Seeking Guidance: Tires, Rims and Lowering
 

Hello all,

Let me begin by saying: I'm a noob. The extent of my knowledge about cars and mods comes from what I've read here in this forum over the past week. So needless to say, I'm looking for some guidance.

I will want to replace the stock 18" aluminum wheels on my 2012 GT. Appearance of the rims aside, what size is ideal? Do I want larger tires in the rear? Do the rim sizes matter? I want it to look good, but I don't want to detract from the quality of the ride. Smoothness is something that is important to me. I really don't like feeling the bumps in the road. I would also want the car lowered, but don't know the first thing about it.

With all that said, I'd love to hear from all of you as to what you would suggest for tire and rim size, and what to consider when lowering the car, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Keep the same diameter rim and tire sidewall height
and the ride will stay mostly the same.
I dont think that you want staggard fitment.
You really want to keep the revs per mile the same.

Man and I would kill for those 18" rims and you want to get rid of them...
Go figure...

Can't speak to wheels and tires - still running stock as VEssen. But I just did add the Eibach Pro's and I love them. 1" in the front and 1.5" in the rear. It now looks like it should have from the factory. Ride quality is much better than I expected, very close to stock. The car sits level now and the gap between the wheel and tire is much smaller.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Alan, could you confirm which kit to get?

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/pro...pring-Kit.html

-or-

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/pro...ering-Kit.html

Also, what's the story with the Roush and Steeda kits? They are triple the price. Are they really worth it?

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/pro...nsion-Kit.html

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/pro...on-System.html

VEssen,
I have just the springs, I didn't change sway bars. Don't know about the other springs, the Eibach came highly recommended by two others I met so that is what I went with. Check out CJ Pony Parts, they have them on sale now for $197.16 with free shipping.

http://www.cjponyparts.com/eibach-lo...-2011/p/EBS18/

Good luck with whatever you choose.

alan did you change your struts or panhard bar with the eibachs?

I did not change the struts, several posts said you didn't need to, but warned that the strut life would be diminished. This is not a daily driver for me, I may change the struts & shocks to ones designed for lowering springs.

I may or may not order an adjustable panhard bar, my rearend is about a 1/4 inch to the right. It is not noticeable and doesn't affect the way the car drives. But, I like things to be square, so we will see.

I do love the look of the lowered car, it really should have come from the factory that way.

Steeda, Eibach, BMR or FRPP are all great springs and give you a decent drop. As for wheels, I suggest getting at least 19s if not 20s. 18s are just too small for the new stangs. Unless of course you're going to track it. For me, I went with FRPP K springs and Forgestar F14 wheesls 20x9 20x11 and it fits perfectly.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...g/IMG_0976.jpg

Swervo, when you say 18s are too small are you just referring to the appearance?

Alan, this is going to be my everyday car, and I plan to drive the he'll out of it. Would you recommend I get the sway bars? And here is the noob question of the day: what are struts?

I agree with Swervo, I am going with 19's on my car, I think stock CS wheels, my car is white and I think they will look good on it. there is just too much rubber on the 18 inch wheels.

Others may (will) disagree, but lowering the car makes it handle really nice with no other additions. Unless you are going to autocross or something like that I don't see spending the money. But if you want ultimate performance, upgrades to bigger sway bars will tighten it up for sure. But if you are going that far, you might as well make it a complete handling package. Swervo or some of the others can guide you far better than I can.

You can think of the strut assembly as basically the "shock absorbers" on the front of the car. It actually has more components but that is a very simplified description.

Thanks for starting this thread. I wasn't finding much for the 2011-2012 in terms for lowering spring and the "gotchas".

Yes, 18s look way too small IMO.

Sway bars are a must if you want better handling. If not, your stock ones are fine.

Struts are basically your front shock absorber that your springs mount on. Here's a pic of my Koni strut.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...o/IMG_0247.jpg

Did you have any trouble fitting 11 in the back? What kind of offsets are you running?

40 front and 53 rear

I must (respectfully) disagree with this. Simply dropping a Mustang with no other additions situates the suspension past factory specs. If you drop it a lot, handling will suffer unless you address the following:

(1) Adjustable Panhard rod to re-center the rear axle.

(2) Bump-steer kit to correct abnormal steering geometry in the front. This is due to the steering linkages being placed at an incorrect angle and toeing out the wheels.

(3) Lower control arm relocation brackets to restore correct LCA positioning (arm should be parallel with the ground). Without this, you may experience noticeable tail-hop and lost traction as the axle is pushed upwards by momentum whenever you accelerate. At this point, you may as well go with tubular LCAs (adjustable is an option; this affects the distance between the front and rear wheels and is best left alone).

(4) Springs and shocks should be matched, otherwise enjoy the bouncy-bouncy. Don't cut the springs either; remember, your springs are progressive and cutting them destroys the spring rate.

(5) Factory bump stops may need to be replaced with shorter versions, otherwise you may bottom out on them whenever you hit bumps. Do not cut them. They are progressive "springs" and it's really a bad idea to just lop them off.

After some time, it seems that some aftermarket suspensions will start to squeak...My brother dropped a lot of cash to upgrade the full suspension on his G35...sometime later, everything was squeaking. He took it back to the shop and all they could do was oil/grease all the grommets. One month later, the squeaks came back. Does this happen often? Does your current setup squeak? If not, how long have you been riding on the current suspension and what is the set up? thanks.

In your opinion, then, would this be the better option?

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/pro...ering-Kit.html

If not, what would be your recommended "Buy List" for a complete lowering kit? Thanks in advance.

