Whats the widest tires i can fit on my 15inch holes? they come stock with 175/65's . . I was hoping to fit 195/55's . .

any info would be appriciated thanks

 

what is the width? if they are 6.5", you can fit 215s.

-Steve

 

MINIDryvr,
What are you going to use the tires for?? Do you want a tire that is smaller than stock outer tire diameter size?

MINI stock holey rims are 15x5.5" so the widest tire that easily fits would be
205/50-15 which I have done many times. A tire specialty shop can do the mounting but an average garage can't/won't. 205/50-15 tires are small only 23" outer tire diameter while 225/50-15 are 23.7". Smaller tires help in gearing <edited>, and are not accurate for your speedometer (shows lower than true speed).

There are some that would mount even wider tires on the holeys but you will have to convince the shop to try. A very determined mechanic could mount 225/50-15 (fits rims 6-8" wide) or maybe 225/45-15 (fits rims 7-8.5" wide) on those holey rims. Note that wider tires are more costly and weigh more.

Another note is that if you are running stock suspension with minimal negative camber then performance tires that are wide are not going to wear very well if you take them on the track or to autocross. Best tire wear comes from using more negative camber in the front (you'd need to also install front camber plates to adjust front camber) and in the rear (add adjustable rear control arms).

 

Great response , Thanks

Im looking for a little more footprint for very agressive street driving. I dont autocross but the roads I'm on every day probably push my tires nearly as hard.

I dont like the "schwinn" look that the 175s have , and im also not real pleased with the amount of flex in the sidewall . . when i figured the hight of the sidewall on a 195/55 in comparison to a 175/65 it was only 10 or 15 mm smaller . . How much impact do you think that would have on spedo? How much better do you think those tires would feel in comparison to the stocks? The tires I was looking at were ultra high performance all season Khumo Excada's . . . not sure what the exact tire was . . it was on tire rack. . . How do you think these would perform against the continentals? ?

I would much rather upgrade to a larger setup . . 17 or 18s . . i know it would slow me down on the takeoff I cant do this because of budget issues . . . budget is also the reason i'm considering the Khumo's and not a higher end tire. . .

Any input is appriciated as always . . thanks.

 

PS: Everything about my car is stock : ( . . . I would like to get H&R springs one of these days but that isn't in the forseeable future. .

 

MINIDryvr,
195/55-15 size is good for the stock 15" rim. It fits, it's lightweight, it's wide enough to give good traction without increasing road resistance and hurting mpg, and the price is right. 55 series is more comfortable. 23.4" outer diameter, so speedo error is about 1-2 mph slower than the already low stock speedo. Compared to stock 175 tires the performance would be noticably better (stickier rubber,wider tire, lower profile) in corners yet be only about 2 pounds heavier per wheel.

If we look at 195/55-15 tires at tirerack.com (see Alex) then we see-

Ultra High Perf summer tires (not for snow but will work in rain)
Yokohama AVS ES100 $61 280 wear AA traction V speed 19 pounds
Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 $60 340 wear AA traction V speed 19 pounds
Avon Tech M500 $69 280 wear AA traction W speed 20 pounds

Ultra High Perf All season tires
Kumho ECSTA ASX $67 420 wear AA traction V speed 18 pounds

If you want longest wear then the Kumhos are OK.
If you want good street performance and comfort then the Avon M500 is good followed closely by the Yokohama ES100 (good dry performance and steering response, a little harsher ride and a little noisy).

And there are more options-
Assuming the same price range-
205/55-15 tires (wider and heavier, tire diameter 23.9" gives little speedo error, 55 series -comfortable) are offered in:

Ultra High Perf Summer tires
Fuzion ZRi $61 320 wear A traction W speed 22 pounds
Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 $63 340 wear AA traction V speed 20 pounds

Ultra High Perf All season tires
Kumho ECSTA ASX $66 420 wear AA traction V speed 20 pounds

The Fuzion ZRi are new and worth a look. Good performance for low price with reasonable wear. Not for use in snow.

 

--->minihune; this isn't correct. Small tires don't equal quicker wear - driving style is a big influence. Speaking of treadwear rating, the numerical value isn't intended to be compared between manufacturers, only loosely within the same manufacturer.

 

You're right. There are many factors that might affect tire wear- tire pressure, driving style, alignment, etc.

I've been biased by running my smaller tires at the track and autocross and wearing them down (almost bald) in one day. Granted mine are NOT street tires so the rubber is soft and sticky.

Yes, treadwear is only a general comparison and sometimes not that reliable- more like wishful thinking by the manufacturer.

 

Great this is exactly the info I was interested in . . . The tires im interested in are these . . .

"Ultra High Perf All season tires
Kumho ECSTA ASX $66 420 wear AA traction V speed 20 pounds"

I know its asking more then i should but could you explain to me how these will feel in comparison to my stock tires? Will I get more or less miles (wear) under the same driving conditions? I imagine they will feel a little harder on the road and be slightly noisier . . right? I am most interested in the traction : ) cant wait to get some tires on this baby that dont feel like they're gonna roll off the rims..

Thanks for all the great info !

 

KK . . Two more things . .


I do have to drive in the snow for about a month each year. . . Im in N. DE

2: Do you think the 205s would look stupid hangin off such a narrow rim? If i went 205 I could get a slightly grippier tire and get the same life out of them because there'd be more rubber right? in theory? lol

o k thats all . thanks again

 

I saw a MINI with 205/55-15 and thought it looked great. I'll definitely do this when I need to replace my 175's.

 

All season tires definitely for you. Not deep snow mind you. If in doubt- talk to Alex@tirereack.com

195/55 and 205/50 both will grip much better on corners than the 175/65 tires. You might get a rougher ride and a little more noise but it won't be excessive since you still have the stock suspension. So a little less smooth but much more traction.

The stock 175/65-15 tires are rated 300 tire wear so you should do OK with anything that has a larger wear rating (depends how you drive and if you run correct tire pressure).

195/55 will look fine.
205/55 will also look fine.
205/50 is the smallest outer tire diameter so the wheel will look wide but small.
Here's a picture of mounted Avon Tech R 205/50-15 tires on a set of stock holey rims in the left foreground with Stock holey and continentals in the left rear-


Here's a lowered MC with holey rims and Kumho victoracer 205/50-15 tires