19 replies to this topic

[slack]

Thanks guys for your help.

 

My handling are great now. Two weeks ago i made some mods in my suspension and geometry and now it's great. The only thing it's the road holding...

 

Next mods will be archs out, some 4.5'' wheels, check again the suspension and geometry and i think will be good.

 

Sadly we see MANY people wanting to know all about fitting wider wheels and tyres. Maybe they will read this thread and think more carefully. It doesn't just apply to Minis by the way!

Over-wide wheels belong in the same place as Mini coil spring conversions, the metal recycling facility at your local dump.

A Mini with 10" wheels that fit in the normal bodywork and with all other appendages present and correct handles sweetly and looks magnificent, compared to some of the more bloated monstrosities that we have seen. I think that Alex, who was an engineer through and through, and managed rather well without an army of stylists, got it about right, albeit the later tail lamps look better, although that last point will be debated fiercely elsewhere. Each to his own, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

tiger99 for me the best mod that i made in my mini are the coil springs from minitastic, but i have some friends that don't like coil springs...

[Cooperman]

Whilst different springs from the original design may come towards the springing requirement, they can never be better overall than the rubber cone springs, because that is how the car should be and the non-linear rising rate of the rubber springs is exactly right.

For competition use a slightly different rubber cone with a higher initial rate is obtainable.

[tiger99]

The fact remains that the wet grip of any type of tyre is reduced if you make it wider. The rate of clearance of water is only of importance if there is lots of it, and will affect how fast you can go before aquaplaning. But wide tyres are poor even with a very thin film of water, that is nowhere near to filling the grooves.

[Cooperman]

The fact remains that the wet grip of any type of tyre is reduced if you make it wider. The rate of clearance of water is only of importance if there is lots of it, and will affect how fast you can go before aquaplaning. But wide tyres are poor even with a very thin film of water, that is nowhere near to filling the grooves.

Quite true for any given tread pattern. But different tread patterns will change the wet grip. A more open pattern at, say, a 165 section may have more wet grip than a closer pattern 145 section.

 

The big problem comes with the ultra-wide low-profile tyres seen as a 'styling statement' which have poor wet grip due to insufficient contact pressure to squeeze the water out from the treads. 

[mab01uk]

As said each to his own, I do like a factory standard Mini and am no great fan of the 7x13" look from more recent times.......but a road going Mini can handle very sweetly and look magnificent on up to 6" wide 10" wheels if properly set up, my road going Mini is superb to drive on 6x10 Minilites with Dunlop R7 tyres and of course my late brothers Miglia racer below would not have been a front runner in the Mini Miglia championship without its extra wide 10" wheels and slicks!

 

 

My Japanese export spec. Minilite Mk 11 6x10 alloys with deeper dish ET-15 offset and fitted with Japanese Dunlop R7 Road/Race 165/70x10 tyres with the classic 1960's Dunlop CR65 tread pattern.

 

 

Also love these very expensive J A Pearce Engineering’s wheels with optional spinners below!

 

 

Edited by mab01uk, 17 May 2017 - 06:49 PM.