Minimad,
What we've said above applies to 12" and 13" wheels. It does NOT apply to 10". No way will even a Mini-offset Contessa fit this setup without a spacer. There is so little room inside a 10" wheel.
Only non-S solution I know for keeping `early Mini' offset and 10" wheels, is Cooper 7" discs. Yeah I know, they're a POS.. but if you modify 997 calipers if necessary, to use 998 pads they are just passable for street use. At least they do self-adjust, like all disc setups..

You cannot move the Honda caliper inwards any more than my City ones are- cylinder body is just touching the front curved `bell' of the swivel hub. Even so, I needed to fettle the pad holders a bit with the angle grinder...

If I absolutely HAD TO run without flares, I'd fit 12x5" Performance wheels and use the Civic discs at 9" original size.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks for the clarification Doctor, that makes much more sense and asnwers my question

Next question: does performance increase or decrease from 10x5's to 12x5's? is there any difference in handling or performance? if so what?

Cheers
Chong

Thanks drmini

68delux will be happy...............

Now just buy a kit off animal......and leave out the spacers......easy peasie

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

So last question, if I get the $2500 cooper S original 7.5 inch disc setup with whole CV/Hub kit etc, and fit them to my 10x5 Contessa's I won't need flares? How did the original Cooper MkII S's do it with 7.5inch discs and avoid flares?

Minilite 12x5inch with tyres = $700 (approx)
Honda brakes from pick'n'payless = $60 (both)

vs

Cooper S original 7.5inch discs and calipers = $2400 (approx)

Both = No flares? (I strongly against putting flares on my beautiful baby it's just not right..?) Ideally i want to keep the 10x5's and may consider paying $2500 to keep them on my car!

hrmm...

68delux......

Are your 10x5 Contessa wheels that are currently fitted to your car on spaced or non spaced drums?

And....

You don't need flares at the moment to cover them, do you?

Minimad

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

Hi Minimad,

Oz spec Mk II Cooper S had factory fitted flares (UK didn't). The Mk I S had no flares at all. Both ran the same 10 x 4.5 steel rims with a deep inward offset and 145R10 tyres (or equivalent crossplies).

The ONLY rims I know of that will fit over S disks and keep the rubber under the guards is steel S 10 x 4.5, Minilite 10 x 4.5 and inward offset Contessa 10 x 5 as fitted to the Mini Clubman LS. All these rims ran similar inwards offset as the Cooper S rims. The Minilites only just fit...

My van is running spacer drums all around with the more common (non-LS) Contessa rims with outward offset, hence the black flares. If you are currently running the non-LS contessas, you will need new rims to avoid flares. If your current rims were LS contessas and you have normal (non-spacer) drums now, the tyres would foul the rear radius arm anyway!

Go along to a few Mini shows if possible, and have a look at a few cars. You will soon see the difference.

I want to keep my Traveller looking fairly stock and without flares, so I have a set of S rims and front disks stored away. Before anyone asks, no I won't sell them!!

_________________
Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

Minimad,

How do I tell if my contessa's are on spaced or non spaced drums?? I don't have flares on my car currently...

I think I have the stock standard Contessas that I see everywhere (like at pick and payless etc) so they may be the more common LS contessa's?

So if I am not running on spacers currently and I upgrade to Cooper 7.5" discs I will need flares? Again how do I tell if I am running Spacers??

How do I tell if the Contessa's are inward offset?

Cheers guys, I really do appreciate it, and I am learning HEAPS

On Contessas with inward offset, the spokes are about flush with the outer edge of the wheel. The common Contessas like Bnicho and I have, spokes are in 20mm or more.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Ok 68delux..

Here goes.

There are basically 2 different width wheel tracks available on a mini.

First, when minis first came out, they had no spacers on the drums and the standard rims and it all fitted under the gards....easy

Then the Cooper S came out, and with the disks on the front, to make it all fit they had to widen the track of the car some 40mm (20mm each side). To keep the rear the same track width, spacer drums were used.

Now before you ask....they are fairly easliy spotted as a 20ish mm extension of the drum....just take a wheel off and have a look.

Now....2 different track widths, mean 2 different offsets for the rims.....lost you yet

Lets call them standard and cooper S offset

Standard Almost all the steel wheels you will find lying around....even on the later clubmans.

Cooper S The genuine steel ones are very rare. Can find Contessa wheels without too much trouble. When you use this type of wheel with the wider track, you generally don't require flares

Now for the fun bit.

I am going to put a standard offset wheel on a cooper s....... Hey the wheels stick out and now I need flares

So the question is what type of wheels and offstet do you currently have?

As drmini has already eluded to.. if you have standard drums, you could convert the front with Honda disks, and not put in a spacer(this will keep the standard track width).......... buy a standard offset set of 12 x 5 minilites and it should fit under the guards with no flares
.............................But if you convert to cooper S disks, then the contessas that you have on the car now will need to be replaced, as they will only have a standard offset and would require flares. Also you will need the spacered drums for the back.

Also just to add a little confusion. The clubman has a standard track width......no flares.
The clubman S has a cooper S track width (via spacered drums front and back)......flares.

Clear as mud no doubt.

I know I haven't taken into consideration different rim widths, but hopefully you get the general idea.

Anything to add anybody????????????? Minimad

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You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

Hey Minimad,
I totally agree with all the above except...
" Standard Almost all the steel wheels you will find lying around....even on the later clubmans. "

If you measure a 4.5Jx10 Clubman S wheel carefully, you will find it has exactly the same offset as a 4.5Jx10 Cooper S. Ditto the (slightly different and now rarer) Clubman GT wheels....

<edit> these wheels were used with Clubman flares for the same reason MK2 S got them- the fuzz in SA and elsewhere thought they bordered on illegal.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Sorry,

Must admit that I have never taken much notice of the clubman S wheels as I find them very ugly.......and alway ditch them for alloys

Minimad

_________________
You can take the boy out of the racer.........but not the racer out of the boy!

those " ugly ' wheels were originally fitted to innocenti minis and were imported from france by leyland australia

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lookin for another clubby

" those " ugly ' wheels were originally fitted to innocenti minis and were imported from france by leyland australia"

Ben,
You are correct for the Clubman GT wheels, made by Firsat. Not the Clubman S Rostyle wheels.

GT had different number of vent holes..

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Wow thanks for the replies!!!

So in normal speak, if my contessa's are inward offset (the spokes are flush with the outer edge of the wheel) then fitting honda discs or cooper s 7.5" originals won't require flares? am i correct?

So how do I physically measure the offset on the wheels?

I think I have totally standard ROH contessa 10x5 wheels...

If I take off my wheels and i find a spacer then that means my wheels are inward offset??? or am i lost??