Definitive JCW Brake Clearance and Wheel Fitment Thread

22395 Views 113 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Minimac, 13 d ago

Fivetones

Discussion Starter · Apr 6, 2022

I've searched the forum and we only have bits an bobs of information of info regarding fitting wheels over the JCW Brembo brakes. Pictures are also super important too (I'll share as I go along). I'm not talking 'good enough' fit here, the fit needs to be perfect and not poke beyond arches or foul on the arch when running low (I'm on ST XA coilovers).

I have a Cooper SE which I've fitted the JCW Brembo front brakes. I have two sets of wheels. Firstly, my winter wheels are the JCW track spoke Style 501 7x17 et54 with 205/45 Michelin Alpin tyres (these fit no probs as an OEM wheel).

I'd also bought Sparco Asseto Gara in 8x18 et48 - I'd assumed these fit but they don't clear (I tested last night). Even with a 5mm spacer they don't clear and then we're into ever so slight poke which will foul on the arch when low.

Can we build up a thread that people can find in a search please? If there is a thread please link to it.

Questions from me: which OZ aftermarket wheels fit perfectly? 8x18 et45? 7.5x18 better?

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J99CWW

· #61 · May 13, 2022 (Edited)

Fivetones said:
View attachment 78144

@Fivetones would you have few more pictures of the rear end from different angles? I can’t decide on wheels so I’m going to do what you’ve done, put spacers on. I’m thinking of 12mm Lohen ones. I want to get rid of the recessed wheel look, especially the rear one. I can see on the above photo yours fill in the wheel arches nicely! Just wanted to see few more angles to help decide if I should go with 15mm on the rear as you did and if it’s worth to put 215s on. Did you keep the 205 tyres or went any wider? I think based on the below one can push it as far as 225 with the 7J. I probably wouldn’t want to do that though.

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Fivetones

Discussion Starter · #62 · May 13, 2022

The wheels you see in the pic (the Style 501 Track Spokes) have 205/45 Michelin Alpin (as a winter tyre they might come up slightly wider for a 205). I have some Style 534 18s to go on and I chose 205 Michelin PS5 to go on them - pics to come when the tyres show up (they’ve just come out). I’m choosing 205s because I think they fit the arch better but mainly as the car is an EV and I want to balance rolling resistance with grip.

The car isn’t dialled in yet hence lack of pics but this might help:

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J99CWW

· #63 · May 13, 2022

Fivetones said:
The wheels you see in the pic (the Style 501 Track Spokes) have 205/45 Michelin Alpin (as a winter tyre they might come up slightly wider for a 205). I have some Style 534 18s to go on and I chose 205 Michelin PS5 to go on them - pics to come when the tyres show up (they’ve just come out). I’m choosing 205s because I think they fit the arch better but mainly as the car is an EV and I want to balance rolling resistance with grip.

The car isn’t dialled in yet hence lack of pics but this might help:

View attachment 78706
View attachment 78705

Thanks much @Fivetones

That looks spot on in my opinion - not too aggressive, still sits under the arches but fills them in nicely. Should have come out of factory like this. I think that's what I'm going to do - the 501s grew on me, this way I can keep them but get a nicer stance. I may put Eibachs on to lower mine a touch too.

Sounds like you have it all worked out - makes complete sense to stick with 205 for the range. Look forward to hear your feedback on PS5s and also seeing the 534s on - good choice, I think it will stand out nicely as there aren't many of them. Did you go for the black or grey ones?

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Fivetones

Discussion Starter · #64 · May 13, 2022

Thanks @J99CWW, the aim was a tweaked factory look.

The 534s have been refinished in a darker satin grey. They’re a nice wheel and are forged which makes them light and strong.

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BTB

· #65 · May 14, 2022

Fivetones said:
Are Team Dynamics still in business?

I talked to ECS, Team Dynamics is still in business but working with a minimal crew and has OEM contracts with Jag, Rover and VW that have backed them up. So the wheels for enthusiasts are a bit slow to roll out it seems.

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BTB

· #66 · May 14, 2022 (Edited)

These 17" x 7.5 NM Engineering 5 spokes are slowly growing on me, which I'm surprised by. They clear the JCW brakes and also work with the oem Mini center cap...
*pictured on F56 in followup post after this

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Fivetones

Discussion Starter · #67 · May 14, 2022

For the look remember that isn’t an F56.

BTB

· #68 · May 14, 2022

Fivetones said:
For the look remember that isn’t an F56.

Yeah I know I just used it as a decent shot of the wheels after a quick google..here's another though

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J99CWW

· #69 · May 15, 2022

Fivetones said:
Thanks @J99CWW, the aim was a tweaked factory look.

