5 replies to this topic

[soggydoggy2k2]

Ok, I currently have a Mini City 1990 with 12" wheels. I am looking to buy new wheels without needing to cut any of the bodywork. What wheel sizes am I looking at as there are 5 x 12, 6 x 12 etc etc. Should I be looking at 5 x 12's for a standard swap like for like?
Also I hear there are 145 x 70 and 165 x 60 tyres. Will any 5 x 12 wheel take either of these tyre sizes without rubbing on the arches or anything?
I do not have sportspacks, just the standard rover arches.
Thanks, Kev.

[Bungle]

my 1990 cooper started life on 4 1/2 x12 rover mini lights and 145 tyres,
my next upgrade was 165 tyres but i had to put a small spacer on the rear wheels so that the wider tyres cleared the shocks .
next i bought 6x12 mini lights but this needed a small amount of metal removed from the front wing and gp 5 arches but was able to remove the spacers on the back .

[miniman5]

YO! i had 12x5's on mine see below, we brought some 12X6's deep dish ones and we cut about an inch out of the wing

[Guess-Works.com]

With anything more than a 5" wheel you are going to have to remove some metal, even if it's only the lip off the arch at the front. On some minis you may have to take more, and on some less, it's all to do with the fit of the wing, also wear in the suspension will cause the wheels to move further, so may also be a good time to look at the bushes, tierods etc...

IMO, 145's on 5" wheels look a bit daft, you'd be much better off with 165's. Just incase your worried about the tyre size changing the speedo reading there's only a very slight reduction in rolling distance between the 145 and 165 of approximately 1%

[Scarface]

right u can go to 6" wide in theory without body mods and without any offset, u will have to move up to 165 tyres really with atleast a 65 or less sidewall, also in order to gain a bit more clearance fit new rubber cones and make sure all othe susension componets are in good nick.
Im currently running 5X12" which catch by about 1cm at the front, however my tyres are just what came on the alloys whcih are 155/70/12 which work out larger than the oringal alloy I hade on If I drop them down to 165/55/12 yoko's Ill have a smaller diameter than original and also renew my cones then I should solve this problem.
Try to keep the diameter as close to what it was a possible than your gearing and speedo won't be out.

[The Roadie]

I uprgraded to 5x12 Wellers as I needed some better wheels and didn't want to take the car off the road to fit bigger rims (it just wouldn't get done, and I'd find something else to do on it, and get into a downward spiral that ended with me restoring a prefectly serviceable car).
Anyway I'm running 5x12 Wellers with 165/60R12 Falkens and i don't have any clearance issues at all. Its made a big difference to the handling of the car, grips the road so much better (also the steels had some cheap far easten remoulds on them) its a night and day difference, with only slightly heavier steering at parking speed the only drawback.