Okay, so the 06 order guide is finally out. As I'm reading through it I notice two things, one Ford doesn't have pics of the new 18 inch wheels :scratch: and two they stuck whimpy 235/50/18 tire on them!!! Why woud Ford finally give us 18 inch rims and then stick tires on them that are basically no larger than the 17 inch tire option!!! :bang: What happened to the 255/45/18 tire option??? Looks like I'm going to have to trade up to the 255/45/18's once my car comes in. Some thing I was hoping I wouldn't have to do. Thanks Ford!!! :bang:

 

That does make no sense of ford's part. I had an older Saab 9000 turbo and it had 16 inch rims that were 255/50/r16's . Jesus these frigin tires were wider than the 18 inches that Ford plans to place out and they're on 16 inch rims. Big no-no. :notnice:

Matt

 

[quote=StangFreak,May 29, 2005, 7:40 PM]
Okay, so the 06 order guide is finally out. As I'm reading through it I notice two things, one Ford doesn't have pics of the new 18 inch wheels :scratch: and two
Agree...I ordered the V6 Pony Package and they basically put the 17" bullitt wheels on it and the tires are Z rated 235/55.

You need more smilies on you messages.

:scratch: :worship:

 

So what....I'm betting the reason that Ford is doing this is that All Season performance is more important to the buyer then a total all out high performance tire like you find on the upcoming Shebly. I know I'm just going with the 17 inch option since I really dont need anything bigger then that and it comes with all season tire (Since I have to drive in the winter)

 

The same size would allow them to to not have to calibrate the speedo and such. Laziness, I guess...

What I want to know is why the change in width? 'Cause fat tires are always more cool lookin' and performing than skinny ones.

Or did I miss something? I probably missed something. Surely the skinny/tall sided tires are better than the fat/short ones...

/And STILL no Emberglo...

 

Considering you don't even know what the option costs.....
...that could be a reason.

Take a look at how much are the 255/45ZR18 KDWs that were going to go on it?

It has to be an affordable option.
Then again, the Mach1000/Shaker1000 have always been overpriced yet people still buy them.

 

Personally I think it's crazy but that's just my opinion. I mean come on, it's a performance car give it some performance tires!!!!

 

Maybe they are leaving room for chains?

 

Do we really need an all-out performance tire on a daily driver car?? Unless you're spending more time on the track than on the interstate, what is the point?

I hate the low profile rubber. They allow you NO margin of error---if you hit a curb, you've scuffed or gouged your nice aluminum rims big time.

I've seen more scraped Mustang rims lately than on any other car. I guess the practical side of me is prevailing over the performance side.

If looks is your priority, consider how bad scuffed or gouged rims look.

I was lucky, in that I was able to repair mine to almost unnoticeable condition. But it cost me 4 hours on a Saturday afternoon, and I hold my breath now every time I have to make a tight turn.

Ridiculous.

 

You are wrong about the tire being the same size. A 17" tire is smaller than an 18" tire even if the aspect ratio is the same.

The 235/.5/17 tire is 26.25" dia
The 235/.50x18" tire is 27.24" in dia
The 255/45/18" tire is 27.02" dia

Why would you want to trade the 235/.50/18" for a 255/45/18" an lose a 1/5" in dia?



Here is the formula to calculate tire size:
Width x Aspect Ratio = Section Height x 2 = Combined Section Height + Wheel Diameter = Tire Diameter

Example...185/60R14 85H or 185/60HR14

185mm x .60=111mm x 2=222mm + 355.6mm(14")= 577.6mm or 22.74"

The first number is the width of the tire in millimeters, measured from sidewall to sidewall. To convert to inches, divide by 25.4 In the example above, the width is 185mm or 7.28".

The second number is the aspect ratio. This is a ratio of sidewall height to width. In the example above, the tire is 7.28" wide, multiply that by the aspect ratio to find the height of one sidewall. In this case, 185x0.60=111mm or 7.28"x0.60=4.36".

The last number is the diameter of the wheel in inches.

