These are used rims? 18" and what width for front and rear?

You note two separate sizes for the tires which are different tire diameter so this would not work on a MINI, you need the tires to be the same size for tire diameter front and rear and usually identical sized tires front and rear even if you wanted to make the rear rim wider which is foolish since the MINI is a front wheel drive car and the rear wheels will just be pulled along and weigh more.

So No this is not a good choice for you plus 18" wheels are usually heavy and you don't have an S so you have less power. Driving around would feel sluggish and it would take more effort to stop the car with heavy wheels.

In addition larger diameter rims usually means stiffer and shorter sidewalls which will ride more harshly and be more noisy depending on which tires you choose.

For a base MINI, 16x7 rims are OK and 205/55-16 tires are OK with stock suspension. You can also look for 17x7 rims and 205/45-17 tires.
Same wheel and tires for front and rear.

 

That is a weird set-up
MINIs are already prone to push in the front.
Which MINI do you have, 1st gen or 2nd gen?

 

I just got a set of JCW R109 18" wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tires (205/40R18 RFT's). Test fit them on my '03 R53 with H&R springs, and there seemed to be a decent gap to the fender front/rear, and they also are set inwards a bit further than I'd like. They're ET52, so they're more of an offset than the S-lites I'm used to.

Should I a) get 5mm spacers to help bring them closer to the edge of the arches and fill the wheel well better, b) go with a slightly wider, taller tire (215/40?) to help fill the wheel gap and increase ride comfort a bit, or c) both?

 

Wider/taller tires will help a little but not much because if you go with 215/40 that will only add 5mm width per side of tire and only about 4mm in sidewall height. Even if you increase the tire size, you will probably still want wheel spacers to reduce the large gap caused by the wheel offset. But if you go with wheel spacers you will need longer lug bolts or switch to studs/nuts.

I use 215/40R18 tires, JCW spring, ET52 wheels, and 15mm spacers. I get a little rubbing in the rear. The front is not close to rubbing. Since you have H&R springs which are shorter than JCW shorts you would getting rubbing in the rear with 15mm spacers.

A 215/40 tire with around 12mm spacers would probably work out well. A 205/40 with 15mm spacers might also work. It was previously hard to find 12mm spacers but I thought I recently saw a post about a company selling spacers in many sizes for the Mini.

 

NICE! There we go - exactly what I was looking for. So go with a slightly smaller spacer than what you've got to help fill in the wheel wells and bring the wheels out a bit. That's what I want! I'm gonna do a stud kit anyways, so that should be fine - I did the same on my E30 vert. (20mm spacers/stud conversion). Any recommendation on tires?

 

Here is the link I saw on the spacers:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-vehicles.html

I have the TSW stud kit and with the 15mm spacers the stud comes right to the end of the nut, just about perfect in my opinion. If you go with a 12mm spacer you would end up with just a couple threads past the nut, which seems like it would be fine.

Tire choice depends on your use but assuming you want a summer tire that gets "OK" wear (240 - 300 wear range) there are not many options in the 215/40R18 tires size. I went with Toyo T1R have have been happy. They can be a little hard to find. Other options are: BFG KDW-2, BFG Sport, Dunlop FM-901, Falken FK-452, Kumho SPT, Nitto NeoGen, Yokohama Parada Spec 2, and Yokohama S.Drive.

If you go to a 215/35R18 you get a few more options. For example, if you want a sticker tire the Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 is available in 215/35.

 

im running 215/40/18 on 18x8 +45 on h&r springs... no rubbing. I plan on adding some spacers and coils. I'll let you know if I rub then.

 

I run 225/40/18's on my R109's. Minimal rubbing in the front at full lock.

 

Both of you are running them on R56's though :(

I'm thinking 215/40/18 on the R109's (et52) with 12mm spacers. Maybe 10mm spacers depending on price and availability. That with the H&r's...maybe some slight rubbing? With the clearance I had on the 205/40's at current offset they looked puny...

 

Minihune: I just got my V12 Evo's and really like them so far. I got the 215/40-18 and had a little rubbing on my 06 JCW cab, but that disappeared after I removed the 15mm spacers. 'Got a question for you:

I've been running 38 front/36 rear. What pressure would you recommend?

Thanks much!

 

I'm running 225-35-18's on a lowered R56.

Zero rubbing turn to turn up front.

Though I didn't really have to, I did roll the edge of the inner quarter panels about 1/8". It wasn't that the quarters were rubbing but when I carry 3 people in the car AND hit a dip, it caught about 1/4" length of the flare.

By rolling the inner lip out by 1/8", it misses it all, passengers and all.

The only rubbing I had (tires cut a groove in them is the stupid splashshield, my rear inner splashshields droop down... nothing to do with the tires or lowering, they've always drooped)

I'm suppose to stop at the dealer to have them replaced.

Mark

 

Ohhh....225/35's Wonder if the R53 will squeeze the same...

 

225/35/18's here. Coilovers on the way so I'm not sure about rubbing when lowered.