8 replies to this topic

[Cheeky_Benito]

Hi
I’m shortly to collect a 1993 Mini Sprite. It’s currently sporting the steel wheels with plastic hub caps - foul! I need to change asap but rather confused by the alloy wheel vs tyre size. I see they need to be 12” wheels, but what do the 5, 5.5 & 6 mean? Assume width and if so what would fit under the standard arches. Thanks!

[nicklouse]

Yes width. 
 

as to what fits it depends on the tyres you chose and what the ride height of YOUR car is.

 

often if anything is changed from factory spec you will need to trim metal Freon the front of the wing due to contact.

[Cheeky_Benito]

Thanks. I would like to do a direct swap with no modifications.

Will check the tyre sizes

[KTS]

for a direct swap you will need to know the width and offset of your existing wheels and find something that matches

 

a photo of your current wheels may help identify what those might be

[Lplus]

Hi
I’m shortly to collect a 1993 Mini Sprite. It’s currently sporting the steel wheels with plastic hub caps - foul! I need to change asap but rather confused by the alloy wheel vs tyre size. I see they need to be 12” wheels, but what do the 5, 5.5 & 6 mean? Assume width and if so what would fit under the standard arches. Thanks!

Standard 12 " steels are 4.5J (rim width (and shape?)) x 12  with ET of 35.  The standard alloys are the same.  On those rims you can probably get 165 width tyres and stay easily within the limits of the standard small wheel arch extension on the mini sprite.  Even 5J by 12 rims might be ok but the likes of the minilight 5 X 12  has an ET of 31 so sticks out a bit more.

[mab01uk]

Standard Minilite style alloy wheels as fitted to the Rover Mini Cooper from 1990 will fit within the standard plastic wheel arches which are the same on the Sprite and the Cooper. 145 x 12 tyres were the standard fit but later Coopers were fitted with 165 x 12 tyres on the same rims as an upgrade, which also fit within the arches. Thin spacers are available from Minispares and were fitted to some Rover Mini Coopers at the rear to allow some of the wider 165 tyres to clear the shock absorbers.

http://www.minispare...lassic/SR4.aspx

 

[Cheeky_Benito]

Thanks for all the help! I think I will go for 5x 12 minilight alloys with 165/60 hopefully will fit 😀

[Lplus]

Thanks for all the help! I think I will go for 5x 12 minilight alloys with 165/60 hopefully will fit

Make sure to check the overall diameter is close to the existing so the speedo reading is in the same ballpark

[roblightbody]

Hi
I’m shortly to collect a 1993 Mini Sprite. It’s currently sporting the steel wheels with plastic hub caps - foul! I need to change asap but rather confused by the alloy wheel vs tyre size. I see they need to be 12” wheels, but what do the 5, 5.5 & 6 mean? Assume width and if so what would fit under the standard arches. Thanks!

 

Each to their own as to whether that's foul or not, I think tis quite special looking now!  Hopefully someone with a non-Cooper that they're trying to make original will take them off your hands.