[jstines]

I saw this car in other post:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...&postid=236192

And I really liked the looks. Someone mentioned it was a Helo Bezel 18" wheel. I went looking and found this:



That's a Helo Bezel 358 8 Hole. That looks like what the Mini above is running to my eye. I also found this Mini Killer and it looks to have the same wheel.



I found the Helo Bezel running ~$160US for the 17" and ~$190US for the 18" wheel. That is sure cheaper than the R90's I was considering.

I know absolutely nothing when it comes to tires/wheels, except I know what I like in the asthetics dept. These fit the asthetics bill for me, but I don't want a very heavy wheel or one that will cause problems.

Any wheel experts out there care to help me out and tell me if these would work on a Mini, would they work with runflats, and anyone have any idea how much the 17" wheel weighs?

How do you like the looks? I'm looking at putting these on an all DS Cooper S.

Thanks,
JS

[DK23]

A shop in Newport Beach California, USA, Special Vehicle Concepts, did a MINI with 18" Helo Bezel. They said the fit was fine. I don't know how to post a photo here, but try this site.
http://www.minicooperonline.com/modu...ew_phot o.php

If this doesn't work, go to Modded Mini Gallery at the minicooperonline board. There is a series of photos of the car. I don't know the weight, and have not been able to find out, as I also was iterested in the wheel. I have found the Team Dynamics "Diablo" wheel to be really similar, and the weight of their 18" is 23lbs.
There is a photo of a red MCS with the Diablos on this board under the query about 19" wheels. Hope this helps.

[plaztik]

Hi all,

I have the Helo Bezel 18s with Yokohama Parada Spec-2 tires (215/35-18).

I was also concerned about this same issue, but took a chance based on aesthetics alone.

I am quite happy to report that even going to the 18, I saved 2 lbs. per corner over the stock S-Lite MINI Rims with the Pirelli Runflats. The performance difference was immediately noticeable once I put these wheels on. (I am running 36 psi in front and 39 psi in back, by the way.) If I understand this correctly, the 8 lbs. of unsprung weight I lost actually lightens the engine load 48 lbs (x6?).

I couldn't be happier with my setup, and I highly recommend both these wheels and tires.

The only other thing I can tell you about them is that I ordered MINI Wheel Badges to cover up the Helo emblem in the center cap. The MINI badges are too big for this center cap, so I went to an aftermarket auto parts shop and they were able to grind the badges down to size where they could fit. They look fantastic!!!

I'm working on pics. Sorry! I don't have a digital.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

- plaztik

2003 DS/B MCS

[jstines]

Quote:

The only other thing I can tell you about them is that I ordered MINI Wheel Badges to cover up the Helo emblem in the center cap. The MINI badges are too big for this center cap, so I went to an aftermarket auto parts shop and they were able to grind the badges down to size where they could fit. They look fantastic!!!

I'm working on pics. Sorry! I don't have a digital.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Thanks for the info, Plaztik. Please post the pics when you have them. I bet they look great.

JS

[Bilbo Baggins]

They look awfully heavy. IMHO. Even if the weight is slightly less, because the rim is larger in diameter it moves the mass of the rim/tire weight further away from the hub, therefore increasing the flywheel effect. Not the way to go.

[plaztik]

What about that huge weight from the runflat that is no longer there, Bilbo? If anything, the net weight center moved inward a bit.

The fact still remains, however, that it made a noticeable improvement in performance with the Helo/Yokohama setup over the stock S-Lite setup, which felt quite sluggish in comparison.

I didn't dyno this, but the change is significant enough not to need to.

[MissouriMini]

Can you get this wheel in a 16"? Any idea of cost for 16"?

[jstines]

The wheel comes in 16x7. Cost was ~$139 US.

See ya,
JS

[DK23]

Bilbo,
Weight alone is not the only consideration. By increasing wheel diameter you reduce tire sidewall height. Lower sidewalls will reduce flex and contact patch distortion and make significant gains in traction. Additionally, in many cases of very high performance tires such as the P-Zero Nero and the Yokohama, the 18" tires are considerably lighter than smaller diameter tires, pretty much evening out any flywheel effect you refer to.
IMHO, the Mini is about handling, not just acceleration, I think the 18" set up is indeed the way to go to maximize its cornering capabilies. Hartge (pretty highly respected) seems to agree, as their first new performace wheel developed for the Mini is 18".

Congrats on a nice set up Plaztik, I would love to see the photos.

[Bilbo Baggins]

DK23,

I agree that lower side walls are desirable for the reasons you mentioned. Lower aspect ratio tires are also available in 16" sizes. With the 215/40R16 or 215/35R16 you not only get the advantage of shorter sidewalls for more responsive steering you can use even lighter tires for less flywheel effect which that reduces the gyroscopic effect further enhancing rapid turn-in.

An additional advantage to the 16" combo is a smaller rolling diameter that reduces the overall gear ratio, enhancing acceleration. The smaller diameter also lowers the CG of the car, enhancing corning.

If you want to talk about handling, talk to Garfield. He is a wealth of information about getting better handling from a MINI.

[DK23]

You are certainly correct about the advantages of reducing the overall wheel / tire diameter by using lower profile tires on smaller wheels. However they come at the cost of higher engine revs at all speeds, and reduced top speed. This may or may not be an issue depending on what one wants from the car. My comments were assuming one would maintain the stock overall wheel / tire diameter .

Who is Garfield?

[plaztik]

Hi all,

I've gone and done it!! I FINALLY ordered a digital camera (decided on the Canon S330 Digital Elph).

It should be here within the week, so I'll have some pix up soon!

- plaztik

[jstines]

Great news on the camera, Plaztik. I'm really looking forward to seeing your MCS.

And I see you bought a mini camera for you MINI.
I had the first generation Canon Digital Elph (forget the model).

See ya,
JS

[plaztik]

Hey there!

I have posted my pics in My Personal Gallery.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

- plaztik