaks. Just like what you mentioned Rallymini.
So I am wondering if he is 100% right or with some spacers or whatnot, I could get 15" to fit.

Now the other question I am thinking is if I can't get 15" to fit, what about 16 X 8 ??

Thanks everybody!

 

How do installing 15" tires on an MCS that originally came with 17" tires affect the accuracy of the speedometer from the standpoint of the speed shown and the odometer?

 

You can compare the overall tire diameter of your stock tires with any non-stock sizes you're considering to get an idea of how it will affect your speedometer/odometer accuracy.

It can make a difference, though. Going from a 205/45-17 to a 205/50-15 can cause your speedometer/odometer to read about 5% high, as an example.

 

Stock tire diameter is about 24.3 to 24.4" so just aim for that when purchasing tires for any wheel size. Within 3% is good.

205/55-15 23.9" tire diameter
195/60-15 24.2" tire diameter
185/65-15 24.4" tire diameter

while
205/50-15 23.1" tire diameter (usually works best with lowered suspension)

 

Some 15" wheels will fit, but not all. Check tirerack for some that will fit. You have to go to the "winter" section, then say I don't need tires, just wheels. It would be easier if they (tirerack) would just list the 15" wheels in the normal wheel section.

 

What about
205/55-15 or
205/60-15

Are there any good tire choices (SoCal, summer spec) on a 15/7" wheel?

ThankS!

 

for 15x7 205/50 is my preferred choice....but if you want to maintain a stock size 205/55 is pretty nice as well.

I personally feel that 205/60 is a bit too much sidewall. It would look a little less than pleasing, you may lose some crispness to your handling, acceleration would be slowed down, and it increases the risk of rubbing if you lowered your car.

205/50's are a lower profile, but they are nice for a few reasons. It's a very popular size, so you have all sorts of tires to choose from. Aesthetically, i really like the 205/50's as well....you still have a good size sidewall, but it's not as balloon-like as the large sidewalls. The smaller diameter will help to center the rotational mass and change the gearing slightly to increase acceleration at the loss of a little bit of top speed. The only downsides is that they lower the car .5" (which could be bad if you don't want that), they increase the wheel gap by .5" which is unattractive, and they will throw the speedometer off slightly (it's not a HUGE difference though.....like 5mph at highway speeds)

205/55 is a nice compromise offering a little more sidewall which will add to the comfort without going too large.