2nd Gen R55 Clubman Most liked posts in thread: Easy, Necessary Mods to 2011 Clubman S?

1. Ditch the runflats, get real tires.

2. Get a spare, our wonderful site sponsors have neat little spare kits.

3. Ditch the runflats, get real tires. - Just in case you didn't see it the first time.

 

Yes get a spare
MINI Spare Tire Wheel - Way Motor Works

Ditch the runflats

The Scangauge gives you vital info that you have no gauges for.

Then decide what YOU want the car to do better and we'll build mods for that.

 

BMW/Mini recommends a long oil change interval solely to keep perceived costs of operation low to perspective buyers and to cost BMW/Mini less during the 3 year/36K mile free services. This is not in your best interest if you want to keep the car for a long time. When I got my 2009 S Clubman at 22,500 miles, it had been serviced by Mini at their recommended intervals and had deposits that could be seen though the oil fill hole. I changed the oil immediately, ran that for 4000 miles, and changed it again. I see no visible deposits now, but some cleaning is still taking place as the oil has turned quite dark in just 1200 miles. I will change it again at 30,000 miles and most likely every 5,000 miles thereafter, as fresh oil is cheap insurance. Turbocharged engines tend to be quite hard on oil.

The other thing I would recommend is a SN rated oil over Mini branded oil (which is SL rated and was current 2 certifications ago.) Mobil 1 0W40 is approved by BMW (LL01 certified.) 0W doesn't mean it is a thin oil, but it does indicate that it has excellent cold flow characteristics- the oil will flow easily within the engine when the engine is cold or when it is cold outside. Most engine wear takes place upon cold starts, so an oil that flows quickly is a good thing.

As far as the heat shield, it definitely applies to your car. I have read that the hood scoop will deform over time due to heat from the turbo. The shield is designed to prevent this. I have also read that Mini installs the shield along with scoop replacement should the scoop deform under warranty. It is easy to install- put the anchors in the holes in the hood, fit the shield, and use the supplied plastic screws to secure the shield to the underside of the hood. Again, cheap insurance.

 

:cornut: While you're trashing the Heavy Run Flats, remember that factory MINI light weight wheels weigh ~24lbs each! Get 14-16lbs light after market wheels to go with the light weight non run flat tires and you'll have dumped about 72 lbs of unsprung weight which will improve your suspension performance by a considerable amount. Going the other way and spending money on suspension upgrades will cost more(parts and labor if not done by yourself) and you wouldn't get those nice after market wheels.

Jason

 

Welcome to M/A!

You can get everything you need here.... Highly recommended!

R55: 08+ Clubman - MINI Cooper Accessories :: MINI Cooper Parts :: OutMotoring

 

^ Correct you are.

 

:cornut: I have OZ Allegerettes that weigh 14lbs each and are very sturdy, unseen pot holes and all. They come in silver, black, and various other colors and the powder coat paint does not chip or flake even after 50kmi on my Margi(08 R56 MCS/JCWm). They're not cheap however at ~ $300 each but then again one gets what one pays for and 50kmi at speed on every flavor of road and never a problem well, I've certainly gotten my money's worth and a tighter more responsive suspension too boot. You may get them at 'The Tire Rack.' Around here(North Central Texas) certain select Discount Tire Stores will get those wheels and good tires installed for one at a discount if one is a member of a local MINI Club. Put one of the old tires on an old wheel and one has a ready REAL spare.

Jason

 

Though heavy, I don't think that the run flats ride bad at all.

I am going to wear mine out, before I switch to standard tires and new wheels. The reason being weight savings, rather than ride quality.

Dave

 

You can also check what the weight of your car's wheels are by using this FAQ at a British Mini forum:

MINI Cooper Forum - MINI2 Mini Cooper Forums - FAQ & DIY: Wheels and Tyres

When researching what wheels to order with my new car, Mini provided me with the following weights that aren't shown on that page:
17" Conical Spoke Light Alloy Wheels - 10kg (22.0lb)
17" MINI Yours Twin Blade Spoke Alloy Wheels - 10.1kg (22.2lb)
17" Infinite Stream Spoke Light Alloy Wheels - 10.8kg (23.8lb)

The ranges of weights of OEM wheels at different diameters makes interesting reading:
15": 12.0-15.7lb
16": 17.4-20.9lb
17": 20.4-25.1lb
18": 19.8-25.4lb

The odd one out, 19.8lb for an 18" wheel, is from the GP which shows that BMW know to provide light wheels sometimes. But the 25.1lb 17" wheel is the ever-popular S-spoke (sometimes laughingly called S-lite).

 

As others have said, the run flat tires pretty much suck. My issue with them is that they are very loud, making the interior noisy at speeds as low as 40 MPH. I'll be wearing mine out before replacement, though.

One thing no one has mentioned is a turbo heat shield. They range all over the place as far as price. The one below is inexpensive and is a factory Mini part.

MINI Cooper Retrofit Gen 2 "S" Heat Shield

The only other thing I can suggest (I am new to Minis and still learning myself) is to change the oil at 1200-1500 miles, and then again at 5000-7500 miles and 5000-7500 mile increments thereafter. The 10K-15K increments that Mini recommends are simply far too long for someone that wants their engine to last a long time. Turbocharged engines are very tough on oil and break down the additives in the oil very quickly. Stick with the factory Mini oil filter. it is built very well and is very reasonably priced.

 

We've had some good oil change interval discussions here. For the most part people remember that there is a lot of opinion and that if someone wants to change their oil early, it's their money. Just as if they want to change it on MINIs recommendations, it's their money when the engine goes pop too.

ANyway...just a some food for thought here...

Back in March all new MINIs delivered after April 1 have a reduced oil change interval. It dropped from 15K to 10K miles. The engine did not change. The quality of oil did not change. Was it done to placate those that felt 15K or more was too long, or is it a quiet admission that the 15K was just a wee bit to long for this engine.

Just a data point to use in your internal discussion on when to change your oil.

 

The front doesn't go flat, it may not fit over certain brake packages such as a Big Brake kit or the JCW brakes.

 

The donut spare will not fit over the front brakes on an R56 or R55 MCS. What you would need to do in case of a front flat is put the donut on the rear & the rear tire on the front to replace the flat. Hope that makes sense.

 

Oil turning dark in a very short time is normal. Darkness can't be used as an indicator of the oil or engine condition. You need to have the oil analyzed if you want to know.