Guys,

Just a quick question...

Is the offset the same on MKI and MKII Cooper S wheels, bearing in mind the MKII has flairs?

Assuming they are both 4.5" X 10"??

Cheers,
Geoff.

I always thought Mk1 & Mk2 were the same. After all An Aussie Mk2 main difference with a Mk1 was mainly engine/transmission upgrades, upholstery and othe minor changes.
They all ran LP883 rims. I see someone said on a forum I was reading the other day said they were different. What do the experts say?

When you look at Mk 1's, the wheels appear to be just inside the body, but when you look at Mk 2's, they appear to be just inside the flairs.

That's the reason I asked.....

Cheers,
Geoff.

nup - wheels are the same from mk1 to mk2, both came with LP883

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that's an optical illusion, mk2 wheels sit quite a long way inside the flares

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Thanks for the clarification, the flares must give that appearance.

Cheers,
Geoff.

It is probably the tyre size people are using. Mk1s without flares using 145s and Mk2s with flares using 165s.

Ditto to simon k and gtogreen's comments. The optical illusion might be created by remembering photos of minis with period alloy wheels like Contesta, Dunlop and Jellybean wheels that were made with an offset outwards to clear drum brakes so they could be fitted to Deluxe, but when fitted to cooper S were even further out and barely fitted under the flares, as red clubbie said. Some tyres look wider than other, too.

When Mk Is were available in the local BMC shop they came with 145 tyres which were kinda marginal ..later cars had 165s... Which is why SA cars had flairs from the start....

The wheels were the same.

Cheers, Ian

However with your observations of the Mk 2 'filling' the flare, check that this was not the alternative Dunlop LP918 wheel. This is still a 4.5J width but has the inner section of the 883 wheel reversed, thereby making what was the inner offset to the outer, and vice versa.