I read the NAM wheel/tire thread for the last year or so and cannot find an answer to this question:

Can I replace my OEM Dunlop (205/45/17) RUNFLAT tires on my OEM 17 S LITES wheels with 215/45/17 NON-RUNFLAT tires?

I looked at the price difference at the TireRack and found a big difference in prices for Korean 215 tires versus 205 tires.

WHAT SAY YOU WISE OLD MINI OWNERS??????

:impatient

 

yep, you can, no problems at all. i have 215/40/17, but the size you gave would not make any problems

 

215/45 should be no probs.

 

After 10.5kmi. I dumped the runflats and went with 215/45/17 Goodyear Eagle F-1's and have had NO rubbing issues at all. Mounted on Kazera KZ-V 17's with better grip, quieter, don't "track" the grooves in the freeway, fill the fenderwell and WAY cheaper.

 

This is good info to know, thanks guys! I just ordered my '06 CR MCS on 1.21.06 with the 17" S-Lites and all-seasons. Will the factory 17 all-seasons be the Goodyear GS-As or Dunlops, and what kind? Also ordered an extra set of R90 rims. because we liked the look of this rim better than the S-Lite and these were the rims the race Mini Challenge Club Sports used. BBS sponsorship no doubt.

My thinking was originally to... swap the all-season run flats to the R90s so I had these as delivered. However, after really studying the R90 up close at the dealer (schweet looking and nicely made BBS rim) they should really be saved for summer only. Reading this thread I can get away with non-runflats in 215/40-17s for the R90s.

So, (am I answering my own question here?) just take delivery of my Mini Cooper S with the S-Lites and factory all-season run flats for the remainder of the winter up here in Vermont and then after these wear out, get some proper snow tires?

 

In Vermont you're going to need snows immediately. I'm in Western MA, and I had to get extra wheels and snows for the winter. The Goodyear all-weathers are really only all-weather where all the weather is sun and rain.

 

Yaaa I know I was just hoping to not have to sport for any real snows. My MA said delivery should be end of march-April which is 1 month too early for us up here. I run Nokian WR 235/45-17 on my Audi S6, Hakki 1s on my Tacoma 4WD and Winterforce snows (Blizzak knock offs) on my Porsche 944. It's been snowing on/off most of the day today...

 

R90s? BBS? Where did you get that info? I've never heard anyone report that R90s are actually made by BBS (some think they look like BBS cross spoke wheels). Not me. And yes, your all-seasons won't come close to the winter performance (dry/wet/snow) of a true winter tire. Unlike many, I have no issues with my runflats. I have 2 sets...17" Dunlop summer SP Sport 9000s and 16" Goodyear winter GW3 Ultra Grips. It's not the runflats that make the ride harsh, it's the stock shocks. Mount Koni FSDs and you'll never once complain about runflats. My MCS with FSDs and even my winter runflats handles like it's on rails. Don't believe all the anti-runflat hype. It's the shocks!!!

 

Thompson, will you be tracking this car?
Why not just get the R90s w/ the car instead of the s-heavies?
you can always buy the S's off someone.
And y get the S's anyways?

IMHO, there are many better wheels in the aftermarket.
And Stevie, you are the FIRST i've heard that have this opinion about the runflats / shocks.

 

I'd like to try some DE and autocross events, best way to learn the handling of the car, you bet. This will be my first FWD performance car. I've been know to run my old Porsches in some PCA autocrosses (Crows Landing, Golden Gate Fields, Pleasanton back in the day in CA). I also have run my Audi urquattro(s) in the Virginia City Hillclimb in '94 and out here in Vermont, Mt. Philo hillclimb in '96. Local SCCV autocrosses are good too.

I ordered the Sport pkg and it comes with S-heavies, just figuring I'd keep these for snow rims. My wife and I both liked the "looks" of both rims, but the R90s were tops in our book and we just added them to the order list. I know that there are better performance wheels out in the market however, the R90s were the easiest method to get them through the Minister of Finance (MoF) when ordering the new car and I like the looks of them.

The Mini Challenge Club Sport cars all run R90s and BBS is a partner. I'm just assuming that the R90 rims on the Challenge Club Sports are made by BBS but, makes sense. It would be a good research item to do - I'll dig right in after this one. Here is the info that I found >>
http://www.tsrennsport.com/weblog/?p=100

Stevie, good call on the shocks. I prefer Bilsteins in my Porsches and Koni Sports in my Audi S6 quattro. I did take a peak under the rear of one of the showroom MCS's and they had "gas strut" on it.

Thanks for all the info on this guys!

 

sounds like a plan!!!

 

I'm getting a bit OT on this original thread...

Found it, BBS supplies the R90 rims for the Mini Challenge.

>> from BBS.com
http://www.bbs.com/index.php?id=50&L=0

"Folgende Serien werden ausschließlich auf BBS-Rädern ausgetragen: Porsche-Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Tropheo, Formel Atlantic, Formel Mazda und BMW-Mini Challenge."

translated...
"The following series are delivered exclusively on BBS wheels: Porsche Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Tropheo, formula Atlantic, formula Mazda and BMW Mini Challenge."


"A racing series with the popular appeal of the trendy MINI CHALLENGE makes a sponsoring partnership very attractive. With the weight-optimized high-tech rims of BBS – also available as Original MINI Accessories – the MINI CHALLENGE teams are on great footing."

 

If anyone has a R90 unmounted, please take a look at the back andy see if it has the BBS logo.

 

Here is a photo of the BBS R90 rim titanium bolt head complete with factory stamped logo.

 

I understand the Web spoke & R90's are made by Ronal Wheels and are you sure there Ti. bolts not SS? I LOVE the R90's but for $336 from Classic Mini ( 20% off list.) you can buy a very light wheel. R90's are the best looking though. I have been looking for some used R90's but I think I'm going with Center Lines in the 15 to 16 lbs. range, for $159 includes shipping. If anyone is selling there R90's let me know I'm a buyer for the right price.

 

I currently have 215/45/17 Bridgestone Blizzaks on my S-Lites at the moment without any issues.

 

Proof positive that the MINI R90 rims are made by BBS. I just took delivery of my new 2006 MINI with R90s and I used my mt. bike mirror and placed it behind to capture the images. I flipped one image horizontally so you can read "MINI GERMANY". In the other photo, the "BBS" logo is pretty obvious and you can't dispute the titanium bolts, see the MINI brochure link below.

BBS logo on backside of R90

MINI GERMANY on backside on R90

MINI Motoring Accessories Page 16

BTW, the S-Lites are made by Ronal as mine have the logo printed on them after you take off a tire. I'm not sure about the web-spokes, they might be made by Ronal also.