Winter tyres
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Can't get a steel to fit over the JCW callipers, MINI in Belgium have tried with theirs and you're stuck with a 17" alloy if you want a smaller/cheaper set.
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There are a couple in the F56 range that fit, I'm looking for non-OEM ones at the moment, but you need a fairly big "offset" (ET45 I think) and the internet is a nightmare for searching...
Also, Mini suggest a 185 section tyre fro winter but these fit nicely into an uncommon, and thus expensive, tyre size. I'm going for something wider and more common. Narrow is better for snow, wider is better for "poor conditions" so I think for Belgium and South UK where I live, I don't mind going wider...
I'll look at my notes in a bit and get back to you.
Also, Mini suggest a 185 section tyre fro winter but these fit nicely into an uncommon, and thus expensive, tyre size. I'm going for something wider and more common. Narrow is better for snow, wider is better for "poor conditions" so I think for Belgium and South UK where I live, I don't mind going wider...
I'll look at my notes in a bit and get back to you.
From the parts list, the two options are:
Narrow winter tyres - DoubleSpoke 510 (17x5.5) wheel with 185/50-17 tyre
Wide winter tyres - TrackSpoke501 (17x7) wheel with 205/45-17 tyre
I've driven in northern UK winters on 175, 195 and 205 tyres and I reckon we never get snow deep enough to warrant using a narrow winter tyre. Putting down the power of a JCW on a wet road (it doesn't snow all winter!) on 185 winter tyres must be a nightmare.
Narrow winter tyres - DoubleSpoke 510 (17x5.5) wheel with 185/50-17 tyre
Wide winter tyres - TrackSpoke501 (17x7) wheel with 205/45-17 tyre
I've driven in northern UK winters on 175, 195 and 205 tyres and I reckon we never get snow deep enough to warrant using a narrow winter tyre. Putting down the power of a JCW on a wet road (it doesn't snow all winter!) on 185 winter tyres must be a nightmare.
I'm swapping my Cooper for a JCW in 3 weeks time. I've currently got a set of winter wheels and tyres with BMW ready to go on. I bought them for my Cooper as a pretty straight swap for the 17's that are on the car during the summer. I did notice when they were on the Cooper that they were particularly skinny tyres though. I was planning on putting them on the JCW pretty quickly but I'm now concerned that they may not be up to the JCW's expectations regarding grip! Has anyone in the UK obtained a price for the 205's on spoke alloys?
Less than the price of a whole car, but not by much, I'm guessing. In reality, over £2,000 unless your dealer really does 'do deals'.
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Couldn't agree more. My Audi has 275's on and I've never struggled with winter boots, even going up a few snowy alps! Granted it's quattro but it still does the job (passed a few struggling range rovers too
)I'm shortly planning on buying some Michelin cross climates as my winters (Spring/Autumn etc)
Issue is they are only available as 225/45/17 or 205/50/17 in anything like mini spec,
The wheels I have in mind should also clear any BBK including the JCW kit. (7.5 x 17. Et 43)
Watch this space, as should be around 1k all in
Issue is they are only available as 225/45/17 or 205/50/17 in anything like mini spec,
The wheels I have in mind should also clear any BBK including the JCW kit. (7.5 x 17. Et 43)
Watch this space, as should be around 1k all in
In the UK, I can't see what benefit all-seasons bring - it's a shame to give up the ice protection that proper winters provide, which is their really big advantage over summers or all-seasons. Getting about on snowy roads is nice, but not really a game-changer, as those roads are still jammed up with people skidding/stranded on summers.
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Very true. I put winter tyres on first purely because the Gendarmerie wouldn't let me up the mountain to the ski resort without them or chains fitted. Chains are a pain in the bum (even with my Thule Summit jobbies) and I found that winters + quattro gave me phenomenal control in pretty much all conditions, so they became a habit.
Here in Belgium, it's very rare to see a car without winter tyres on so when it does snow the roads keep moving pretty well. It's not law, but I get the impression it is "frowned upon" not to fit them. Belgium can, surprisingly, have pretty extreme winters!
