UpTo11

So I'm looking for a new set of wheels on my Mustang as my next mod. I'm definitely going to go with a hypercoated/silver thing. American Muscle has just started selling 19x10 & 19x9 Hypercoated 2010 GT Premium wheels. I understand that 20" rims, while they look great, you experience significant decrease in ride quality, handling, and performance, however 18s, while I can vouch for the fact that they perform beautifully, occasionally look too small in the wheel wells. So my question is; is the 19" Rim a happy medium? Would I get the visual appeal of the 20's, and the performance appeal of the 18's?






Also, what do you guys think appearance wise? I'm trying to get something that kind of blends with the stripes.


Thanks guys.

gman73

Keep in mind when talking about filling in the wheel wells, tire height plays an important roll. Just because the tire is 19" or 20" doesn't mean it's going to be taller than an 18". 19" and 20" will have less side wall. For example a 255/40/19 will be the exact same height as a 255/45/18. Also 19" tires are a lot more expensive than 18"

Driver72

The ironic thing about all this is, I was looking at wheels and tires for the 2011 Mustang GT on Tirerack myself.
The 2011 GT comes with 19" wheels when you order the Brembo Brake package.

Not sure where you got the idea that 20" wheels "decrease ride quality, handling and performance" from. You got the first part right, but the 2nd two you might have missed the target on.

During my search of Tirerack I noticed a few things.
The 20" tires with the same overall diameter of the 19" OEM tires weighed less.
Less weight means less rotational mass. Less rotational mass means better acceleration, braking, and steering.
And the further out the mass is (the tires) the more the weight is affected.

So, in short, if you can find 20" wheels that weigh the same or close to the 19" wheels you are looking for, and then find 20" tires that weight the same or less, you'd actually improve performance and braking of your car, while getting the look you desire.

That all said, I'm not a big fan of 20" wheels on most cars.
I think 18's work great on smaller performance cars and 19's look best on midsized performance cars.
20's on the large cars (like SRT-8's) look good however.

Overall, just go with what looks good to you and is in your price range.
You seem to like the 19's and they are a perfect balance of looks, size and performance.

peetiewonder

I've found that generally the 20" rim is going to outweigh the 19" rim by more than the 19" tire will outweigh the 20" tire so you are left with heavier systems with the 20s.

I mean metal weighs more than rubber right?

That being said, I don't think you can go wrong either way, I'm running 19x9.5 on my car and love the stance although sometimes I wish I had 20s. For me 19" is a happy medium although 20s look perfectly fine because of the enormous tires on our cars.