If you’re looking for a complete package for your 2011-12 Mustang, we just released a complete Hotchkis Track Pack TVS which includes a bunch of track-proven components. It includes; Sport coil springs (1.1” front and 1.6”rear drop), lightweight tubular adjustable front and rear sway bars, lightweight strut tower brace, K-member brace, subframe connectors, and heavy duty adjustable rear suspension package with adjustable panhard bar, adjustable upper trailing arm, and heavy duty lower trailing arms.

http://www.hotchkis.net/_uploaded_fi...tpromo_pic.jpg

That's a nice kit. My friend Mike with the GB RTR has it.

Hotchkis, thanks for the info on that kit. I should probably let it be known that I won't be tracking my car. In fact, smoothness of ride is far more important to me than anything else. I want the look of the lowered ride, but I don't want to feel the bumps in the road. If that's possible.... that's what I'm aiming for. Will this kit accomplish that, and if so, what's the price tag on it? I'd also appreciate everyone else' feedback as well as to what I should be looking at to accomplish my goal. I realize this isn't a luxury car, and I will feel bumps, I just want to minimize it as much as possible.

Couldn't be happier with my setup with no noticeable negative side effects.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9...g/_DSC1226.jpg

19X9 in front with 19X10 out back. Just about feels the same as with the stock 18X8's. If your worried about it just look for a nice set of 18's to put on. Iv seen some that look good when its lowered.

Maybe try asking around about this package. It gives a modest drop that should be dealer friendly so you shouldn't have any issues with warranty work as long as you get a Ford dealer to install also. But if you choose not to go with this pretty much any progressive spring is going to be good for a comfortable low ride. As far as struts, a lot of people on here use Koni yellows. Now wheels and tires, if you remain with the same size things should remain pretty close to stock.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-h...ck-0512gt.html

Swervo - Thanks! We hope Mike likes his new TVS kit!

�@

VEssen - The entire suspension upgrade TVS kit has a suggested retail price of $2633. Our distributors periodically have special prices on Hotchkis parts. We've already seen it selling for a few hundred dollars less through other forum sponsors.

If you're looking for a smoothe ride, but want to lower your Mustang and upgrade the cornering performance, we suggest a set of Sport Springs and a set of front and rear adjustable sway bars if the stock sway bars are not performing well enough for you. If you’re not worried about handling and just want the lower stance, the springs alone may be a good choice. We pride ourselves on designing springs that improve stance and handling but still offer a sporty but comfortable ride. That said – the car will not be as smooth as it is stock. Any time you lower a car with sport springs they will have shorter travel, increasing the chance of the car bottoming out over bumps. Spring manufacturers compensate for this by making the spring rate stiffer. We have ridden in cars equipped with our competitor’s springs and they are much stiffer – but even our parts won’t ride like stock.

http://www.hotchkis.net/_uploaded_fi...3promo_pic.jpg


Here's the parts we offer for the new Mustang: CLICK

Hotchkis, that is very helpful. Thank you kindly.

--Deleted--

Disregard my above post. Having read this, I think I'm sold on the Koni STR.T Shocks and Struts and Steeda Sport Springs. So my next question is, do I need anything else? For example the OP in that thread also replaced the factory strut mounts with Steeda's heavy duty mounts and strut brace.

I'm also not sure where to get the best price on these...

IMO don't go bigger than 19s

I would actually prefer 18s or 19s, but right now I'm pretty much sold on the Vossen VVSCV3s which only come in 20...

That is the same thing I'm considering. Sam Strano has a package that sells them together for about 650 here. Shipping and handling idk about though. Everyone seems to be extremely please with the set up.

Thanks, I may actually take a road trip and go see him.. looks like about 5 hours from me. I want to be able to trust whoever touches my car, and he certainly seems to have gained the trust of many around here.

Any time :)

And yeah I hear ya on that.. I don't even let others drive mine. Few even sit in the drivers seat. Lol.

Good luck and post back here to let us know how it goes, if you don't mind.

i know im new to the forum but i would love to see a stickie on all of these subjects

Super flush
 

Swervo, You mentioned your forgestars fit perfectly. You havent had any rubbing issues in the rear? And great choice going a 35 tire in the back. I am considering a similar set up on a 2005.

Yeah, no rubbing what so ever even with a 1.5" drop.

Another Question
 

Looks so clean! Another question, if you dont mind. Did forgestar or one of their dealers reccommend the rear offset to you?. I am curious because I like these wheels but I have a 2005. Not sure of any big differences as compared to the 2011/2012s as far as rear suspension components and clearances are concerned. I inquired to a local dealer here in Carson and they havent recommended an offset to go with, just wheel widths. I guess I should just measure to be sure. Also, did you have the long wait for production like some other members? I was quoted 4-6 weeks and I am local so I guess it could save some time.

I called Forgestar directly and talked to Peter. He recommended getting 20x11s for the rear and said they had the perfect offset and he was right. I also purchased directly from them and drove up to pick them up.

Swervo! your ride is sicker than sick itself. I need to know a couple of things if you don't mind.
1. Are your tires summer or all-season?
2. Did you add a camber kit when lowering? If so, which one?
3. What's the offset on your whees? Using any spacers?
4. What's the ride quality like? I'm assuming a lot worse than stock. Would I be accurate?

Thanks!

[QUOTE=yankeehick5.0;7681955]Swervo! your ride is sicker than sick itself. I need to know a couple of things if you don't mind.
1. Are your tires summer or all-season? Summer tires
2. Did you add a camber kit when lowering? If so, which one? Maximum Motorsports, it's in my signature.
3. What's the offset on your whees? 40 front 53 rear Using any spacers? No
4. What's the ride quality like? I'm assuming a lot worse than stock. Would I be accurate? It's stiffer than stock but it's not bad.