will gettin smaller wheels help make my ride more comfy?

ianbar0

i have 17" rims on my mini. plus run flat tyres which soon i am going to change too standard tyres because the ride is too hard etc. just wondering if dropping a size to say 16" rims will help with the ride? im sure i read somewhere it would but cant remember. hope you can help, ta

Cool_Username

I don't think that the size of the wheels will make much difference - smaller cars have smaller wheels and don't have the same quality of ride as big cars with big wheels - I think you're onto the right track with changing the tyres to 'normal' ones rather than the run flat type since they are known to make the ride a bit hard.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Its more often than not the size of the tyrewall that dictates such comfort. If you dropped to 16 inch, you'd have bigger sidewalls, and a softer ride.

Runflats are pretty uncomfortable. I'd put normal tyres on, and a spacesaver spare in the boot (if there's room)

neilmcl

Have you got room for a spare though?

missile

We had a mini with chilly pack, i.e. uprated suspension and low profile tyres. Loved the car, but the ride was so bad we sold it. My wife's niece has just bought a standard mini and the ride is far better.

So yes, I would suggest standard wheels and tyres is the way to go.

Cool_Username

The new minis just have a can foam I think instead of a spare wheel.

Shimrod

Does your mini have sports or standard suspension? I had a BMW with sports suspension & 18" wheels, the car I have now has standard (SE) suspension & 17" wheels, and it's a much more comfortable ride even though the car has run flats.

neilmcl

Cool_Username wrote: »

The new minis just have a can foam I think instead of a spare wheel.

Not much need if they have runflats.

Cool_Username

neilmcl wrote: »

Not much need if they have runflats.

Not in this case, but not all new minis have run flat tyres so they still require a can of foam - chances are all the cars come out of the factory with cans of foam so that the cars are still legal if the customer replaces the run flat tyres with standard ones.

mark5

I replaced my runflats on my Cooper with normal tyres and it did make the ride quieter but its still very firm compared to many other cars, its got the sports plus suspension standard with Chilli Pack.
I've got 195/55x16 Goodyear Excellence on mine which is a nicer ride than the 17's due to the higher profile tyre wall. I was originally running 35psi all round for about a year but have dropped to 30 now without any visable effect on the tread wear and this has also helped soften the ride a little I think.

I keep a 500mm can of Holts Tyre Weld in the boot, you need the 500mm can not the smaller cheaper 400mm one due to 16"+ wheels. Its about a tenner in Halfords. I bought a matching alloy on e bay it come with a legal tyre which I keep in the garage as a second back up which i would get someone to collect for me if need be.

Inactive

Just buy a decent car in the first place, for a lot less money.;)