Considering the revenue/tax it would raise, I'm surprised they're not law in the UK! Still, give the Daily Mail a few weeks and they probably will be...
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Those tyre sizes are going to put your speedo way off no? Not sure 225's will fit either...
our winters are so marginal and unpredictable that its very hard for an individual driver to make a choice. we had two back to back winters with significant snowfall about 7-8 years ago but other than that we can easily go a full winter and not see any at all. what is unpredictable for us, & harder to detect, is ice. even without ice, temperatures are generally below the 7c advised limit where winter compounds become more effective.
before those two winters you would be hard pressed to find any supplier with winter tyre stock in the UK, & people were scoffed for being 'soft' if you even mentioned them. since then they have become much more widely available & accepted. the new michelin all seasons are the first attempt by a major to bridge the gap for our marginal conditions but i think they only offer the worst of both worlds & none of the benefits.
i had a MX-5 through those two winters and put winters on as it wouldn't even look at snow. they were a revelation & i put them on every winter for 5-6 months. i haven't bought any for the mini as last winter was relatively mild with little or no snow or ice, plus the mini is a far more predictable drive in marginal conditions.
its one of those decisions that lies with the individual & their level of confidence in the car & likely conditions - and the need to travel in them
I would also stress that whether or not to use winters depends on where you drive. For the typical suburban driver, who almost never drives on roads that aren't gritted and/or ploughed, winters aren't justified. But if you regularly go 'off grid' on country roads that don't get gritted, then winters can be a lifesaver - or more likely a 'wing saver', as they will help avoid those little (but expensive) visits to a hedge from not being prepared for a bit of black ice.
Some will say that a careful driver would not be caught out, but never cornering above 20mph for several months of the year isn't that realistic.
But it would be worth saying that winters won't enable an inexperienced driver to drive 'normally' on ice or snow - skill is still needed for grip levels below those of a wet road and controllable skidding will still occur. Indeed that is one of the nice things about winters - they behave like really old school tyres used to, with some sliding happening at speeds well below the maximum they can deal with.
Some will say that a careful driver would not be caught out, but never cornering above 20mph for several months of the year isn't that realistic.
But it would be worth saying that winters won't enable an inexperienced driver to drive 'normally' on ice or snow - skill is still needed for grip levels below those of a wet road and controllable skidding will still occur. Indeed that is one of the nice things about winters - they behave like really old school tyres used to, with some sliding happening at speeds well below the maximum they can deal with.
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After finally getting winter tyres last year on my current car (My MINI is on it's way over to Canada!), there is no way I wouldn't get winter tyres, certainly in Canada. Having lived in the UK, they might not be as necessary, but probably way up north I'd definitely consider them.
I'm coming at this from a different angle
Having spent a vast amount cash creating a 285 bhp mini (r53) I was keen to be able use most of that performance for 11 + months of the year, so for the last car I had a mix of nokian wrA3 and Yokohama Ad08r as you suggest best of both worlds all 215/45/17
It made sense to me to run 2 sets of rims, As I live on a hill on the edge of the Cotswolds and 2 changes a year the rims soon become free, and as both sets of tyres last twice as long due to the rotation thats then budget neutral using man maths
I'm currently in 2 minds with the f56 to follow the same path, or just run the cross climates, or those and a mid range summer tyre
The 225 work according to a few guys who have them in the states, 1.5mph under read at 60mph or around 2% is not an issue in my eyes
Having spent a vast amount cash creating a 285 bhp mini (r53) I was keen to be able use most of that performance for 11 + months of the year, so for the last car I had a mix of nokian wrA3 and Yokohama Ad08r as you suggest best of both worlds all 215/45/17
It made sense to me to run 2 sets of rims, As I live on a hill on the edge of the Cotswolds and 2 changes a year the rims soon become free, and as both sets of tyres last twice as long due to the rotation thats then budget neutral using man maths
I'm currently in 2 minds with the f56 to follow the same path, or just run the cross climates, or those and a mid range summer tyre
The 225 work according to a few guys who have them in the states, 1.5mph under read at 60mph or around 2% is not an issue in my eyes
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