I've been considering buying a whole new set of wheels and snow tires to take on the crappy Japanese winter. I was planning on ordering from Tire Rack since they can do the TPMS and everything. I'm kinda partial to OEM looks so I was thinking about the 18" Bullitt wheels or the black 19" Track Pack wheels. Both are by Ford Racing.
I know they are bit expensive just for winter wheels, but they are still a third what they'd cost over here! Easily justifiable to my wife.
So... I was wondering if those wheels are suitable for winter if used with snow tires? Skinnier tires are better, right? Is a smaller wheel diameter better too?
Any advise would be appreciated!!!

 

Not sure about your wheel option since I went with tire racks Sport Edition FR3'3. $129 each. Yes, skinnier are better as is a taller sidewall. I have 225/60 R 18, They are about 1 inch taller than my stock Pzero's on 19's. That extra inch just means more clearance

 

I'm on American Muscle 18x9 GT500 replicas, with Bridgestone Blizzak 255/45/19 LM-60's.

That with 120lbs of sand in the spare tire well and it runs great in the snow.

 

This is my first winter in my 2011 Mustang GT. I decided to give the stock OEM tires a try in the winter snow to see how they perform. I am a BIG believer in snow tires for winter, I have used snow tires for the past 12 years in my two previous Mustangs (03 Cobra and 99 GT).
I have to say I am very pleased with the snow handling of the stock tires on the 2011 Mustang GT. My tires have about 5000 miles on them right now, and they are handling well in the snow. Not quite as good as snow tires, but acceptable, and saved me $1K not having to buy a snow tire/wheel set up. Not sure if they will be as good next winter after they have more miles and less tread, but for the first winter at least they are good.

 

Good info! Thanks!
We had a big snow storm last night, so I told my wife to take a taxi to work, but she drove the Mustang!!! Geez!!!
She said it handled ok, but was a little scared.
She's all for getting new wheels now.

 

Same setup here, haven't had any real snow here in KC yet though!

 

Well, I think I'm going to get the Bullitt wheels with LM-60 Blizzaks, size: 235/50R18.
Think that would be alright?
The plow roads pretty poorly around here.

 

Might as well get 17" if you can. They look fine, ride smoother on crappy winter roads and are much cheaper.

 

My OEM 17s are available if interested. Includes A/S tires and tpms.

 

I'm looking at 18 or 19" combos right now. Either going to do 18" GT500s with LM-60s or 19" black Track Pack wheels with LM-60s or Sottozeros. I was really considering the Michelin PA3s, but it looks like they're sold out.

 

I went with 18x9" GT500 replicas from American Muscle. Because I live in Virginia and we have mild winters I decided to go with the Dunlop WinterSport M3 in 245/45/18 all around.

The WinterSports are very good in snow up to 4-5" or so. Good on ice. And even better they're still great on dry pavement in cold weather. So I am not sacrificing TOO much dry weather performance running this tire.

If you live in an area with harsher winters I'd look at the Blizzaks or the Michelin X-Ice line. Both should be more capable in snow and ice than the Dunlops, but dry weather performance obviously will be compromised.



I can tell you that this car is very capable in snow. As long as the car can clear it (4-5") you can drive through it without a problem. The only thing I would recommend is adding about 200lbs of weight over the rear axle to help with your starts. Also, our AdvanceTrac calibrations are very good for snow so you can leave it on and just let it work.

A closer look at the Dunlops:

 

My 18" SVT Bullitt wheels are arriving tomorrow!!!
I'm going to put them on myself, but I have a question.

The item description says that you need to remove the stud clips... I'm not sure what that means... Are the clips on the new wheels? On the the hub under the wheels?

If somebody could clear this up for me, I'd be much appreciated!!!!

Also, once removed, can they be discarded? Should I save them for when I put my 19" summer wheels back on?

Thanks!!!

 

There are clips on the studs that help hold the rotor in place (I think this is for when the car is on the assembly line). You'll see them as soon as you take the stock wheel off. They just pull right out.

Here's a pic I took for my brake pad/rotor DIY:

 

Thanks Steve!
Now I get it!!!
Can the clip be discarded even if I plan to go back to my OEM wheels in the summer?

 

No problem!

Yes, you can get rid of the clip. I am pretty sure they are there just to make sure the rotor stays on the car during the assembly process. Some other cars use a screw.

 

Yep, and I'm glad Ford uses a clip - the screw on my '03 Mazda6 was impossible to get out with a screwdriver and I had to buy an impact screwdriver to even get it out. Pain in the butt.

Impact Screwdriver example: http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-...ase-37530.html

 

Oh, I know that screw. What a pain in the *** it was to get out too.

 

Yup those screws can really get stuck on there pretty good.

 

Well!!! Got the Bullitts fitted!!! They look awesome! Almost a waste for snow tires!!

One thing though... The wheels have TPMS installed and I got the remote too. However, the alert didn't go off! Is that pretty strange? No chime, no warning lights...

Is it possible that Ford Japan has TPMS turned off?

 

I would doubt it - my winter tires don't have TPMS sensors but my warning light only goes off maybe once every 5 days during my 15 min work commute. If I drive a long distance, it'll go off but in normal, short trips, it's almost always off.