Cruzinaround

[QUOTE=04stangman;8410272]Thanks for all that info Someone needs to make this stuff a little easier. I just don't understand why there are only 2 sets of tires for this rim size on the planet? The summer only Goodyear's and the Michelin. :/

Well aren't yours staggered diameters? 19" front and 20" rears?

Cooper aka Mickey Thompson makes tires for these rim sizes(used by Roush and SALEEN). So does Falken, BFG and Pirelli. I've even seen them from Yokohama and Hankook tires that come in these diameter size with appropriate sidewall heights. Then there's always Nitto. With a little research you'll likely find tons more.

boom
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Cruzinaround

The thing with tire rack is they don't list all the tire size options available for every tire manufacturer they represent. The only way you're going to find out if a manufacturer really does make the size you want is to go directly to their website and look for the sizes there. Often what they list can be purchased from a tire dealer in your area. Tire rack is great for online ordering but they don't special order sizes they don't list. And they only list the products they deal with. For example...Cooper's Zenon RS3-A all-season performance tires are not on their list of choices, yet this is the 4th largest tire manufacturer world wide. I don't think they list Falken Tires either and that's another well engineered performance tire that fits our Mustangs.

And they don't carry many other top notch manufacturers so you would limit your palette of choices to just what they offer. It may be a good selection, but its not all thats out there.

However, they are good for some basic research on tires and fitment. And if the palette they offer suits your needs, then they can be a one stop shop. Unless you're a bit more fickle.

Just saying.
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808muscle

That is the one downside to the new GT500's. Those 9.5 wide wheels suck. Time for a Forgestar upgrade.

PNYXPRESS

Nope, never once has I looked at any of my cars and said "those are some sexy f***ing tires right there!"

Cruzinaround

Well....I don't think the tires are the sexy part of the look...That is the job of the wheels. The tires however can look all business. Like they're seriously sticky and aggressive. And that's the icing on the intimidation factor.

Boom
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Norm Peterson

I know. But for purposes of comparing dimensions for any given tire size it doesn't make any difference whose 285/35 -20 or 265/40-19 or whatever other sizes you want, regardless of who makes them.

For final choices, of course you might have to look elsewhere. But even if you don't buy from TR, the information there is the easiest to get at, so you'd be able to go into your actual purchase knowing that much within small fractions of an inch or a handful of revolutions per mile.


I'll bet you haven't heard much about Cooper tires because until recently they didn't have even any halfway-serious performance offerings. Touring tires, like what you'd put on a minivan or a nothing-special sedan or commuter-car . . . sure.


Found this, dated a couple of years ago (Motor Trend). Boldface mine.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...#ixzz383j7EGj5



FWIW, I've driven on the immediate predecessor to the BFG Sport Comp 2's, and I can describe them as having decent but not spectacular grip in a straight line, ditto during cornering, but they are poor when it comes to accelerating out of a corner.


Norm

Cruzinaround

Norm, I understand. Tire Rack is actually an excellent research resource for tires in general.

Cooper tires is also Mickey Thompson now BTW. The RS3-S is the same tire as the MT street comp.

Reviewed here
http://www.lsxtv.com/tech-stories/wh...comp-uhp-tire/

And here....

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-t...p-street-tire/


And as the cooper nameplate also slapped on the Roush team specialy builds....

It's reviewed as a street tire alternative to OEM equipped Michelin PS2's here...

http://www.windingroad.com/articles/...3-s-and-rs3-a/

This is not to say these are the next thing since sliced cheese.... But they are a relevant option today. And have been compared to the PS2 standards they set out to compete with.


I've been on BFG's, PS2's, Yoko's, Kook's and Now MT's and Coopers as summer shoes.

I just prefer the Cooper/MT's.

but they are not the only options out there.

They are however a relevant and affordable performance option for our vehicles. Oh and the Mickey Thompson splash on the sidewall is kinda .....Sexy. ;-)

just saying

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PNYXPRESS

I ran a set of coopers perf tires on my sixxer and did not like them at all. the side wall so soft and flimsy the car felt like it was going to spin out all the time.

Maybe they have changed that as its been awhile since I had them on a car.

Cruzinaround

They must be far stiffer now on the Zeon RS3's and their twin the MT's. Not sure what you were on.... ???? Roush seems to prefer them and I can't blame them.... since I'm very happy with them.


My BFG's would constantly break loose...like always even on my SRT4. The PS2's would feel like they were about to give on the turns if they didn't just give and they broke loose easier on both the Stang and the SRT. Hankooks were just freakin noisy and sucked major ballz in the rain. Yoko's were likely for the drifting ricer crowd...they were always spinning even if you sprayed them with a fixative.....they were cheap though.

These Cooper/MT's.... stick and pull. Just the way I like it. And if what Cooper claims is correct the engineering they put into the manufacture process also results in a lower un-sprung weight on the vehicle. Maybe why Roush prefers them...if it give them an advantage then....why not.



Just saying
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PNYXPRESS

Maybe it was an old design. The only had a single ply nylon sidewall. The grip was awesome but under hard cornering the sidewall would flex.

I now run falken tires which has a 2 ply polyester sidewall which gives them a more consistant feel thru the corners.