As everyone knows the Brembo comes with 255/40/19. I found a tire that I like Continental Extreme Contact DWS and wouldn't you know it doesn't come in that size. Whats offered that is close are:

245/40/19
245/45/19
255/35/19
265/30/19
275/30/19

I'm leaning toward the 255/35/19 but I'm concerned about pot holes and other road defects.

Which size would be the better way to go?

Thanks

 

The 275/30 would be the closest. Or just find a different brand tire.

 

I love the Continental Extreme Contact DWS's. I've put them on several of my cars, including my '11 5.0L Brembo GT recently. I wanted to fill the wheel wells (without lowering the car) and I wanted more sidewall for a better ride. So, I went with 255/50/19's. This raised my car 0.9" as these are 1.8" taller than the stock 255/40/19's....






In retrospect, I should have gone with 245/45/19's up front and 275/45/19's out back for a staggered look.

 

brian hows it to drive a 412hp car in slippery conditions with esc, winter tires and such? is it manageable?

 

That would have been a taller tire in the rear. 275/40 would have been a better rear tire option.

 

This is a link to a tire size calculator. You can enter multiple sizes to compare height and width. http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

 

Your car looks great with these tires. How does it handle with the 50's? I read that the sidewall was a bit soft? I think the 275's might be a little much for the stock rims.

 

Thanks. It still handles better than most cars, but not quite as crisp as it did with the original 40-series Pirellis. A little roll before it bites and turns in, but they are much quieter and a little more comfortable. And they work awesome in freezing temps and light snow.

275's should be fine on a 9" rim, IMHO. Keep in mind that Ford put 275's on the 03/04 Cobras with a 9" rim.

 

I'm okay with a taller tire out back and a staggered look. I actually had 275/45/19's mounted on the back of mine to see how it looked, but they couldn't get me the 245/45/19's for the front, so I went with 255/50's all the way around. The 275's looked great with lots of room left.

 

If you have to contend with potholes, get the 245/45 X 19. That's a tire size that Ford fits on some of the other Mustang 19" wheel options, and will give you just a bit more sidewall height as protection for rim strikes. The other sizes you posted will all be shorter than your stock tire.

 

I drove my supercharged (480hp) '07 GT with the same Continental DWS's through the snow last winter (no stability control in that car) and it was fine on flat land and moderate hills. The steepest hills were problematic and not surprising as these are not snow tires, just light-snow rated, but for areas with minimal snow (like here in Seattle), these are great tires.

 

When you change size, what do you do about your speedometer?

 

Get it recalibrated, while an expensive option, most if not all hand held tuners have a function where you can enter the relavent tire info (and gear ratio as well) for a correct speedo.

You should also be concerned with the load rating and reccomended rim fitments. The ideal OD is 27" and as you deviate away from that increased and irregular wear can result as well as the possibility of an increased chance of failure during abnormal operation (high speed, low pressure, increased load, et al). Lower side wall heights can be a factor in tire failure but that all depends, I've hit a small pothole (minor road imperfection missing the very top layer of asphalt - perhaps 1.0 - 1.5") at over 120 mph during braking with no problems - the biggest factor here seems to be air pressure (either to high or to low).

 

I changed wheels from the 19 inch "nickel painted" to Brembos, keeping the stock 245-45-19 Pirellis. The 9 inch Brembo is the widest wheel for the tire, and have noticed a couple of things.

The handling was good on the original rims, but the wider wheel has taken out some sidewall flex and the handling is noticeably more precise and predictable with a very slight decrease in ride quality and minimal increase in noise on rough roads - still excellent on smooth surfaces...

Overall, am very pleased with the result, and if the tires wear acceptably, will consider the same size at replacement time.

 

OH! don't I feel stupid. I thought these rims where 8.5

Co-worker of mine suggested I get a winter/snow tire that way if the snow hits the fan and I have to use the car I'd be better off. Decisions Decisions

 

Indeed, the best way to visualize this is to grab a fairly thick magazine and hold it straight up and down and tap it on a flat surface... its easy to see what the sidewall is doing on a rim that approaches the maximum reccommended rim width. Then take it and curve the magazine and do the same.

Thats why I've always scratched my head about the GT500 (well at least the 07-09 cars and the 2010 cars) Ford uses the same width rim yet two different tire sizes. In the front you get a tire than can support better lateral loading and has better response, yet in the rear you have a tire that is the complete opposite. Then to muddle matters worse it all depends on what school you belong to when it comes to the contact patch.

It works well for Ford, but I wonder how much different the GT500 and Boss would handle if the rear rims were designed with the the same approach as the front?

 

Boss LS uses 10" rear wheels and 9" front.

 

Ok folks, Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I have decided to go with 255/40/19 Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3. From the reviews it's a pretty good tire and the size is right. Pulled the trigger a few moments ago and the total cost including shipping was $1396.80 "ouch". These are going to be my winter tires and they will be mounted on the stock Brembo rims. Next spring I will buy a set of rims and install the stock tires on and finish getting the life out of them, or move up to 20's. Dunno yet, have the entire winter to decide. Thanks again and "drive to arrive".

 

Oh, yeah... did I mention that 19 inch tires are more expensive?? Let your imagination run wild on the cost for a set of 20s...

 

I have a question please...my 2011 GT Premium has the 19" wheel option - but NOT the Brembo wheel. So my wheels are 19x8.5, with 245/45 19, front and rear. If I keep the factory wheels (which I love), what tire size can I safely move up to for a wider patch, and lower profile?