Best 17" tyre for R90's on a Cooper?

[aphix]

Depending on how things pan out before delivery of my Mini this week, i am considering replacing the 17" S-lites with 17" R90 X-bolts.

I have searched through this forum but all the advice is confusing.

I have seen the Goodyear Eagle F-1 DS-G3's seem to come out quite well, are there any good alternatives i should consider from Toyo, or Pirelli?

I dont want run flats, just the best possible grip and control in the dry and wet

Whats the best size of tyre on the 17" R90's, for a Cooper allowing for Lowering springs in a few months without rubbing.

What has worked for you?

Thanks!
Rob

[Poisonedwell]

Go with either 205/45/17 or 215/40/17 size

I'd personally reccomend the:
Yokohama AVID V4 (high-performance all season)
Bridgestone Potenza S-O3 Pole Position (max performance summer only)
Yokohama AVS ES100 (max performance summer only)

Check out these links for more info:
1
2

[aphix]

Hey

Obviously its personal preference, but what are the positives/negatives of having a taller sidewall?

Could i go 205/45/17 and drop it later 1-1.5" without any rubbing, or is a 40 safer?

Ideally it would have to be all season, i dont really want to swap my wheels between seasons.

Rob

[MINIAC]

The Toyo Proxes 4 (Ultra High Performance) and Falken Ziex ZE-512 (High Performance) are two all-season tires that are available in the four sizes listed in the FAQ.

[Poisonedwell]

Quote: Originally Posted by aphix

Hey

Obviously its personal preference, but what are the positives/negatives of having a taller sidewall?

Could i go 205/45/17 and drop it later 1-1.5" without any rubbing, or is a 40 safer?

Ideally it would have to be all season, i dont really want to swap my wheels between seasons.

Rob

If you want to be able to use your wheel/tire combo throughout the year and live in a climate which gets snow/ice then definitely go with the all-seasons. I've used the Yokohama AVID V4's through summer and winter and have never had a problem. The taller sidewall will give you a slightly softer ride but not by that much. I would reccomend the 205/45/17 since it is the size BMW chose to go with and will still give pleanty of grip .

[aphix]

Sounds good to me, and you think i can still lower it using a set of Alta springs?

Its only 1.5" at the front and 1" at the back

Rob

[Poisonedwell]

Quote: Originally Posted by aphix

Sounds good to me, and you think i can still lower it using a set of Alta springs?

Its only 1.5" at the front and 1" at the back

Rob

Actually, I'm not too familiar with Mini suspension tuning, I'm more of a Honda expert when it comes to suspension. Check out the suspension section and you should get some ideas about what springs to use. I'd say a modest 1"-1.5" drop won't be a problem but again, don't take my word for it since I haven't actually tuned a Mini yet (but I will soon )

[nonsequitur]

Check the tire weight difference too, because you'll want to take off anything possible to gain back some braking and acceleration performance.

[aphix]

nonsequitur; How exactly do you mean?

Thanks guys
Rob

[nonsequitur]

Rotational mass (essentially the weight of the tires) is a very significant factor in acceleration and braking. Bigger, heavier tires are importantly slower.

This is why you see the rallycross guys running the strong and very light R81 (12.0lb) 7-hole wheels and the much lighter tires versus R90 cross-spoke (24.1lb). The R81 combo can be 26lbs or so, while the R90 may be 50lbs per corner.

Contact patch shape is very different depending on wheel size, and grip is determined by the tire design and compound, but the actual size of the contact patch is determined by the corner weights of the car not the wheels.

[aphix]

Geez, thats a huge differnce in weight.. would looking at the 40 over the 45 be a better idea if i was trying to compensate for the weight?

I like firm sporty rides (obviously not bone shattering) but i do like to feel the road.

Is there an "ideal" weight for each corner?

Rob

[devilsushi2000]

Pirelli pzero assemetricos!!

[nonsequitur]

Try this link as one step in your research:
MCS 0-60mph times?

MINI2 is a wonderful resource because people do share their experiences here, and we can all learn important facts that translate directly into our own decisions. The "Search" function will help you here. Don't limit yourself to just MCS threads either.

It all comes down to what you want, and what type of performance and appearance are important, to you. The big wheels look good and have other benefits, but they can rob significant objective performance.