mage

Hi Folks, I'm very new to this, but just entered my 2005 Mustang GT in a local drag race last month. I got the car used & it already has some nice mod's (cold air intake, tuner, etc.). It currently has stock wheels with 245/45/17 Bridgestone Potenzas on it.

I had major problems gripping the road at the starting line. Part of the cause was racing on a regular parking lot surface (because someone had emptied his oil pan on the actual racetrack right before I raced). But I'm guessing my tires were the rest of the story.

I have my eye on the Nitto NT555R after reading this Web site & a few others. The question is--buy some wider wheels, or race on stock? I will only race occassionally & I usually go down there just to watch, but even for street driving I want something that will grip better. If you could send a couple replies either endorsing the stock wheels or recommending a *specific* wheel replacement to go with these tires, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Mage

Jazzman442

If you are going to Drag you might want to get you a set of Drag Slicks mounted on a set of rim's for the track. Then practice with launching your car. Is it a Manual or Auto?

I have a new 2014 GT track and I have great times with the stock tires.

Once you get the bug to race I am sure you will be doing it more often.

houtex

You need LCAs. Stock ones suck for drag racing. Maybe a UCA while you're at it. Launches will improve, no more wheel hop, etc.

For street/strip, I'd say the Cooper RS3-S, same size. They'll do well, and they're a great tire overall.

But if you get semi-serious, get some 9" wide rims for the back (You can choose your diameter, but I'd guess a 17" would be ok), get some drag slicks on them, some skinnies for the front, swap 'em at the track for race, swap back to stock for the drive home. Heck yeah.

mage

Thanks for the replies. It is a manual transmission.


A guy at Tire Rack just told me their engineers have measured the car & won't guarantee that any tire wider than 255 will fit on the car without "rubbing at full lock." Could be the decision to live with stock wheels is getting easier? I'm putting his exact language below.

houtex

Don't turn it as much.

I have the GT500 wheels at 9.5" wide, 275/40-18s on them. They absolutely do not rub at any point, and she's been lowered.

The offset is 45mm though.

So I went here:

http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

And stuck in the numbers.

Stock 17" wheel is 17x8, 35mm offset, using stock 235/55-17 tires.

GT500 wheel is 18x9.5, 45mm offset, but i'm using 275/40-18 on all four.

There are two key diagrams. First is the shadowed diameter one 'between' the two setups so that you can match your diameter of the tires on both, while still keeping the wheel the same in the chart. As you change the second number, you can see the diameters change. You want these as close as possible, without going over the GT500's diameter.

The other one is the bottom one, that shows the mounted widths. The upper left lines show the first and second tire/wheel combo. The top vertical is the one you want to match the GT500's bottom one.

Turns out that the biggest tire you could *theoretically* put on that 17x8, 35mm offset wheel is a 285/45-17, and it *should not* rub.

THAT being said, I do not believe it is safe to put that wide a tire on that narrow a rim.

But I'm thinking you should be able to put a 255 on there if you wanted... it'd just pooch out and look a little odd.

Bear in mind, that is an educated, graphical *GUESS* at best, and you should do your own research and come to the conclusion yourself, rather than have me dictate or sway your opinion.

---

Now, let me tell you this. On a stock GT without power adders, you can fix the traction a lot easier than putting weird sized tires on it, unless you just want fatter tires anyway.

1) Upgraded Rear Lower Control Arms. And Upper if you're so inclined. Nothing more fancy than that, and those LCAs are fairly cheap to install, and will improve the traction by a great deal, not letting wheel hop happen near as much. I like the BMR poly/poly, myself, but anything other than stock is a good move. Night and day.

2) Cooper Zeon RS3s. Either the -S for summer if you're so inclined, or the -A for all season. They are excellent tires in every way, I think, and they were developed on the Mustang, and with Roush. They are not terribly expensive either.

3) See the above, and then read this: Awesome did better with those Cooper Zeon RS3-A's in the 235/55-17s than she does with the 275/40-18s I have now, because they're not the Cooper. The General GMax's are fine tires, a little loud, and have plenty of grip, sure... but they do not hold a candle next to those Coopers, and they're **bigger*. Shouldn't be that way, but it is. The Coopers are quieter, and have better traction than the bigger GMax.

Quality product over quantity of tire patch, that's the point I'm making there. If I could get the Coopers in the sizes I need, then I would have them. Period. I'd pay a little extra just for that privilege.

You do those two things, whether you go back stock tire size or not, I daresay you'd be a long way to having the traction you want, short of a drag set up.

I do hope that helps!