Tires (Summer/Winter/All-Season)

hi so just make sure i understand this.. my SE will come with the electric edition but if i decided to use a set of 16" tires for winter.. i can use a set of my original mini 16" rims that still sitting in my garage today and get blizzak tires and put those on for winter driving and will be fine?

thanks

 

Assuming you have the 5-hole 16" MINI rims, the 195/55R16 tires will have the same diameter as the 205/45R17 tires, so your odometer and speedometer will register the same numbers. The narrower tires and lighter rims will reduce the hit your winter tires will take on your range.

 

Thanks. This is what I have. 5 holes! Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

I have 8 of those Loop Spoke rims for my SE. I really like their look. You'll have to decide if you want to pop for $80-$100 to get the Energetic Yellow-striped center caps like I did. I bought 4 new ones for $100 and 4 unboxed, new-looking ones on eBay for $80. You could also transfer them from Power Spoke to Loop Spoke.

 

Thanks! Things I didn’t think about! I will look into it. Good idea to show off being an electric mini!
So Costco tires or discount tires can work on swapping these tires no problem right? Shouldn’t be any different than any other car?!
Anything I should be aware of? This is my first experience with EVs. Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

The only benefit I know of from the pandemic is being able to sit in my SE and watch close-up while Discount Tire (founded in Ann Arbor, BTW) swapped my winter tires onto the used Loop Spoke rims I bought that came with summer tires.

The Power Spoke rims, however, present tire shops with a balancing problem because they are asymmetrical. The cover has an arm that extends away from the center. The cover must be removed to put the rim onto the wheel-balancing machine. As one unhappy British SE owner discovered, after reinstalling the asymmetrical cover, the balancing performed without the cover is no longer valid and he experienced unwelcome deal-breaker wheel vibration.

The MINI Cooper SE's designers had to create a special accessory to make balancing possible. I believe the accessory should have been included so SE owners wouldn't have to go to a MINI dealer to get their tires changed. Fortunately, the accessory can be purchased. I waited for an online BMW/MINI parts vendor sale and got mine for about $21. The accessory clips onto the rim to simulate the weight of the asymmetrical arm of the cover. The bottom-right photo below has a phantom cover overlaid over the inside of the rim to show its position.



I would like to retract something I wrote earlier. After looking at the Power Spoke cover, I see that the center cap is much more difficult to remove than when it's mounted on any other MINI rim. So I wouldn't suggest trying to transfer them from the Power Spoke covers.

 

Wow! Thank you so much!
So to buy list:

New covers for winter tire rims
Clips for balancing the power spoke rims
Blizzak tires to go with my 16” rims for winter driving

I know I might be ahead of myself here, car literally just went into production this week haha


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

You need only one of the Power Spoke rim-balancing accessories; the tire-balancing specialist will clip it to the rim being balanced. You can see the part number in the upper-left photo of my collage.

 

Yes! Meant to say clip! Singular. Makes sense. Thanks again


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

Yikes. There seems to be very few options at this tire size. I think I will pass.

 

New member here but I have my 16" loop spoke wheels for sale with some great tires on it.

 

10 mm spacer set delivered. Now I need to order tires!

 

How much do these spacers and attachment accessories weigh?

 

12 oz per spacer, 15 oz per wheel for the extended lugs (but not sure how much the existing lugs would offset that 15).

 

Glad I waited a few days to pull the trigger on the set of Continental Pure Contact LS tires! Today I checked Discount Tire Direct again and the tires were still $133 each, but they have a "Flash Sale" for $110 off a set of 4, free shipping and the certificates are about $6 cheaper per tire. Still have a $70 mail in rebate and maybe an extra $60 rebate from Discount Tire! Paid $527 for the set with certificates! Yeah, I'll have to pop another $100 or so for mounting, but that still beats the price I was looking at last week of $688 for the same. And maybe another $60 less for using my Discount Tire credit card if the unclear extra rebate applies!

EDIT: The flash sale at Discount Tire Direct is today and tomorrow only and is for $25 - 110 off a set of 4 tires. If you were considering DT, also shop DTD for sometimes better deals, as long as you are OK getting the tires delivered to your house and you take them to your shop for mounting (DT or another shop).

No affiliation with DT or DTD. Just passing along some savings info!

Rob

 

Great video (as always) from Tyre Reviews comparing Michelin Summer VS UHP All Season VS Winter Tires on snow:

 

Just installed the 205 55 R16 CrossClimate2 tires for the winter months. No fitment issues. Initial impressions are positive.

 

Those are some serious looking treads! I’d love to hear how they affect your efficiency and how they handle in slick conditions.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

Oh, they look totally crazy! I was surprised to find that noise/comfort are actually very good. You really hear the rubber when accelerating hard, but otherwise it's muted. I wonder if the contact patch spreads out under load. There is an Engineering Explained video on it.

Definitely a step down in terms of fun and handling, but it should be secure in all sorts of weather. I will update on efficiency and slick conditions once we get more time with them.