To figure the outside diameter of a tire, take the sidewall height and multiply by 2,(remember that the diameter is made up of 2 sidewalls, the one above the wheel, and the one below the wheel) and add the diameter of the wheel to get your answer.

 

A 255/45/18 is wider than a 235/50/18.

 

Funhog2 I think he meant same size = same width. obviously it's not going to be the same overall diameter...that means that with the 18"s, Ford will still have to recalibrate the speedo...with different overall rolling diameters, you WILL have to make adjustments (AFAIK).

As for not needing "all out performance tires", i ask you what the purpose is of all seasons? If you're in a climate where you actually get all 4 seasons, you shouldn't be using A/S's in the first place. :nono: everyone know's that a good set of summers and a proper set of winter tires will serve you FAR better when the seasons are in full swing.

plus, 255/45/18 isn't exactly super low pro, i don't really know where that came from...as far as worrying about curb rash, that doens't have a whole lot to do with the profile as it does with the width - in that case, 255's would be a bit better - it's not like they'd be going crazy with 255. it's called using your mirrors and paying attention when you park. :scratch: sure in a moment of stupidity we've all kissed the curb, but most of the time unless you've stuffed 275s onto 6.5 rims or you're going 2mph, your rubber isn't going to save you.

anyways, just IMHO - i don't think it's unheard of for a company to put higher performance tires on their upgraded optional rims, which in this case are bigger diameter. acutally, pretty much every manufacturer i can think of does this.

cheers,
kris

 

I just want to know if the 64E is indeed going to look like the autoshow picture with the tungsten mustang. I saw a video for the vert where the fanblade rims looked bright chromed. IMHO, I would rather they look like the car show, bright chrome on those rims looks too much bling bling for my tastes. A definative picture sure would be nice Ford. Both attached images rims look good to me. Hopefully, Ford isn't going to fix something that is not broke.

 

Actually, he's pretty much right about them being the same. 27.02/27.24=99.19... Less than 1% difference in height. If you have a little less air in the 235/50/18 tire, then they would be the same. His speedometer will read about .5mph fast at 60mph with the 255/45/18 tire. That's kind of splitting hairs. If it's that much of an issue, you can always fix it with a tuner.

As far as changing the tire to a wider tread (and I assume summer tread and compound), that will improve the handling characteristics of the car. It will also make the ride slightly harsher and increase noise levels and reduce gas mileage. A welcome tradeoff for some.

Ford has done a great job of finding that "middle ground" with the new mustang. They improved the chassis and suspension so much that they were able to remove 10mm of tire width and go with a higher aspect ratio sidewall and still get better cornering performance from the new car when compared to the '04 and earlier cars. Better in all ways: smoother/quieter ride, less rolling resistance, all season capability, improved fuel mileage (they still get the same mpg as the older cars with more horsepower and worse aerodynamics), and better on the roadcoarse. Pretty impressive, and as you can tell, I like the stock set-up.

Having said that, I will also be buying a set of light weight 18" rims with performance tires for the summer. There is always room for improvement in one area, but it usually comes with sacrafices made in other areas. The stock car is pretty darn good.

 

It's listed in the order guide as being a polished finish. Generally a polished finish is shiny, just not as bright as a chrome finish. I agree a picture would be nice but I went an ordered mine with the 64E code wheels as the other would delay my delivery till after December. I'll be happy with either 18 inch Fan Blades or Bullitt wheels. It's the tire size that I think stinks!!!

 

Can someone confirm that if you opt for the 18's, after you wear out the 235's you can put 255's on the same rim? If that's the case, I'll just upgrade the tire after I wear out the stock tires...

 

I checked Tire Rack and they recommend the 255/45/18 size tire on a 18x8 and a 18x9 inch rim so I'm confident they will fit.

 

I'd much rather have some 255/50/17's than the stock tires. Put more meat on the road and around the edges for "curb protection", and they look better, IMO.

 

So if I'm getting 17x9 inch rims.. and want to put 285's on the rear, and 255's on the front.... what sidewall height should I get so I don't mess up the speedo to bad?

 

235/55/17
255/50/17
285/45/17

All within .5% of the same speedo reading.

And here's a tire calculator, even if it is a Miata site:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html