9 replies to this topic

[ojannen]

I am finally getting my mini back together after a long time in pieces.  Tires are hard to come by in the US so I am putting together a big order from one of the UK dealers.  If I get a couple of sets from one of the UK vendors, it is cheaper to pay for a pallet than it is to buy tires with free shipping from US vendors.  Adding a few extra tires doesn't change the shipping cost so I am looking at a couple of specialty tires that I normally wouldn't buy.

 

I am planning on doing some light offroading with my mini.  Most of it will be on fire roads near me.  I am trying to avoid this situation on a muddy day where a standard tire turns into a slick.  That tire started life as an open pattern intermediate mud tire before it met the dirt soup.

 

Does anyone have a suggestion for a full mud tire?  I am not familiar with mini specific tire options because I normally only worry about 22.5" or 25" diameter tires.  Now that I am looking for sub 20" tires, I am afraid I am missing something.

 

I found the Maxsport Hakka 2.  It looks like a good tread pattern but only comes in 155/70 13,  2" taller than standard mini tires.  Is there a shorter tire that would work without cutting fenders?  I am setting up my car for 10" tires so I have lots of options.  I will be running at stock height with hi-los if I need adjustment.

[GraemeC]

Some options:

 

You can get the Hakka in 10":

https://www.minispor...rt-hakka-e.html

 

There is also the Kingpin:

https://www.minispor...rip-medium.html

 

And and 'intermediate' would be the Dunlop SP44 but price are going up then:

https://www.minispor...ermaster-e.html

 

 

 

In 12" you have the MaxSport RB1:

https://www.demon-tw...cB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Edited by GraemeC, 22 January 2021 - 03:50 PM.

[Ethel]

Maxsport RB1?

 

Available in 145/70/12 

[ojannen]

Is there anything with an open tread pattern like an Indysport BR or the Alpha Ultracross?  I am looking for something that will self-clear mud.  That Hakka and RB1s are already on in my shopping cart as intermediate tires.

I have never heard of Kingpin before.  Thanks for the information there.

[Cooperman]

Nothing like those to fit a Mini.

The choice is getting less & less as time passes.

[cadmonkey]

I spoke to Kingpin 18 months ago. They have stopped manufacturing tyres. I was after the Ultragrip pattern. As cooperman says there's not much of a choice now.

[ojannen]

I am going to try to stay with traditional sized tires as long as possible.  How big of a deal is it to fit the 22.5" diameter tires that are more popular?  Is it possible to go back and forth without giant fender gaps?

[nicklouse]

I am going to try to stay with traditional sized tires as long as possible.  How big of a deal is it to fit the 22.5" diameter tires that are more popular?  Is it possible to go back and forth without giant fender gaps?

That is big. Will it fit the rear without catching the radius arm? Could also be rubbing on the front panel and front foot well area. Most Minis don’t go over 20” and most run 19.5”

 

I am on 13”s with a 20” diameter.

[Spider]

To a point, depending on the wheel off-set, the sensible limit on a Mini is about 21-1/2" dia.

Pickings are slim.

I've found that there's many different types of 'mud' depending on what's in the soil and how wet it has been as well as how wet it is when driven on and that in itself can make a huge difference in what's effective and what's not going to help no matter what.

With some 'muds' the can have a high reactive loam or clay content. Great for growing stuff in but when it's wet (and it doesn't take much), there isn't a tyre in the world that's going to work, perhaps Tracks might. These soils can usually be identified but having a dark grey (or sometimes brown) to black appearance and it opens up with cracks in the ground when 'dry'.

I mention this, because the photo you've posted up has some fringe characteristics of that type of 'mud'.

 

Running road tyres on it you don't sink in it, but it does fill the tread becoming as you've mentioned a slick, though, carefully driven, you can still make progress with 'mud on mud' traction. Using an aggressive tyre  on these types of 'mud', firstly, you want to have loads of HP, and you need to run the tyres with a fairly hard pressure, but the issues is the aggressive pattern will quickly fill the wheel arches of a Mini, particularly the front ones but have no fear, the rears will also fill. At a certain point and before too long, the Rears will lock up from the mud build up and it's about then the fronts will be so full you won't be able to turn the wheels to steer. Running them at a lower pressure results in the same, only quicker.

[ojannen]

Thanks for the help everyone.  It looks like the Hakka 2s with half the tread blocks removed will be the ticket for the really ridiculous mud.  It isn't really fun to drive in those conditions but sometimes that is what you get.