was looking for some input on what wheel width to go with. what width gives u the best performance for handling? i love the look of really wide tires but im more interested in performance. help me please!

 

Well my Evo is 18" by 8" and if you have a after market bady kit you can go up with 8" for the Front and 10" for the back. Which looks very cool........

 

i know i bet it looks sick but what would that do for your handling. my friend has a vw gti with deep dish wheels 8" in the front and 10" in the back with out any aftermarket body kit. it looks very good but doestn seem like it could handle as well as it should. id like to go the same width all around, i dont want the staggered look unless it was really subtle. i think 8" all around would be cool. i am having trouble finding wheels in that width though that arent 400+ a wheel. and i dont want to go any bigger than 17". any help would be awesome
ben

 

hamann HM4s are 17x8 and right at $400 per wheel.

But heavy.

 

From the point of view of the rim width, the wider the better as long as the tire still fits and doesn't rub.

You are limited somewhat to what common sizes are possible commercially in fitments for the MINI. 15x7 or 15x7.5 is as wide as is common but custom 15x8 or more is possible. Generally rims up to about 8" wide are no problem with tires or fitment.

From the point of view of the tire (with respect to performance)
To give a decent answer you have to tell us:

Under what conditions is the driving to take place- street only or on the track, at driving schools, or at autocross events?

What size rims are you using? 15", 16", 17" or larger?

What suspension do you have? And what alignment do you have if it is not the stock alignment? More negative camber in the front will allow you to use more of a wider front tire than if you have the stock alignment.

How much comfort in ride quality are you willing to sacrifice for better handling? 35 series tires won't be as forgiving as 50 series tires for daily driving. Potholes are not friendly to 35 series tires.

 

7.5" (16x7.5)

 

16x7.5" is a very viable option.
Wide enough without being too heavy, costly or causing fitment issues and rubbing.

At tirerack.com:
In 16x7.5"
Kosei K1 Racing $159 each White or Silver 15 pounds each
SSR Comp $339 each Anthracite or Silver 11.5 pounds each +42mm offset

Many more to choose from in 16x7" as well.
Check out tires in 215/45-16 or 215/40-16.

 

staggered set up not good for handling...if u want to stay w/17's then u can go with a 8.5 all around! but not sure that u will find anythin' in that price range that looks good(opinion). if ur into the wider tyres then wider rim is what u need.

 

i dont have any susupension mods done yet but i will probly before i get the wheels. im willing to sacrifice all ride comfort it doesnt matter to me, but i also dont want to bend a wheels the first pothole i hit. i dont drive in the winter but i live in ny so their are plenty of potholes. i would also like to go with 17" but 16" would be good also if i can go wider with them. i havent seen any 16" wheels bigger than 7.5 though

 

where have u been lookin'?? go w/the bigger wheel Co. they can source out better selections i would not know about that size since im after 8.5 18's but i know ive seen what u want jus dont remember where!! u probably should wait until u find what wheel u want & adjust suspension around it......since ur willing to sacrifice ride comfort

 

whats the bigger wheels co.?? do they have a website. do any of u guys know of a good wheel in the 8" to 8.5" range? anything under 18" and is also not really heavy. i look all over an havent really found what ive been looking for yet.

 

try google.

Search for 16x8 4x100
Here's one for start:
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/10424
Advan RG IIs in 16x8 $391.99

Also look for Volk Racing wheels. They have plenty really light weight forged 16x8s.. Should be around $400

 

wheelpower.com cheapwheels.comwheelz1.com axis.com cecwheels.com tires.com wheelmax.com

****ill keep them comin' as i remember*****

 

Advan RG's are cast and not known to be strong. I have a set of 16x8, +42, Volk ce28n's. They can be had for a little less than $400 each and weigh 12 lbs. They are special order only and take a long time to get but any 16x8 will be a tight fit and if pot holes are an issue a good combination for great handling would be a 16x7.5 with a 205/50/16 max performance tire. If you want to go with a 17" wheel I'd still stay with a 7.5" width and look for a 215/40/17 with the proper load rating, maybe the Falken Azenis 615. There are also some good 215/45/17's out there which would be a little more protection from those pot holes.

 

A staggered rear setup on a front drive car like the MINI, seems strange.


No?

 

o sure it might seem strange. and im not saying i would ever do it, but i think it looks pretty damn cool. thanks for all the info guys. also i dont think potholes would be to big of an issue if i had to go with a smaller sidewall to fit 8"s. it not to bad where i am. only if i go down into the city but who wants to drive in the city anyways. 16x8s sound nice

 

yes indeed! its the only reason why i would not roll w/it, but on a rear wheel car most definitely.

