07CS

I have an 07' CS and I want to lower the car. It is a daily driver so I only wanna lower it a little. I was considering buying the Shelby-GT springs but I am not sure. I also wanna put some wider tires in the rear and am looking for sizes that are similiar side wall height just wider for the rear. Any Ideas? much appreciated.

Jazzer The Cat

Your existing tires are 235/50/18"s. If you want stock wheels, you will not get much wider, so I recommend upgrading wheels as well. Many pepes run 20" wheels on S197 Stangs ('05+ models) but, recommend 18"s or 19"s myself. I think that 20"s limit your options too much as far as tire/wheel combos. With that said, if I were you, I would find me some 10" rims (maybe 10.5"s) and go with 295/30/18"s. These WILL NOT be near the profile hight of existing, but don't recommend that high a sidewall. once lowered (or anytime, for that matter [8D]) This will easily fit under your car, and fit nice once it is lowered, IMHO . These will leave you lots of clearance, be a little over 2" wider and make your ride much more responsive in the corners. It WILL ride stiffer, but mostly due to new springs, struts etc...... You will have to recalibrate the speedo, but am told it is an easy fix.

Let me know if that is the direction you want to go.

Jazzer

07CS

I just wanna go a little wider not extreme. I dont have any money to spend on new wheels and I really like the way the polished 5 spoke 18's look on it right now.

Norm Peterson

A little wider that still fits on your 8.5" wide wheels is 255/45, and that sizehas the same sidewall height as your 235/50's to within a small fraction of an inch (very, very few people would ever notice 1/8" difference). It's not going to look hugely wider because most people look at width as being the section width midway up the sidewall. An 8.5" wheel stretches the 235/50 out a little bit wider than its 235 nominal width suggests, while an 8.5" wheel may shrink a 255 to a little narrower than what 255 sounds like. IOW, it won't be 20 mm wider, probably more like 5 - 10 mm.

A 235 as measured on 7.5" has about 9.25" section width
A 235measured on 7.5" and mounted on 8.5" has about 9.65" section width (245 mm)
A 255 as measured on 8.5" has about 10.04" section width
A 255measured on 9" and mounted on 8.5" has about 9.84" section width (250 mm)

But the 255/45's tread will still be ~1/2" wider, and anybody following you will still see that little bit extra if they're sharp enough tolook only at how muchof the width is actually contacting the road(if they aren't exactly aware of why they may still vaguely sense that the tire isa little wider without being able to identify why they think it is). And since this combination also works up front you could eventually get a full set of four and be able to rotate the tires front to back.


Norm

Jazzer The Cat

To keep existing wheels, you will only be able to go with 245's and stay within specs of all tire manufacturers I know. Your lookin' at approx. 3/8" gain in width. I think that you will "appear" to be wider if you go with a lower profile. 50 series is quite tall, and 40 series would be a nice choice, again IMHO

Jazzer