I don't think you really want to run 255 width tires in the snow.

 

This is the exact combo I went with, including TPMS sensors and reset tool. Ordered from Shaun @ Rehagen Racing last week.

It snowed here a couple days ago (VERY early for Vancouver), looking forward to seeing them!

 

It's not optimal (typically you want a narrower tire in rain/snow), but it's a 100% direct fit for our cars.

 

Order a set of Blizzak LM-60 from Tire Rack. Arrived at the dealer on Friday, going today to mate them up to a set of '11 Pony wheels I picked up on eBay (rims, TPMS, tires and centers).
I too stuck with the stock size for my car. Yes, narrower is better, but didn't want to worry at all about speedo changes, plus now I will have the same style rims all year.

 

according to 1010tire.com size calculator we can get away with 245/45-18 and the speedo will be off by 1.3%.

at 245/45-18 you can save a couple of hundred on the tires and have a tire that's a bit narrower.

i'm going to go with that size. i'm getting the falken HS439 winters from sears.com of all places (they had the cheapest price $174 shipped).

 

We have some pretty nasty hills where I live, and generally the temperature is right at freezing, so when your tire rolls over the snow it immediately turns to ice. Lots of black ice too. I mounted LM-60 blizzaks on some beat up polished bullitt rims I found on craigslist for $300 complete with ford tpms sensors. The first pic is of this set up on bullitt#6333. The second pic is the scene in front of my house one morning when the kid's buses were on snow routes. The all wheel drive BMW to the right is in my driveway (the only one shoveled... I'm from Cleveland) and can't navigate down the hill. Same with the Land Rover and Merc... both all wheel drive. The truck further down the hill can't make the turn... just keeps floating straight down the hill and luckily he's off the road. The hill gets a little steeper further down and you have to make a 90 degree corner or run into the trees.

I ask my daughter if she wants to walk down to the bus stop (about 1 mile) and of course she says "no daddy, can you drive me please." So I pull the supercharged bullitt out of the garage, navigate down the hill between all my stuck neighbors, drop her off and then come back up the hill to put the car away. Didn't really slip once going down and the tc worked great coming back up the hill. As I was gone the BMW arrived, so I can't put the car back in the garage. No problem... I just pull up the snow covered keyway next to the house and get out to chat. The guy in the BMW says "what is that car? Is it all wheel drive?" So I explain to him what it is and then ask him to put his fancy Thule chains on faster so I can put my car away. Anyway... Blizzak LM-60s are a really good choice. still have them and I'm hoping the wheels fit over the '11 GT brakes without spacers. Maybe I'll go check right now

 

Sweet, glad to read about some practical experience with the Blizzak LM-60's! I was slightly worried from some of the reviews on TireRack, but am heartened by your experience (and reading a lot of other posts in other threads) that these seem to be good tires!

 

Hey guys, So my mustang is being built in December, estimated delivery probably in January. However, at the rate winter tires are selling out I was hoping to buy them in advance. I'm in Vancouver but I'm going to Seattle in the 1st week of december, so I'm thinking about ordering a set and shipping it there.

I plan on fitting Winter tires to the stock 18" Rims (looking at getting other rims for the all seasons later) - I understand that the stock 18" wheels are 235/50/R18? What width are the stock All season tires? I want to buy some Michelin Xice-Xi2's and want to make sure the Xi2 235/50/R18 will fit... (A friend once told me that 235/50R18 tire from make A may have different dimensions as one from make B)

Checked the Pirelli P-zero all season (stock tires) spec sheet and our size = 765 Rev/miles. The Michelins are 762 rev/mile - difference is so small it shouldnt matter but just wanted to check..

Just wanted to double check this sizing so I can order the tires asap...

Thanks guys!

 

Check with Tire Rack. My stock all seasons were 235/50 R 18 Pirellis and I was able to get the Michelins in the exact same size. The stock rim width is 8" which is suitable for a 235mm or 245mm width tire. The tire pressure sensor is attached to the valve in the rim. I don't think you can remove it and use it on another rim without a rebuild or reprogram of some sort.

 

235/50-R18 is the TIRE size, the wheels only have diameter and width and I think they are 18" diameter x 8" width

For tires of the same size spec (meaning 235/50-R18) the difference in size between manufacturers is very small and not worth worrying about -- that's why the rev's per mile is slightly different, but again not a big deal.

For winter tires you really want something narrower . . . but that also requires narrower wheels . . . if you are going to buy a set of tires and wheels eventually anyway, you'd be better off buying them now; tire-rack has some nice setups for under $1,000 (not including the TPMS sensors) . . . I am about to do this myself, I am going to go with 215/60-17 or 215/65-17 to get a narrower tread width (the 215 versus 235) and slightly taller overall diameter (product of tread width 215 times aspect ratio 60 or 65) for a little more ground clearance in the snow.