 

on a rear wheel drive car it would be sweet! ill just make the mini rear wheel drive, it will be easy

 

If you have a big budget ($400-$500 per rim)for custom wheels then see:
http://www.kodiakracingwheels.com/prices.html
16x8 from $413 each. But you can choose any size up to the limits of your wheel arches. When using a smaller tire diameter and the right offset (about +36-38mm) you can make wide rims fit.


If you choose a big brake kit you'd need more rim clearance. A 15" rim is light but limits brake upgrades for the future- it can still be done, see TCE brakes and brakes offered by various NAM vendors.

For potholes you'll be better off with 45 or 50 series tires but for performance 35 or 40 series tires would be better. It's a trade off. Smaller rims will work with 45 or 50 series tires and larger rims better for lower profile tires.


16" FX (above)
All forged wheel styles and anodize colors are available in all diameters & sizes. Anodizing colors available ($20. per wheel) are: GOLD, BLACK, AND RED.

19" FX most likely (hey, front wheel off the ground! :impatient )

 

thanks for the link minihune. 500$ a wheel is probly as high as i would like to go. so it not quite out of my price range, but dont know if i like that style in the pic. do they make other styles or can u get whatever u want since it a custom wheel place? i really like the advan 16x8s, those are pretty much what ive been looking for exeptt they dont have them in a dark color, which. i think a dark wheel would look better since i have a dark silver mcs. does anyone know what the bright chrome advan looks like in person? in the pic it looks kinda dark, more like anthracite

 

Custom wheels give you the advantage of various widths, finishes, offsets, forged construction with minimal weight, and a unique look. If you look at the first kodiak link they can pictures of the various wheels but I did not see a six spoke design like the Advan (reminds me of a stylish SSR Comp/Kosei K1 Racer but nicer).

The downside to any 8" or wider rim is additional weight and cost of the rim and sometimes additional weight and cost of the tire. Another thing to consider is depending on the rim choosen, wheel studs might offer a better fit than the stock lug nuts.

Other alternatives in six/seven spoke design are Gram Lights 57S from Tirerack.com or Grid by rota.
Gram Lights 57S 16x7" Bronze or Lt grey finish $230 each

http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/servlet/CallJsp&target=wheelSearchCloseUp&wheelIndex=16&si zeIndex=0&showRear=no&setIndex=3&filterSize=16&fil terFinish=&filterSpecial=Pricing
Also in 17x7.5" for $25 a rim more

Rota has quite a few finishes and reasonable prices.
http://18racing.com/wheels.html

16x7" Grid $500 shipped +40 offset various finishes

If you choose wheel sizes that are popular such as 16x7.5 then you have more selection. One advantage of a wider rim is the option for a "deep dish" wheel.


Lets step back a moment.
"what wheel width will give the best handling?" is the question.
It's really better to think of a rim and tire combo as it applies to your needs for street driving and stock suspension.

Not counting custom wheels with more than usual rim widths, if you just look at readily available rims/tires:
15x7 and 15x7.5 (Miata fitment) with 225/45-15 tires, 225/50-15
16x7 and 16x7.5 with 215/40-16, 215/45-16, 225/45-16
17x7 and 17x7.5 with 215/40-17 or 215/45-17 tires

Finally there are some nice looking classic 8 spoke MINI wheels out there.
Here's one from tirerack (see Alex if interested)
ASA JH6 16x7" in Chrome plated for $269 each and 18 pounds
or silver painted for $169 each
+42mm offset,

http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/servlet/CallJsp&target=wheelSearchCloseUp&wheelIndex=3&siz eIndex=0&showRear=no&setIndex=0&filterSize=16&filt erFinish=&filterSpecial=Pricing
Also in 17x7 for less than $30 a rim more. 19 pounds

 

16x7.5s the perfect street wheel size. (heavily biased)

 

thanks everyone. minihune i am planning on getting aftermarket suspension close to or right when i get my wheels. my car willl be put away for them winter so when summer comes the wheels and suspension will be put on. im just having trouble deciding on the both. i plan to autocross also. are tires for an 8" rim really that much more expensive?

 

jus make sure its the 'M' motor u drop in that puppy........

 

does anyone know what size tire u need to go with for a 8" wide rim? 16 or 17 inch. and maybe how much for a good tire?