The 534s have been refinished in a darker satin grey. They’re a nice wheel and are forged which makes them light and strong.

Well you definitely achieved that 👍 I booked mine in with Lohen for spacers and springs so will copy your current set up.

Nice, I didn’t know they’re forged, that’s great, helps with unsprung weight! Good thinking. They’ll definitely look unique in custom paint.

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J99CWW

· #70 · May 15, 2022

BTB said:
Yeah I know I just used it as a decent shot of the wheels after a quick google..here's another though

They look very nice @BTB, very purposefull, not too open, just right 👍

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BTB

· #71 · May 15, 2022

J99CWW said:
They look very nice @BTB, very purposefull, not too open, just right 👍

They sort of snuck up on me, so they're on the list.

(Maybe its my subconscious love for the 997 with the 5 spoke wheels...)

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Kane90

· #72 · May 20, 2022 (Edited)

So here it is, finally got round to fitting the new wheels.
Sparco assetto gara 17 x 7.5 ET35 fitted with Good Year eagle F1 aysemetric 5 215/45 r17.

Yes they do poke a bit more then standard but fit absolutely fine. Personally I like the look of the wider track and glad I stuck with the 17" rims.
Here's a few before and afters.

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J99CWW

· #73 · May 21, 2022

Kane90 said:
So here it is, finally got round to fitting the new wheels.
Sparco assetto gara 17 x 7.5 ET35 fitted with Good Year eagle F1 aysemetric 5 215/45 r17.

Yes they do poke a bit more then standard but fit absolutely fine. Personally I like the look of the wider track and glad I stuck with the 17" rims.
Here's a few before and afters. View attachment 78809 View attachment 78808 View attachment 78810 View attachment 78807 View attachment 78811 View attachment 78816
View attachment 78815

Looks great - nice aggressive look 👍 They fill in the arches well and the wheels actually look bigger than 17”, well done. And thanks for plenty before/after pics!

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J99CWW

· #74 · May 26, 2022

J99CWW said:
Well you definitely achieved that 👍 I booked mine in with Lohen for spacers and springs so will copy your current set up.

Nice, I didn’t know they’re forged, that’s great, helps with unsprung weight! Good thinking. They’ll definitely look unique in custom paint.

Well, so much for my plans to put spacers and springs on... Got a bit dissapointed with Lohen's service level, so I scrapped that. Reached out to couple local tuners, but then felt a bit uneasy using a small shop on a brand new car, so steered back towards wheel upgrade. I know, someone will say I could have installed all the bits myself - trust me I can't 😁

Ordered 18x8 OZ Leggera HLTs in Gloss Black from www.wheelbasealloys.com. Fabulous service, highly recommended. They called within couple hours of me placing the order to iron out the spec. I ordered 225/40/18 Michelin Pilot Sports to go with the wheels and the first thing we needed to change was tyre profile. 205/40 is factory recommended for 18x7 wheel, so to keep the rolling radius as similar as possible, the 225 tyres on 18x8 wheels need to have 35 profile. Next was the offset and they recommended ET45 to clear the JCW BBK. Btw, if you were to go with the 17 inch Leggeras, the offset would need to be even more aggressive at ET35 according to OZ, due to the shape of the spokes on the inside apparently. I was really impressed by the guy on the phone, he definitely knew what he was talking about. Also he did say that JCW are the most difficult car to fit aftermarket wheels to 😁 So they happen to have a very intimate knowledge of what's required. The only downside was that the Michelin Pilot Sports don't come in 225/35/18. The choice was Bridgestone Potenza, Continental SportContact and Goodyear Eagle. Or I could have pushed the boat out to Michelin Pilot Super Sport, but the chap on the phone said any of the other three will do the job well at lower price - I found that refreshing from him, all I needed was a nudge to spend couple hundred more. One other thing I did spend extra on, was their TPMS sensors, which they'll fit and configure to work with my car.

So the final spec as per below. Will add photos as soon as they arrive

OZ Racing Leggera HLT 18x8 5x112 ET45
Continental SportContact 225/35/18 87W XL

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JCWNev

· #75 · May 26, 2022

J99CWW said:
Well, so much for my plans to put spacers and springs on... Got a bit dissapointed with Lohen's service level, so I scrapped that. Reached out to couple local tuners, but then felt a bit uneasy using a small shop on a brand new car, so steered back towards wheel upgrade. I know, someone will say I could have installed all the bits myself - trust me I can't

