Brakes Wheels 1st Gen Tires Steel Wheels for Winter?

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by MiniFrog, Oct 14, 2013.

  1. MiniFrog

    MiniFrog New Member

    Oct 14, 2013
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    I searched as best I could but didn't find anything.:(

    I have a '06 Cooper S and need to put some winter tires on it. I found both 15" & 16" steel wheels on TireRack. Will the 15" wheels fit on my S and clear the brakes or should I go with the 16"?
    It has the stock 17s on it now and Blizzaks are just too pricy to buy every year.

    TIA, ET
     
  2. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    May 4, 2009
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    If you have stock brakes (non Big brake kit) you should be ok with 15 or 16s
     
  3. MiniFrog

    MiniFrog New Member

    Oct 14, 2013
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    Thanks Dave, the car still has stock brakes. I'm looking forward to lurking and learning about my car.
    ET
     
  4. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    May 4, 2009
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    I have some steel 15's with snow tires on them for my car.
     
  5. Detroit Tuned

    Detroit Tuned Well-Known Member
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    a lot of times you can still get some nice alum rims from tire rack for the same price as black steel rims. with stock brakes, if tire rack says they will fit, then they will. they are very good about that stuff. i recommend a 16 at least for looks and fitment. but 15's will work. i have many people running 17's also.
     
  6. MiniFrog

    MiniFrog New Member

    Oct 14, 2013
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    I got some 15 x 6.5 wheels and 195/60R15 Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires along with some wheelcovers for $627 from TireRack.
    Tax and shipping another ~$144.16 plus I got a $70 rebate. :Thumbsup:

    Thanks to all who replied to my inquiries.
     
  7. SpR

    SpR Banned

    Sep 24, 2013
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    Im running my hoolies this winter. I had a hard time getting up my driveway last night. Freaking winter!
     
  8. MiniFrog

    MiniFrog New Member

    Oct 14, 2013
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    No snow here on CT (yet).:wink:
    I'm actually looking forward to testing these tires out.
     
  9. beken

    beken Well-Known Member
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    Jan 13, 2010
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    I have 15" wheels with my snowtires. Inexpensive alloys are not that much more expensive (actually marginally less expensive) than steel wheels sometimes. But when salt gets into them, they get cosmetically ugly. TireRack is pretty good a spec'cing the right wheels for MINIs, but best make sure the offset is right. 15" wheels will just barely make it around the brake calipers.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
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    I use a set of Holies, yep they are close to the calipers on my MCS, but fit just fine.
    P2120028.jpg
     
  11. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

    Jan 25, 2010
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    My suggestion...find a gen2 cooper owner with 15' alloys...see if they are upgrading to 17+, and buy them....
    That's what I did for a cheap set of 15' oem alloys....
    Then traded the 50% worn tires...sold the tpms and had the rims for...almost free!!
    Truth be told...I actually have 2 sets of 15's...one with snows and one with cheap all seasons...and my regular 16's uhp's.....just found light weight rims makes the mini so much fun I laugh when I see a mini on 17' s"lites"....biggest joke ever...makes the mini feel like a 18 wheeler compared to light 15 or 16' rims....
    Initially I did look at steel rims...actually put about 50 miles on a set...just too heavy...and getting the correct hub centers for steel rims can be hard...
     
  12. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

    Jan 25, 2010
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    Those are THE lightest 15' oem rim....
    Traction all comes down to rubber....
    Even a cheap winter tire will have more traction due to the rubber compounds used than a great all season....heck....my uhp tires are "ok" in the cold...but in even the d
    Lightest bit of freezing precipitation it becomes a white knuckle ride..even though they are "untra high performance" all seasons...in the dry or rain, they can give a set a summers a run for the money.....kick their butts below 50° or so...but more than a dusting of snow...becomes a event you do not want to duplicate!! The opposite of a mini on snow tires in the snow...that IS a blast!!!
     

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