gmoran1469

Suggestions for best size, and brand, and also where to purchase. Was thinking 17x9.5 would be optimal but looking for opinions.

zero2sixd

Searched "lightweight wheel".

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...s-and-18s.html

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...ons-05-gt.html

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...els-again.html

Argonaut

Two years ago the prevailing wisdom was go with 17s because a) they are slightly lighter and b) the tires were cheaper.

Flash forward to today - its easy to find 18" scrubs because so many race series use them. So 18 tires can be had cheap. Plus, if you are serious about track use, at some point you will probably want to upsize to a big brake kit, thus, IMO 18 rims are the ones to get.

Import_Slaya

Figure out your plans for the car and go from there. The price difference between 17's and 18's is huge in certain tires, but in others it isn't that big of a deal. I decided on 18's, after running 17's on the track for a while, so I could run the Brembos.

After pricing out tires in 17" vs. 18" I realized the tires I intended to run (now and down the road) weren't a big enough difference to keep me with 17's. $40-50 per tire in both the NT05's and NT01's. Only $20 per tire for the Hoosier R6. Only $10 per tire for the BFG-R1.

FWIW, I ended up getting the Steeda Ultralights with NT05's for now. $200/wheel and free shipping right now--great deal. http://www.steeda.com/products/ultra...ilver_s197.php

gmoran1469

That's what I was just looking at import_slaya. I think I just may buy them.

It's trying to charge me shipping on a set of 4 though, even though I clicked the correct link.

jayel579

Look to see what tires sizes are available for the money you want to spend before deciding on rim size. You cold end up with a rim size without a good choice or selection of track rubber. If you can't get good rubber on the ground then it really doesnt matter what rim size you have. It is kinda like playing basketball in dress shoes. I have 275/40R17 size tires, but recently there have been a whole bunch more 18" options out there. Going forward though I doubt I will go with a tire of that size, I will prob go down to a 255. 275 is a lot of tire to use on the track, especially for a novice driver.

You can start an entire new thread and this can one can turn into one on choosing what tires to run. Again, there are lot of options out there. Either way it comes down to what you want to spend or what you feel is a resonable choice then sorting out where you want to take the car in the future.

gmoran1469

Well, these wheels/tires would be strictly track usage. I would keep my stock pair of rims for everyday driving.

I was thinking these since they are sooo cheap. I know they are most likely heavier than the steeda's but they are also .5 inches wider which should give me more surface area.

I am not sure what I want for tires yet, preferrably something cheap since I am sure I would be tearing them up alot but also something sticky. I will transport the wheels out to the track in a separate car and put them on at the track so they don't need to be street legal tires.

Got any recommendations?

Shotokan1509

How do you like the NT05's? Looking at them for a sticky street tire... have you had them in the rain? I try to avoid but have been caught out there, handled it fine with the old Azenis 615's.

Import_Slaya

Those are decent wheels for the money if you like the look. In 18x10 they weigh ~28 lbs. In 18x9 they weigh about 26 lbs. I know the 18x9 has the proper clearance for larger calipers, but you may want to double check the 18x10 due to the different dish.


I'm running 275/40/18 on all four corners and really like them so far. On the street they are actually surprisingly quiet--quieter than the stock BFG's. They do have a stiffer sidewall, though, so the "harshness" is more similar to the 555 RII's I have run in the past. I've only driven them in the rain once and didn't notice anything different compared to the stock BFG's, but I don't drive like an a$$hat in the rain. In SoCal, we don't really get much rain, so that was only a minor criteria for me...

On the track they were all I was hoping for. Grip very similar to the 555RII's, very predictable at the limits (with *plenty* of warning), and unfazed by heat. Didn't really push the pace on the track, but the few times they broke loose in a corner I found them very easy to catch and recover.

I ran hot pressures of 37 psi, which is what I used to target with the 555RII's. They felt a little "softer" than the 555RII's, but it could be a tread depth issue. I'll play with the tire pressures next time out.

peetiewonder

depending on what you are willing to spend, you can generally save some weight with forged wheels, but you will definately pay for it