I sold my stock s-lites, bought a set of SSR Comps 17 x7.5 with Pirelli P Zero Nero M/S 215/45/17's.

I live in brooklyn.

Since I bought them (1200 miles now at 27K+) I've dented one of them, bought a spare, and cracked another one, replaced it with a used rim.

I then bought a set of 15" holies with the stock runflats.

I can't tell you how much more I enjoy driving my Mini now.

THose ssr's are 13lbs but with the fatter wider tires they are quite heavier than the 15's.

And even though the 15's have stock run flats, the ride is about 10 times smoother now.

Just thought I'd share the fact that gone are the days of big rims for me. I got too many potholes around here to deal with for low profile tires.

 

I wonder how it looks though, but anyways, as long as you are happy driving it.

 

If you can believe it I like the holies better than the ssr's.

 

are you serious? post some pics when you can

 

Hmm didn't realize there are stock runflats that mounts on these 15" holies?
What brand/size are they?

Some of my friends dont' like the white holies on my MINI, but I think they make the car look funny and slightly retro And the really light weight tire/wheel combo makes going over mid corner bumps a total non issue The car's grip level is always very good and it never skips over anything.

 

Holeys are 15x5.5" rims and usually come with stock Continental 175/65-15 tires which are non runflats. Very comfortable and cheap. Good for street driving and daily use. Good in the wet.

Runflats for the MINI fit 16x6.5" rims and 17x7" rims.

SSR comps are really nice rims but not good for poor road conditions- not practical.
In addition, in the 17" size you'll need 40 or 45 series tires which are not forgiving when hitting potholes.

Glad to hear you found wheels to suit your driving needs.

 

funny you always mention something against SSR Comps.
ive been using comps since my WRX days and never have had one issue
with them. went over plenty of bad hits, no bends, anything.

 

I have light Centerline RPM rims for daily use (about 13 pounds each) and have hit some potholes with no damage to any rim or tire so far. However I do drive with awareness for road hazzards.

The faster you are going when you hit the pothole the more damage you risk.

The worst is driving on unfamilar roads in the dark (poorly lit areas). That's usually when I tend to hit my potholes- but I'm going at slower speeds.

Are the good tires that much better against road hazzards? Probably you get what you pay for. I'm using Potenza S-03s and happen to think they are doing quite well for me. I only wish they weren't so expensive. Interestingly they are pretty reasonable in 205/50-15 for use with my holey rims.

 

True, and false, depending on the speed, the depth, and the size of the pothole. If you are seriously fast, you might have minimum contact with the hole. Proven, experienced... On the other side, bumps, they are different, faster you hit them, more damage you will have.

 

He's not the only one who mentions problems with SSR Comps....I broke two and bent one of my 17" Comps (shod w/ 45 series S-03s) before I gave up on them. But I'm not entirely down on them. In fact, I figured I would take one more shot at finding a happy compromise because I love the look and weight of those Comps on my MINI. So, I recently bought some 16x7.5s (w/ 225/45s) from another NAMer....here's hoping....

 

yah yah, i remember you. that's why I didn't post about running
cheap tires cause you said you ran S03's but didn't remember what
tire pressure or something. but i don't care really it's in the past
and has no consistency with my experience with Comps.

You ran over a brick or a 2x4 or something and bent the last rim
or something right?... it's like hitting a light pole and complaining
that the front end of the car got a concave or something. hahaha.
nono, im just kidding.

minihune knows Im kidding around too.

16x7.5" comps are the true enthusiast's choice for street wheels.
ok, slight bias.

 

My bad, I assumed they were runflats since they were stockers....

Here are some pics (sorry, some are from my camera phone)






And the holies....





I'm thinking of selling my SSR's now.......

 

And by the way, I cracked that rim driving on the west side highway going like 35 mph in the right lane approaching 57th street and there was a huge cut out in the cement...like there should have been a huge metal plate...but there wasn't...and the car just SLAMMED down....

 

Just curious - what tire pressure were you running?

I've got 15x7" SSR Comps myself (9 lbs.) and have no problem so far. They handle very well, and ride is great. I run 36 lbs. cold pressure with 205x55 tires. The speedo with this setup is within 2% of accurate.

 

At times 35, usually 32.5 - 33.......

 

That's why you are bending rims.

Low-profile tires require higher air pressure to protect them from the road. You should have been running a rock-bottom minimum of 35, and maybe as high as 37-38 lbs. cold pressure.

 

I had them at 35 before and the ride was way too harsh......

Plus I asked Tirerack when I bought them what psi I to use and they said just follow the standard label for stockers which is 33/38 I think...

 

Plus the fact that the label on the door panel recommends 33psi for 1-2 passengers with the stock tire size of 205/45/17.

Mine are 215/45/17 which would make them FATTER than the stockers, no? i.e. less low-profile? i.e. more profile?

 

"I had them at 35 before and the ride was way too harsh..."

You pay your money and you take your choice - you can protect the rims and get better handling with higher tire pressures, or you can believe the on-the-door-sill figures that are based mainly on American notions of comfort.

The ride with 17" wheels at appropriate pressures is indeed too harsh for most - these wheels are for car-shows, not street driving.

Bottom line is that your driving conditions aren't amenable to 17" wheels, and it is my belief that no other street-driven cars are either.

17" and larger wheels are there to fit around the larger brakes that racing requires. Here's a quote from an article in Sport Compact Car, about 17" wheels on an MCS.

"The 17-inch wheels on our test car are stupid. They look silly, weigh a ton, and slow the car remarkably. The brakes are small enough for 15-inch wheels, which, with well-chosen rubber, could save close to 100 lb."
Full article at http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/fe...ini/index.html

 

i run 33-34 cold 205/50/16 (16x7.5" comps) in the summer, 34-35 cold in the winter as the 'hot' pressure does not get high enough.

The lower the profile the tighter the cold temp tolerance you have
(for the wheel's benefit, that is) resulting in more frequent tire
pressure checks you need to do. that's why i don't use low profile tires
on my daily drivers. i keep at least 50 profile unless the tires are
225+ width.

my other car's running 35 profile and i make sure to check tire pressure
every weekend before taking her out. if the pressure is even 0.5psi
lower than ideal, i pump it.

btw, that rim looks repairable.

 

Looks can be deceiving.

If I took a pair of pliers and gently pulled on the lip, the whole thing would come right off. It's hanging on by a hair. I'll grab my hi-res camera and snap some pics next time I go to my friend's house (they are at his house, long story, invovles Sparco seats, grrrrr)......

 

What I've learned:

17" rims look real cool but they are definitely not practical.

Holies ROCK. I find the car more nimble, agile, and comfortable and with my new Sparco Milano Prestige seats I'm taking corners now like a mad man.

 

oh well, that's probably a goner even though shops can still fix rims that have broken off. i'd probably just get one replacement. insurance can even help you out if your deductible is lower than the price of your wheel and labor.

 

Not in all cases...otherwise manufacturers would not use 17" wheels as OE wheels. heck, my other car came with 18" wheels.

 

Sorry.........

Not practical in BROOKLYN.