I read a post from Groot a while back about how he thought the 19 inch wheels rode better (smoother) than the 18 inch wheels. I'm a little surprised by this since on most cars this isn't the case. Has anyone driven 2010 Mustang GTs with both wheel sizes? If so, what did you think was the difference in ride and handling? Thanks.

 

Car accelerates faster, turns better due to lighter wallet

 

could be the strut tower brace all GTs with 19s get. less chassis flex, lets the suspension do its job

 

It shouldn't since there is less air cushion in the 19 inch vs the 18...I've always heard that the bigger the wheel, the worse the ride gets (might turn quicker, etc.,...but the ride should suffer)...

 

I have 19's and the ride is a little better than my 09 with 18's Could be the strut tower brace I do drive convertibles

 

I'm willing to bet a lot of the difference is the quality of the tire. There are a lot fewer choices when it comes to 19" tires, and none of them are cheap. I love my 19's, but I also love a stiff ride so I'm not a good candidate to answer this question!

 

The ride with 19's is much comfortable than with my 20's and 35 profile tires. When I buy summer wheels and tires I'm going to go 19's .

 

You have to keep in mind that it's not just the wheels, the track pack also has different spring rates and struts and a few other extras that give the perception of a smooth feeling ride.

On a performance point of view, It’s not difficult to see why the track pack wheels 19” perform better than the 18”.

Assuming both wheels weigh in the same.

It really boils down to the tire 255 vs. 235 in conjunction with it’s the other accesories

The 255 will have a better contact patch around the twenties and also when launching the vehicle , even though you lose some of the side wall flex the extra contact patch make up for it in grip.


Overall IMO the track pack is a hell of a great deal based on what you get over the base GT.

Now if your just asking randomly which performs better 19” vs. 18” with any set of tires. I would have to say the lightest one with the most contact patch and good side wall flex.

 

Well I'm sticking with my 18's and their lower rotational wheel mass and smaller diameter, which means the wheels accelerate sooner then the heavier 19 inch wheels with 255's. I just picked up (2) 275 40r 18s today and ordered these wheels from American muscle:

 

 

This, the track pack tire in a 255/40R19 isn't really a popular size, the one car that comes to mind with that fitment is Maseratti ands there might be a few others, but all of them are uber expensive GT cars. So you get uber expensive GT car tire benefits.

I convinced my folks to get some Michelin Pilot Sport A/S + 255/45R18s and the difference was night and day in ride comfort compared to the 235/50R18 BFG KDWS - can't vouch for the handling since I haven't had to drive the car since the change and oddly enough the Pilot Sport A/S + seemed only to equal the BFG in actual footprint when viewed with the eyeballometers.

 

You have a good eyeballometer. The two sizes are indeed dimensionally very similar ( true for these two sizes for all brands... not just the two you happened to compare). One of those cases where nominal size can be deceiving...

On the topic of the thread, I've driven the 10 Mustang GT with both 18s and 19s (NOT a Track Pack car... base 245/45x19s), and thought the 19s actually rode a bit better as well. That surprised me.

 

This seems to match what Groot said while he was here. I hope this is true because it would seem to be the best of both worlds – better ride and better handling.

 

Theory is nice and all, but I am waiting to see some actual numbers to back that up.
I have seen several tests that show it doesn't really matter though. Like this one where 20.8# wheel went faster than a 17.4# wheel (same car/tires/day/course):
http://www.modified.com/tech/modp-09...er/5zigen.html
And others where they upped the size and had zero impact on 0-60 times.

"Lighter rotational mass from a smaller wheel" is a nice idea too.
Until you realize the tires are probably heavier than the rims (tires are around 30#).

I also find it a little interesting that you are so concerned about the weight of the wheels, but then buy chrome wheels. Silver 19s might even be lighter than your chrome 18s.

Now, if that is what you wanted -- great. Hope you enjoy them tremendously. Just know there is no performance advantage.

In the end, it is mainly about the tires.
Besides. this is a street car after all, and I doubt the 18"s will really take the extra 0.5 seconds off your time to the grocery store.

 

one of the first things i noticed is my new wheels and tires are lighter then my old stockers..My new wheels are Aluminum not steel....Here's the web sites description.....

" Our triple plated chrome's high polish and shine makes this the chrome wheel on the aftermarket. Lighter than other chrome wheels which are steel underneath, ours are aluminum and won't slow you down. That says it all for me. "

my real grocery getter :

 

From the article
LOL, I thought for a second the article might be referring to a professional, but it turns out "tuner" is really just a pretentious way of describing hot rodder or modder.


Thanks for the link though Ramp, its certinaly food for thought.

 

Yes, because we should always trust everything a retailer says.
I can't think of any wheels that are made from steel any more.

Regardless, painted versions will be lighter than chrome versions of the same wheel.
But, in the end, it doesn't make that much difference anyway.

 

The difference between painted vs chrome in not enough to impact vehicle dynamics. Wheels sizes do, its 1 of reasons why 19inch mustangs come with strut tower braces, and 18 inch mustangs don't.

 

I am contenting even that (size change) won't effect times to a noticeable degree either.
Hence the phrase "in the end, it doesn't make that much difference anyway."
After all, the tires are most likely heavier than the wheels anyway and have the greatest impact on rotational inertia.

I will also contend that STB's don't make much difference in themselves either, but are more of a marketing trick than anything. I barely noticed a difference when I put mine on, and I drive a convertible at that, so it should have been even more obvious.

Now, if the STB went to the actual firewall, that might be a different story.

 

Ok, so explain to me how a tire/rim combo that is the same diameter and equal weight in a 19" rim is impacting vehicle dynamics?? The only thing your giving up is sidewall.

My thoughts exactly.