Competition Edition Wheel sizes

[works4me19]

Will 16" wheels fit the CE?

I bought my car in January 2008 and ended up with all-season tires for the remainder of the winter because there were no 17" tires available. I am buying winter wheels and tires this Friday so I get choice before all the tires go back east.

I would have to special order any 17" snow tires at about $250/tire OR I can try to find a 16" wheel that fits and then have my choice of hundreds of tires in about the $100 each range.

Since the wheels/tires won't go on the car until late October but will be bought now, if 16's somehow don't work in real life I'll be faced with no snows again this winter, not something I want to be without as winter road maintenance seems to have disappeared in Vancouver.

I think the only thing I have to worry about is the brake clearance but am unsure because of the other changes to the CE like suspension.

Suggestions? Advice?

[JCWCOMP62]

16" steel wheels will fit (get as narrow a rim as possible...no more than 7"... 6.5" if you can get them... narrower is better when it comes to snow tires)... steel because you're going to expose them to pot holes, salt, etc. etc... at the price they sell steels (and you don't have to by MINI/BMW steels either!), you should consider them disposable...

[faster,Tobias!]

Quote: Originally Posted by JCWCOMP62 (original)

16" steel wheels will fit (get as narrow a rim as possible...no more than 7"... 6.5" if you can get them... narrower is better when it comes to snow tires)... steel because you're going to expose them to pot holes, salt, etc. etc... at the price they sell steels (and you don't have to by MINI/BMW steels either!), you should consider them disposable...

Do you have 16" steels on your CE? I was under the impression that the steel rims will not fit over the brakes on the R56 Cooper 'S', which are the same size has the R53 JCW brakes. If they do that would be some useful information. I know that some 16" alloys will fit because the outside face of the rim is flatter and doesn't curve in like a steel rim.

[JCWCOMP62]

Let me clarify... I haven't actually put 16" steels on my CE... but was told by the dealer that 16" would fit... having said that, I hadn't considered the possibility that steels would have a different/deeper curvature on the tire plane... best to actually get one and check... sorry if I've provided misinformation.

[faster,Tobias!]

No, that's all good! Thanks for the clarification...

[works4me19]

Thanks guys.

I put off the tires/wheels until this coming Friday so I don't have to make a special trip. I can go to my tire guy after my visit to MINI for some warranty work as National Tire is on the way home. Saves some mileage.

Anyway, I spoke to the ex-parts manager of MINI Richmond and he says that there are only two 16" of the MINI line-up that will fit the CE, which came with 17". Both of the styles that fit are similar to the stock wheels. They are spoke-type. I told my tire guy and he is putting a list together of possible rims. Looks like I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at the tire shop this Friday as we'll have to actually put the wheeels on the car to check clearance. It doesn't help that there are only a few brands that will fit. I have my eye on some black Koenig with a thin red band. Would look amazing on the car and, if I remember correctly, they are spoke-type. Hopefully, we only have to try one set and hit pay dirt.

What I have decided is: if the 16" are the least bit questionable, I will bite the bullet and buy the more expensive wheels/tires. If we find a 16" that is an obvious fit, then I get off cheap. Ideally I want it all - the look I want and the fit and the price.

I'll keep you posted.

[works4me19]

The 16" wheels that I really wanted fit the car. We had a second choice that no one in the tire shop really liked. So, all 4 tires were mounted on the new rims and mounted on the car. The car was then taken for a test drive that featured speed bumps, left and right turns, rough roads. Everything performed beautifully with no signs or sounds of binding/rubbing. So, off go the winters, on go the summers and the winter set of 4 is being stored by the tire shop until I get them mounted in late October.

Saved a heap of money not having to buy 17". Could have saved another $30/tire if I had gone with 195's instead of 205's but I didn't feel comfortable losing that extra 1/4" of clearance. I have enough trouble now.

Went with 16" FRD253. Matte black with a thin red band. Very aggressive-looking. Now I really won't be able to pass a cop without being speed clocked.

[faster,Tobias!]

That's a very nice look!