modie

[QUOTE=Snoopy49;6573708]There are a couple of down sides to using these tires and wheels.
1. Cost of replacement tires.
2. Availability of tires in your cars speed range. You really don't need 186+ MPH tires on most Mustangs, so why pay more just for the bragging rights.
3. By using different size tires front and rear, you can no longer rotate the tires. Tire manufactures cut their mileage warranties in half because of the inability to rotate the tires.

I'm sure you and other members can add to this list. I think you would have been better served with 18" wheels all around and the same size tires on all for corners.


Hmm, I think I was asking about steering and not how you feel about how I spend my money.

Snoopy49

[quote=modie;6573778]That's not the impression I got from your quote below. How you spend your money is your business, you were the one rethinking the wheel set.

M88K

I've got these wheels and I think they look great! I have the Nitto Invo tires and they are perfect.

GBStang13

On my new GB 2013 GT i am running the factory 235/50/zr18 time all around. On my Triple black 97 GT which has the FRPP Mach 1 complete suspension set with full energy suspension bushing set on all corners and every joint. I am running from the factory 4x245/45/17 now 255/40/17 and 275/40/17 and got to admit the thing feels planted to the ground, the tires are SUMMITOMOS and not to expensive however, they are not the best when it comes to cold weather, and yes I do admit that it sucks not being able to rotate them.

I am still debating what to put on the new mustang. 255x45/18 all around? Or should i just leave the 235 stock?

bob

Converting to a 255/45R18 summer tire is a worthwhile upgrade, I did it on an older 07 GT in combination with the FR3 suspension - it produced a really sweet handling car. The suspension tamed some high speed issues and the tires improved overall grip mostly by going to a summer tire but the increase in width helped.

bob

Per Ford;



That depends on the tire, typically as you go up in speed ratings the tires tend to handle better (side by side you can feel a perceptible difference in handling all other things being equal) and its not just bragging rights.

Its a shame that the implied difference in performance is bundled with the speed rating of the tire and left to the sales person to sort out when dealing with the customer. If all they can do is rattle off the various speed ratings and the maximum speed the tire can sustain for up to 8 hours without failure (that's the definition of the speed rating) then the customer doesn't get the whole picture and the default assumption is "if I don't drive that fast why do I need this tire"?

In such a case that failure in communication doesn't inform the buyer how going from a higher to lower speed rated tire can increase braking distance or change the way the tire reacts to a sudden change in direction or how going from a lower to a higher speed rated tire can enhance the vehicle under those conditions.

LagunaBeach

Your suspension was tuned by Ford engineers to use the factory 18" tires, where a Shelby is tuned completely different since it's more performance oriented and weighs more. When you put Shelby tires on it changes how the car behaves and feels. Each front tire is almost 1 inch wider so you will definitely feel a difference, especially upon turn-in. Only you can decide if the trade-offs are worth the decreased ride and different handling.

modie

[quote=Snoopy49;6573828]Sorry bud. I made my reply at 3:00 am during a long and boring graveyard shift. My mind and temper were a mess. It's all good.
Modie