In the classic s-lite tradition, I am ditching the runflats and "boat anchors" for some SSR Competitions and Falken Azenis'. Gonna run autox, track days, and maybe some time trials if I can find them. Which rim should I get? I was all the way to the buy it page at tire rack when I just wasn't sure. The big question is will the wider rims handle better, and will they me more susceptable to damage? Also will I get a greater tire choice with one or the other. I scoured the threads and couldn't find any answers to these questions. Any help is much appreciated.



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Always yield to temptation it may not pass your way again. -RAH

 

wider has nothing to do with rim damage

the sidewalls give the rim protection

i would suggest 7 inch wide wtih 215/45 azenis

 

Wider is better!

 

Thanks for the inputs. It appears that team mco is running 16x7.5 so I think I know they will fit, and Pontiac/gowest has got to be right, wider is better :smile:

 

Theoritically wider will stretch the tire more, and give slightly less sidewall flex.

Theoretically, the lighter 7 inch width may accelerate and brake better.(less weight)

There are the 2 thoughs on this topic, not that one is right or wrong.

Alex

 

For those of you with the 16x7 SSR comps with +42mm offset,
are you rubbing the rear with your Azenis 215/45/16 tires with
H-sport or any lowering springs you might have?

thanks. :smile:

 

>>For those of you with the 16x7 SSR comps with +42mm offset,
>>are you rubbing the rear with your Azenis 215/45/16 tires with
>>H-sport or any lowering springs you might have?

Rubbing with lowered springs is a function of how low you go.
With H-sport springs you can go to about 42mm offset. It varies with each brand of springs. With stock suspension you can use offset down to 37mm with no rubbing.

So with 16x7 and 42 offset with 215/45- 16 tires you should expect no rubbing.
You can confirm this with Alex@tirerack as he sells this combination and has lots of experience with MINIs.

 

thanks, minihune. The thing that's bothering me is that Azenis Sport tires
are wider than most other tires (similar to that of S03's) even if they say 215,
it could measure 225. This is why I am a little worried if they would rub or not.

Alex doesn't sell Falken tires, so kinda... hummmm... scratching my head...

 

>>For those of you with the 16x7 SSR comps with +42mm offset,
>>are you rubbing the rear with your Azenis 215/45/16 tires with
>>H-sport or any lowering springs you might have?
>>
>>thanks. :smile:
>>
>>
I have all of the above - well, coilovers instead of lowering springs -- but I've had ZERO rubbing issues.

Street and autocross.

 

thanks dpayne1!

dang, i need to take more business trips to get my allowance back up.
Im $700 behind due to that UNIchip I bought last week. :???:

I have anthrasite Comps on my other car..so was leaning towards silver
for the MCS and use center caps.... no?

 

Silver with caps all the way!

Alex

 

woohoo! got my 16x7.5in SSR comps in silver with caps along with
Goodyear F1's in 205/50/16.

Thanks, Tirerack!

 

Pictures?

 

>>Alex, where were you yesterday? I called a couple of times around 9am
>>and even asked the operator where you were at but you were no where to
>>be found. :???: clay helped me out.
>>

Sorry I was out testring in our Touregs

Alex

 

Alex- oh, I see. :smile:

Here's a pict. I took the car out tonight just before the rain storm and man,
the car's response dramatically improved. braking and acceleration. Savings
of more than 12lbs per corner. :smile:

I love the way the car looks and feels now. . MCS no doubt looks the
best with 16's. <= by biased comment. hehehe.

 

I ended up sanding down the rusted hub and painting it flatblack using
engine enamel paint. Even masked off the front hub's center nut.
No caps on the SSR's and looking super! :smile:

 

>>woohoo! got my 16x7.5in SSR comps in silver with caps along with
>>Goodyear F1's in 205/50/16. I thought about getting the
>>Azenis, but gave the F1's a shot this time.

kenchan,
Great pictures and looks "light and fast"- silver with caps is a good choice for you.
16x7.5 is good for any wider sized tire and will work with the Goodyear Eagle F1 which is a very good tire for street and track. The Falken Azenis sports are cheaper and grip well but are not good for wet and alot rougher riding and noisy-and they don't wear as long as the sure footed F1. The thing about the F1 is the price but just enjoy them. You get what you pay for and the overall ride is better in the F1 as well as the wet grip.

The thing about 215 tires looking more like 225 tires you mentioned may have to do with how the tire itself fits on a given rim. If the rim is less wide than the optimal rim width then the tire will not be sitting as wide when mounted and vice versa for really wide rims- the sides of the tire will be more outward.

Yes, tirerack doesn't sell Toyos and Falkens so you have to go with what they do have which is usually quite good. No sense duplicating brands of tires from one source. Can't carry everything.

Be careful in the rain.

 

>>Alex- oh, I see. :smile:
>>
>>Here's a pict. I took the car out tonight just before the rain storm and man,
>>the car's response dramatically improved. braking and acceleration. Savings
>>of more than 12lbs per corner. :smile:
>>
>>I love the way the car looks and feels now.

 

hehe it certainly looks really good
haven't seen many pics with 16inch rims and lowered too
have been waiting so long to install my SSR (16X7 it is) i think within the next 2 days it will FINALLy be installed..
>>

thanks, erichui! :smile: Im assuming you have the anthrasite ones?
The best thing about these SSR comps is that the rim is thin so it doesn't
look small. Plus, it spares the brake rotors from looking tini-tiny.
perfect size, imho from a cosmetic perspective too.

It looks 10x better in person...im just not good at taking pictures.

 

ken....
the car looks amazing as always!
i'd love to see your car in person,
i live downtown and work in schaumburg on the weekends if you're ever around!

 

>>thanks, erichui! :smile: Im assuming you have the anthrasite ones?
>>The best thing about these SSR comps is that the rim is thin so it doesn't
>>look small. Plus, it spares the brake rotors from looking tini-tiny.

 

erichiui- oh, so you got the Type-C's..cool. :smile: Yes, I am using the factory
lug bolts cause it looks better on my silver Comps than the set tirerack sent
with the wheels. (btw, that's a great service tirerack has to send free lugs!)


I wonder if anyone carries blue lug bolts..hummm... that would be kinda cool to
have in the future.

nfo- yah, one day we shall meet!

 

Contvert to studs and get some blue tuner lug nuts.

 

>>erichiui- oh, so you got the Type-C's..cool. :smile: Yes, I am using the factory
>>lug bolts cause it looks better on my silver Comps than the set tirerack sent
>>with the wheels. (btw, that's a great service tirerack has to send free lugs!)
>>
>>
>>I wonder if anyone carries blue lug bolts..hummm... that would be kinda cool to
>>have in the future.
>>
>>nfo- yah, one day we shall meet!
>>
>>
yep i got the type C
also as for blue lug bolts..
not sure about bolts, but i know that pilo racing sells stud coversion kit which includes studs and lug nuts.. not sure if they are good value (and of course i don't work for them) u can check it out in his website.

 

Thanks..so how do those lug stud/nut conversion kits work?

Do I just tread the stud into the hub as if it was a bolt... then
use the lug nuts to secure the wheels? Wouldn't the stud
loosen when I loosen the lug nut when I want to take the
wheels off? kinda defeats the purpose if that's the case...

:???: