urlosingbd

Is there much difference in handling/performance? Can get a good deal on some chrome factorybullitts wheels but want some 9". Done a little research, saying that the difference is not noticeable. Of course it will look better though having more meat on the back!

just wanted to here some of guys/gals thoughts.

thanks for the help.

Denny Carlton

This is my 17x9, they ride a lil harder then the stock 16's. But looks much better then the 16's

Boozshey

Why not just get 18x9 and 18x10's if you are looking for a bigger tire set up?

howarmat

The tire will be a deciding factor more than the rim size.....but an 8 inch rim limits you to 255 pretty much while a 9 will allow 285

urlosingbd

thanks for the help. Wanted to stay w/ factory rims but those Mach1 & GT500 rims form americanmuscle look super sweet!

Jazzer The Cat

You will get some additional performance on wider tires as you have several things to consider. You have a greater contact patch with wider tires on wider rims. Example: 295's on 10" wheel has about 3/4" more contact than 275's on 9" wheel. You will tend to "track" more on wider tires (just go for a ride on my 10"s & 11"s as I can look like I had a few too many glasses of wine with certain road conditions).

You will also have to increase your budget for wider tires as cost will go up. I think the additional contact patch out-weighs the expense and explanation to any potential officers of the peace :-) Not to mention, the look of fat-meats all around.

Jazzer

Blazineagle

I kept my original 17x8's up front and went with a set of 18x10's in the rear. I do not have a handling problem, but the price of the tires shot way up.

Norm Peterson

Blazin - there is a difference between having a problem and having enough of the right kind of experience to be able to identify it for what it is.

In most anything resembling normal driving, additional understeer is rarely seen as being a problem. If anything, it feels "safe" to most folks specifically BECAUSE the car does not threaten to do anything unexpected or sudden. Nice and predictable makes for a relaxing drive, and that's what really matters most to most drivers.

That Ford has consistently selected S197 wheel widths at or near the upper end of the tires' approved width range certainly helps here, but can't change the ultimate behavior up close to the limits of lateral tire grip. And until they've actually pushed a car all the way into heavy grinding understeer, most people don't really know what understeer is.


Norm