mini cooper

[cecat90]

I was wondering if the mini cooper wheels fit on an e30...they come in 4x100pattern, I dont know what offset they have though, and if it would be possible? ...just wondering


hope this is not a..

[GaryE30]

They do fit. They're a high offset wheel, so you're going to want to buy some spacers.

[cecat90]

dang that was fast.
what size spacers would be needed?

[N2MYE30]

I think they look good. I think the hub is a different size though.

[ethirdy]

Centerbore on MINI wheels - 56.1MM

Centerbore on E30 hubs - 57.1MM

Offset on MINI wheels - Something crazy like 45MM or something.

Easiest way to make MINI wheels fit on an E30 is to get spacers that aren't hubcentric, so they'll fit without boring out the center of the MINI wheels.

[GaryE30]

Centerbore on MINI wheels - 56.1MM

Centerbore on E30 hubs - 57.1MM

Offset on MINI wheels - Something crazy like 45MM or something.

Easiest way to make MINI wheels fit on an E30 is to get spacers that aren't hubcentric, so they'll fit without boring out the center of the MINI wheels.

So that 1/4 of the weight of the car sits on the 4 measly lugs? Bad idea.

You want spacers that get out far enough from the hub so that you can reduce the size of the spacer to have its own lip to put the weight on. You don't want your lugs to take all the weight.

[Mystikal]

Real options.

1. Bore the wheels out by 1mm at a machine shop, then get regular hubcentric 15-20mm spacers.
2. Get custom spacers made to fit the Mini bore on the outside and E30 bore on the inside.

[Devil Inc]

I was thinking of option 2 before I had finished reading down through the thread. Just find hubcentric spacers for the Mini and bore out the hub side. Spacers are alot easier to work with then wheels on a lathe, for TIR purposes.

[ethirdy]

From the Texas Speedworks (MINI tuner) website:

"Unbelievable as it may sound, the interface between the wheel and the hub carries the load. That's right, the vertical planes which contact each other transfer all shear loads by static friction. The source of the static friction is the compression imparted by the fasteners (lug bolts or studs). Tensile loads are taken directly by reducing the spring force stored in the flange compression, that is, the loads tend to reduce the
compression between the flanges that is set up by the bolts. Since the bolts have a far smaller crosssectional area than the flange faces (even collectively), they have a much smaller spring constant, so the force they contribute to the joint varies far less per unit distance than the flange compression. In other words, the forces due to lug tightening stay fairly constant as the load varies across the flanges. This is
why your wheels don't fall off around a corner.

However, it IS the reason why some folks know someone whose wheels fell off after they lubricated the studs or bolt holes. If a little bit of lubricant gets between the wheel and the hub, then the friction between
the two goes down, sometimes a LOT. In that case, the bolts cannot set up enough static friction between them, and the joint can slip, resulting in a high-powered tricycle adventure. Remember to keep the threads oiled and the flanges clean!

There's a lot more to the basic "four lugs and a wheel" interface than meets the eye, and nearly everyone misunderstands how it all works. This is why a thin layer of grime can cause a wheel to shear off, or why a wheel that is properly centered (by luck or by a really good cone lug fit) doesn't need centering rings. Centering rings only center the wheel during installation, and neither a centering ring nor wheel bolts/studs should carry a load."

[ethirdy]

I was thinking of option 2 before I had finished reading down through the thread. Just find hubcentric spacers for the Mini and bore out the hub side. Spacers are alot easier to work with then wheels on a lathe, for TIR purposes.

PS - it's not that easy finding spacers for a MINI - they have such a high offset that the wheels would have to be ET60 or something crazy to need spacers!

[ditchdigger]

Centering rings only center the wheel during installation, and neither a centering ring nor wheel bolts/studs should carry a load."

Thank you for that. It is amazing how the entire internet assumes that the load is supported by the bolts or the ring. They dont take clamping force into the equation.

Take a good hard look at a H&R hubcentric 15mm spacer and tell me that the centering ring can hold the weight of a car. Yet everyone assumes that these are safer than a flat face spacer :(

[NOMAD]

Yep.
clamping force and the cone shaped seats on the lugs are what actually center and clamp the wheel to the hub. The hub ring holds the wheel on while you thread the lugs on. Once you bolt down the wheels the weight is not on the centering ring. There is a tiny amount of space so that you can move the wheel around while positioning.

A fit close enough to hold the weight of the car on the lip would be a very tight mechanical fit between the two surfaces, tight enough to make it very difficult to press the wheel onto the hub.

You have to sort out the info you find on the net, that's for sure.

On topic - I'd never seen the MINI wheels on an e30 and I have to say i like them. The only issue is the width is probably 6" and they are heavy too.

I think some of the other MINI wheels would look even better. They have some 15" ones in white and black that don't look too bad.

[Erik]

Only thing I would consider using that fits a Mini is 17" LMs with 20mm spacers.

[ethirdy]

Yep.
clamping force and the cone shaped seats on the lugs are what actually center and clamp the wheel to the hub. The hub ring holds the wheel on while you thread the lugs on. Once you bolt down the wheels the weight is not on the centering ring. There is a tiny amount of space so that you can move the wheel around while positioning.

A fit close enough to hold the weight of the car on the lip would be a very tight mechanical fit between the two surfaces, tight enough to make it very difficult to press the wheel onto the hub.

You have to sort out the info you find on the net, that's for sure.

On topic - I'd never seen the MINI wheels on an e30 and I have to say i like them. The only issue is the width is probably 6" and they are heavy too.

I think some of the other MINI wheels would look even better. They have some 15" ones in white and black that don't look too bad.

Wheels on the above car are 17x7", and yes, they are very heavy :) I still love them on my MINI though!