I've seen a lot of recommendations for 215/45R17's, but before taking the plunge I just thought I'd check to see if anyone ran into serious problems?

I have a MCS JCW 2005 with R90 wheels and 205/45R17 run flats. Probably going to go with Potenza RE-11's.

Thanks,

Deven

 

I have 215-45R17 Michelin super sport tires on my clubman and love them. Just took them off today as the winters went on. I personally see no minuses to going to the 215's, heck it even helps to get the speedo closer to being accurate (I'm still 3 mph slower than indicated at 75mph.)

 

I'm running 215/45s on my R56 w/ no issues. Simple swap out and no rub.

 

04 MCS with a 1 inch drop all around, running 215 45 17s conti DWS on Rota RBs, no issues at all

 

my 215 45 17's rub enough in the back to break the liner last week. Keep in mind I am 1.25" lower, running nm springs and my offset is slightly wider with my Konig feathers. The same tires do not rub on the wife's clubman that is stock height with challenge wheels. On the 2009, they just kiss front and rear but I hit a dip a little quicker than normal last week. I trimmed the piece off and it is ok now. But so far for me gas mileage took a hit to a point where mathematically compensating for the larger diameter did not make up the difference. Now that they have worn, gas mileage is coming back but I think my next replacements are going to be 205's. I used my continental 205 run flats with everything else the same and they did not rub.

 

If you have any stock MINI (MC, MCS, JCW, roadster or cabrio) with stock suspension, even JCW suspension using stock 17x7 wheels you will be fine with 215/45-17 tires of any type.

If you lower your MINI about 1" drop you can sometimes reduce clearance enough to rub in the back. It may depend on which aftermarket wheels and offset you have and how much negative camber on alignment you have in the rear to tilt the tire inward.

A 1" drop as reported by an owner can vary due to differences in each MINI's OEM ride height. Any load in the rear seat or boot can reduce clearance as well as uneven roads with dips taken with more speed and especially so with four people.

I have had rubbing with 215/45-17 in the rears on the inner wheel arches, 1" drop with H sport springs on 2003 MCS with 17x7 wheels 42mm offset.

 

Thanks to all for the input. I recently bought a 2005 JCW. I don't think it has been lowered, so I'm going ahead with 215/45 17's later today.

Deven

 

Any issues with 215/35 18's?

 

As a follow up, I installed a set of 215/45 17's without any problem. Here is a photo of before (with 205/45 17's on the left) and after. Keep in mind that the before tires were almost worn to the point where there was no tread, maybe 1/32, so the photo somewhat exaggerates the change.

 

Any comment on the difference in ride quality going from the 205/45 RFT's to the larger diameter non run flats?

 

215/35-18 tires will fit stock 18x7" wide rims and up to 18x8.5" wheels fine.

You can use this tire size on any MINI since the tire diameter is 23.9" or just under the stock tire diameter.

The problem is the 35 series sidewall is very short and stiff so ride quality will be only smooth if the roads are great without any bumps or potholes and if you do hit a pothole the risk of damage is increased.

Handling will be crisp with the lower sidewall. It is an aggressive tire.
There are some decent tires in this size for the MINI.
Search by tire size at tirerack.com

 

Going from 205/45-17 runflats to 215/45-17 non runflats will be much smoother on most roads.

The runflats are very stiff sidewalled so ride quality is very bumpy at best.

215/45-17 have a slightly taller sidewall vs 205/45-17 and you can choose tires that are more comfortable in that size to help with less noise and a smoother ride for street use. An Ultra High Performance All Season tire should provide enough ride quality and good handling mix with good treadwear and be useful for three seasons.

 

After having read other comment on this forum regarding run flats vs normal tires, I certainly had the expectation that normal tires would be smoother, so I think this probably biases me somewhat.

However, initially I didn't notice much of a difference, and frankly was disappointed. But then I checked the tire pressures, and they were high (with one tire at 40psi). I reset the pressures to 36psi (I figured I could run slightly lower psi than stock because of the additional width) and now the ride does fees slightly less harsh. Not huge, but noticeable.

BTW, based on what I have read here, the Potenza RE-11 have a firmer sidewall than some others (e.g. Hankook Ventus R-S3). I went this route for track and autocross use rather than ride quality.

Deven

 

Your choice of tire will be as important as the size as tire construction and materials play a role in how a tire will perform when used.

If someone tries a 45 series tire and says it is very jarring while another owner says their tire of the same size is very comfortable then it is certainly possible given various suspensions and road conditions.

When picking a tire look at everything before choosing and once you pick a tire and try it on your streets see if it performs as tested or as reported and learn from your choice.

This now serves as a frame of reference for future tire purchases.

Before I got a MINI literally all my tire purchases were for family cars or minivans and were various all season tires.

Now after 9 years of owning and driving a MINI, I've had the chance to try many classes/sizes of tires on various surfaces and in various weather. There is definitely a difference yet price and hype is not always a good way to decide.

 

I take it that you haven't taken the RE-11s out on the track or autoX yet. That is where you will be pleasantly surprised. That is where they shine. The R-S3s have gotten mixed reviews for track and autoX. Most people have said they like the grip but the soft sidewalls take a bit to get used to.

However, this is definitely not the tire to get if you want a softer ride. These and other high end extreme performance summer tires (Dunlop Z1s, Yokohama AD08s, etc) have very stiff side walls for the handling. I would go with a a lower performance tire or an AS tire to get a better ride on the street. You won't lose much in handling with the gain in ride quality. BTY - On the street, I run my Z1s at a slightly lower pressure than the posted pressure just to get a little better ride. But I only run them on the street when I have them on for autoX events.

 

That's correct. Might have to wait until April ...

Deven

 

With that advice in mind and of course also thinking about cost, the two best choices to significantly improve ride quality over the stock 17" RFTs (based on quite a few excellent posts on this forum) seem to be the Conti DWS's (non RFT) and the Bridestone Pole Position RFTs. However, it's still unclear (to me at least) which of the two is the better choice.

The Conti DWS's are less expensive, but do they also offer a noticiably better ride quality - as in smoother ride - than the Pole Position RFTs?

If the Conti's are that much better, maybe it's even worth thinking about buying and stashing the annoying donut and not that cheap donut spare in the back for the piece of mind when driving with non-RFT's?

If not, and the Pole Position RFT's offer similar ride comfort to the Conti DWS's then does it make sense to assume that the Pole Position RFTs will go back on sale again for a reasonable price?

 

Check and compare the tirerack test results for both-

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=165
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=164

BS RE960AS RFT
Much stiffer sidewall than DWS due to being a runflat but less rough riding than stock RFT.
Performance and handling better in dry and overall
Shorter stopping distance in dry
Safety for being runflat not needing tire change in traffic or bad weather
400 treadwear

Continental DWS
Softer more comfortable ride for street use and less noisy
Performance and handling better in wet
Decent overall street handling
540 treadwear
In a given size likely tire weight will be a few lbs less than the RE960AS
About $30+ less cost per tire vs same sized/equivalent tire in RE960AS

Check out the spider charts as well.

If you like to drive aggressively you'll like and appreciate the RE960AS.

If you like a more comfortable and quiet ride for basic commuting, drive in wet conditions, or if you have potholed and rough roads then the DWS is worth considering.

 

Nice write up

 

I have the Potenza RFTS and I can tell you ANYTHING is smoother than these tires.
I have to replace them soon now and the only thing I am trying to decide between 215/45R17 and 205/45/R17. But for sure I am not getting RFTs since I can feel if I run over a coin. LOL

 

215/45-17 17x7 40+ TSW springs Tires are BFG G-force2