EDIT: on the 2011 car you should make sure that the 17" wheels will clear the brakes; otherwise you will have to go with 18" wheels and adjust the specs accordingly. Tire-rack web site can recommend specific sizes for your car, just keep in mind that you might want to talk with them about a narrower tire

 

smitty's 'story' was one I had read somewhere (probably another forum I also follow). And I too have read about the LM-60s on other forums.
I too had read all the TireRack reviews and at one point almost didn't get them. But after reading A LOT, I determined LM-60s was the way to go.
Falken is sold locally here, and is cheaper, but I figure there is 'something' about more expensive been better, plus it seems everything I read about Mustang's had people using Blizzak or Dunlop. Back to Blizzak, there is a WS-60 and LM-60. I have read about people saying they didn't like Blizzak on wet, but they didn't mention the style. My guess is that they got WS-60; as I have read specific bad comments about WS-60 in wet. A co-worker has those on his Civic. When I metioned to him about wet tracking and such, he said "oh yeah, I've noticed that". So if he can fell that on a Civic, can only image how that will be on a Mustang. And where I live, they salt the heck out of the roads, so it isn't too often the roads have packed snow. If you always drive on packed snow, then WS-60 sound like they are better; however, they do not last as long because of the tread compound (also confirmed by my co-worker).

 

Other than the Blizzaks, the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 (or whatever they are called) also seems to be a top contender.

Does anyone have any experience with those?

Actually I'm thinking the narrower tire width is probably a bigger factor than the tire design, so if I go with 215 tires I'm probably in pretty good shape with any decent winter tire.

 

I wouldn't go narrower on a GT, personally. Just remember you're not always in snow (if you are, why'd you get a Mustang GT??). So they have to do a decent job of handling the car's weight and power in the dry. V6 models are lighter, and with less power and torque, so can get away with a smaller tire. 235 is actually quite narrow for a car of this size and power, so I'd stay there with the winter treads as well. Should give you longer tread life, too. Most 17s should clear the standard GT brakes, definitely not the Brembos.

Just picked up a set of OZ Adrenalina wheels on sale from TireRack, wrapped in Michelin Xice2 for my 06 Audi S4, they look great. The Xice2 is not a performance winter tire, so it gives a much cushier and floppier ride, no where near the steering response of the high performance all season Yokohomas I have for the summer. But it should be great for the winter. It is directional so limits tire rotation. If you go performance winter, you get the harder compound that gives higher speed ratings, but reduces ice/snow traction. Basically they're not the multicell compounds on the outer tread portions that the pure winter tires are.

So depends on where you live and the amount of snow/ice you're going to see. If it's not much, I'd go performance winter; if it's a fair amount and the Stang is your only car, go with the Xice2s.

 

I just ordered me a set of Blizzaks. They were supposed to be getting put on yesterday, but one of my wheels showed up with a chip in it. I got a set of the 2010 OE style black wheels from American Muscle since they look pretty decent and they're cheap. Hopefully that wheel can be here by next week to get put on. My P Zeros are starting to not give me the greatest traction when it's been 35 out in the morning. Here's a link to the wheels I got:
http://www.americanmuscle.com/enlarg...18x8-0511.html

 

Thanks. As I'm buying before taking posession of my car I don't really want to gamble which 17's will fit my car and which won't The 2011 brakes are bigger than the 2010's so I think I'll mount winters on my stock rims, and buy new rims for the summer....

Not sure if I can go narrower on 18s...

 

I was also looking at the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3s. They sound like the PS2s for snow. TireRack gives them excellent reviews.

 

Very good idea. And while you CAN go narrower on a 8 or 8.5 inch rim, you shouldn't, not for a car of this size. But just keep the same width and aspect ratio and you'll be fine. The minimal diameter differences from one make to another aren't significant, and change as the tread wears anyhow.

 

I too was looking at those ones (not a lot of choices in OEM size) but finally went with the Blizzaks.

Was considering the Nokian but they're $$$$ and we don't get THAT much snow in Vancouver. If it's that bad out, I'll just stay indoors!

 

Don't know where you guys are coming up with $3-400 for TPMS sensors.

I got take-off's w/ new valve stems for $125 / set of 4 on e-bay and the training tool from AM for $35 ($160 total).

Don't see these there any more, but here's 4 NEW Ford Sensors & Training Tool for $210 shipped from BOI ...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2010-...Q5fAccessories

Better yet, here's NEW Ford Sensors for $33 each shipped, also from BOI ...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2010-...Q5fAccessories

The training tool from AM is now $45 ...
http://www.americanmuscle.com/tpms-tool.html
... so with 4 of the new sensors from BOI on e-bay total would be $177.00 delivered.

For this cost is it really worth messin' around with a TPMS Pipe Bomb ??

Doug

 

I happen to have a set of 17x7.5" wheels I used on my '07 GT for winter tires. They are Sport Edition's... I don't remember the model number, but I can take pictures (currently have some tires mounted, but not winter tires) if you like. They are a model they don't make anymore, just a painted silver 5 spoke wheel--looks very much like what a C6 Grand Sport wheel looks like (just without the "splits" at the end of the spokes, and the lugs aren't recessed like the Corvette wheels). The spoke design is the same sort of thing.

I preferred them over the stock wheels myself. Easy to clean.... Used one winter only.

I have no need for them anymore, sold my '07.... and they don't fit anything else I own. $350 for the set (in case anyone is looking for such a thing).