Ordered 18x8 OZ Leggera HLTs in Gloss Black from www.wheelbasealloys.com. Fabulous service, highly recommended. They called within couple hours of me placing the order to iron out the spec. I ordered 225/40/18 Michelin Pilot Sports to go with the wheels and the first thing we needed to change was tyre profile. 205/40 is factory recommended for 18x7 wheel, so to keep the rolling radius as similar as possible, the 225 tyres on 18x8 wheels need to have 35 profile. Next was the offset and they recommended ET45 to clear the JCW BBK. Btw, if you were to go with the 17 inch Leggeras, the offset would need to be even more aggressive at ET35 according to OZ, due to the shape of the spokes on the inside apparently. I was really impressed by the guy on the phone, he definitely knew what he was talking about. Also he did say that JCW are the most difficult car to fit aftermarket wheels to So they happen to have a very intimate knowledge of what's required. The only downside was that the Michelin Pilot Sports don't come in 225/35/18. The choice was Bridgestone Potenza, Continental SportContact and Goodyear Eagle. Or I could have pushed the boat out to Michelin Pilot Super Sport, but the chap on the phone said any of the other three will do the job well at lower price - I found that refreshing from him, all I needed was a nudge to spend couple hundred more. One other thing I did spend extra on, was their TPMS sensors, which they'll fit and configure to work with my car.

So the final spec as per below. Will add photos as soon as they arrive

OZ Racing Leggera HLT 18x8 5x112 ET45
Continental SportContact 225/35/18 87W XL

Nice

I love OZ Leggera HLT’s. Look forward to the pics

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J99CWW

· #76 · May 27, 2022

JCWNev said:
Nice I love OZ Leggera HLT’s. Look forward to the pics

Thanks @JCWNev, fingers crossed they'll look good 👍

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DoughBoy

· #77 · May 27, 2022

Does anyone have the torque specifications for the brake caliper brackets front and rear , I'm about to install my JCW BBK on my 2019 MCS , Thanks a million

J99CWW

· #78 · 11 mo ago (Edited)

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2
18 x 8J
5 x 112
ET40
73.1 bore (73.1 to 66.6 spigot ring required)
OEM bolts fit OK

Gave up on the OZ Leggeras in the end due to delays and cancelled my order earlier this week. Tried few shops, but available only on back order.

Bought these TDs instead. Demon Tweeks had them in stock, hence arrived next day. Trial fitted and there’s enough clearance - 5mm between the brake callipers and spokes at the tightest spot. This is same as with my OEM Track Spokes, hence feeling confident the fit is safe. Also just under 1.5cm clearence from the strut. Still not sure how will they sit under the arches once tyres are fitted - will get one tyre on and trial fit again to check. There are also ET45s available, but those will have pretty much no clearance at the brake callipers, and Demon Tweeks advised against them, saying they just about work with the pre LCI2s, but don’t clear on the latest cars.

They look amazing. I feel they’re a slightly better match to the car’s looks than the OZs so not too disappointed that I let those go. Maybe it’s just in my head since Mini fitted these to the Challenge cars, or maybe it’s the classic 12 spoke rally look…either way, lovely wheels. And they are incredibly light, just under 9kg per wheel. At 18in that’s pretty respectable.

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J99CWW

· #79 · 11 mo ago

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 18 x 8J ET40 and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 225/40/18

See below fitment with the tyre. There’s plenty of clearance all around, no rubbing anywhere. This is probably the widest and tallest tyre fitment you’d want, hence all the other reasonable options will clear too, i.e. 225/35/18, 215/40/18 and 205/40/18 (some tyre stretch with the last one though).

However, this fitment requires lowering as it doesn’t look right, car has a bit of a monster truck look, of course just a subjective opinion.

Also there is around 5mm poke on the ends and 3mm poke in the centre of the tyre when looking from above - the rim protector part of the tyre shows from under the wheel arch as can be seen in the last photo. It’s a shame that the ET45 is too tight around the big brake kit, as it would be an ideal flush fitment under the wheel arches.

I’m too much in love with the look of the wheels to let go so will try two more things. The car is getting Eibach 15-20mm lowering springs first week of August and I will trial fit 215/40/18 tyres. I don’t have practical experience with lowering, hence if any of you can provide feedback, it’d be most helpful - my guess is that since the shocks are angled, by lowering, the wheels will tuck under the wheel arches at least few mil? Adding a 10mm narrower tyre to that, I should be able to get rid of the 3-5mm poke? Also given the current fitment, I think there’s plenty of leeway and hence don’t expect any rubbing issues. Any feedback/thoughts are most welcome!

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Kaner

· #80 · 11 mo ago

On my car I've got the next setup:

F56 JCW
Lowered on JCW Pro coilovers

Wheels:
Sparco Pro Corsa 17 Inch 7.5J ET35 5x112 Dark Titanium

Tires:
Hankook Ventus 215/40/17

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