Cruzinaround

Someone forgot to tell Mickey Thompson or all the cars in this video they shouldn't be using Big wheels and low pros... Hmmmm. Just dropping knowledge.


Mine is driven all year maybe 4 days a week about 10 miles total each day. But, came OEM equipped with 19'x8.5 running first on P-Zeros All Seasons and Now Scotozero Winters. Again the ride is something I'm used to and being on well maintained roads... the bumpiness in my ride is not applicable. As for the Summer its 20x9-20x11 staggered on Coopers/Micky's RS3-S all around.

Stops on a dime... Corners like its on rails and Sticks to the limits of the tire and when it does give its a linear and controllable experience. Handles like a performance car should. Outperforms many (if not all) the top tier summers from the top three manufacturers and everyone else beneath them.

My SRT4 is on 18x8 inch OEMs all around with PS2 skins. For a FWD 4banger ... this thing also handles like you're magnetized to the road.

Big light weight wheels....wide rubber and strong reinforced sidewalls fit my application, driving style and conditions.

Again its all relative to who you are, what you like, where you drive and how you drive. One person's perfection is another's caveat.

SMR2647

Hmmm. Thanks race car driver.

Cruzinaround

Oh ... You didn't watch the video. These are all Street Cars driven by the daily driver next door type.


Yup... In yer face bub. Dropping knowledge.

Cruzinaround

And therefore you have smaller wheels.

drag Radials are optimal for 17 to 20 inch wheels. And can do limited duty on the street.

Anything smaller you go with bias ply for better straight line performance.

If you didn't know... Now you know.

waykooljr

Would be interesting to see a shoot out with the same Mustang and driver, 18's vs 20's. Showing a video of a bunch of cars running 20's doesn't prove anything other than they chose to run 20's. As the driver said, the car was set up for street and SEMA.

I read this article from Car and Driver, Effects of Upsized Wheels and Tires Tested

Granted it's not a Mustang, nor do they test 20's, but from their test, 17's and 18's were the sweet spot on the car they tested.

From what I've gathered, a smaller sidewall does improve handling but I believe there's a limit to how small you can go before handling is sacrificed.

Cruzinaround

17 to 18's are the sweet spot on FWD and AWD sedans.

On RWD vehichles with a power to weight ratio that exceeds 8Lbs per HP like Ferrarri and Mecedes and BMW M-series they already did similar studies showing vehicles loading that power to the 2 rear wheels benefit from the 19 to 20 inch pocket. Thus their performance lines come equipped as such.

Each application has its sweet spot.

Any streetable car can be setup for autocross SEMA. The Boss 302 is such a car that comes from the showroom floor with a set of 19 inch wheels and an appointment out the door to go to a track session and put the vehicle through its paces on a closed course with professional instruction.

So does the GT 500. For that matter so does a Z06, LS2, SRT Challenger or Charger, AMG, Roush, Saleen, etc etc....In fact Roush comes equipped with 20 inchers running on Cooper RS3-S (AKA Mickey Thompson Street Comp) And that's the pocket they choose as the sweet spot for their vehicles performance. Not just looks.

They choose tested optimal packages for a high performance and streetable vehicle....not a straight line quarter horse.

Most performance cars today including modern American Muscle can pull double duty as a purpose built car that can go fast and zigs ...

Diabolical!

Droppin' knowledge, lol. What track do you race at?

Cruzinaround

Pocono Downs....and the once a month autocross events for the NEPA Corvette Club.

Why? Is there a problem. I believe Hoosiers might only make Drag radials for 17 and up to 20 inch only now.

I'll have to check.

Their Bias ply tires are still made for as small as 15 inch wheels last I checked.

Then again if you're equipping bias ply you should also be putting down serious HP beyond the average bolt ons. The bias ply are usually seen on top end dragsters with ET's in the 6's to low 7's ...

bTW....why do you care anyway? it's not like you were at drag week proving to all those daily drivers... Why those teeny wheels can't get close to the average ET's they laid down over 5 days between 5 tracks with over 300 miles between each track to travel each day in the car they're racing.

Hmmm.

You could meet me on the highway and stomp on me a bit.... Just until the Hoosiers blow out from having to sustain a top speed above 120 for more than 12 seconds. then I can toss out a can of fix flat as I pass you hitting 180MPH.?..

All in good fun of course. know the limits of your application.

kevinmalec

When I bought my car used, it came with 20 inch Cobra R wheels. I lowered the Mustang with Eibach pro-kit springs and the ride is pretty rough. Cornering feels much better, however the pot holes, bumps, dips and debri on the road make it a rough and harsh ride at times. Thankfully, the roads around here are in decent shape and I don't worry too much about big pot holes and destroying my wheels. I purchased my Sumitomo HTRZII's tires from Tire Rack and only paid $119 a piece, plus shipping. I had them shipped to a local NTB store and they installed. Price is good, but they are not the best tires either. IMO, I would prefer 18 inch wheels over the 20's. Less weight and more rubber! Just my 2 cents.

Cruzinaround

For comfort...yes 18's would offer more cushion on a lowered (hence stiffer) suspension, however the sidewalls would be taller and take away from the cornering ability. The GT's stock touring suspension actually absorbs much of that harshness, but if you're going to lower the vehicle its gonna just get more road feedback and feel rougher over potted and pitted tarmac. I really don't drive anywhere that the roads are riddled with potholes. And in the Winter a wheel/tire swap to 19's with a little more meat helps when there are uneven patches left from the road crews doing their thing to the roads I travel.

The biggest obstacles on the mountain roads I drive are deer. Hitting one of them on the twists....it don't matter what tire you're on you're screwed. Aside from nature's wild creatures popping up... there's the tree debris that hits the road after heavy rainfall or snow.... Again...I just slow down on those occasions. But the ride is as smooth and comfortable as the roads we travel.

If I lived in NYC i certainly would not be on 20's. But I have driven in NYC with my 19's on. And on the 18's on my SRT4.

I'll bet when you had the touring suspension on it was a better comfortable ride before you lowered it?

Still...looks very nice in that pic with the Cobra R's. Looks like a sweet ride.

Also if those Cobra R's are forged wheels you're not adding much weight over the smaller stock Cast Wheels. they would be lighter and Stronger and the rubber would also be lighter to offset any unsprung weight difference.

Just Saying.

And now that the car is already lowered.... the comfort difference would be marginally better on 18's since your suspension is already ...stiffer. Just lucky you didn't go with the sportline lowering option... That would be even stiffer.