JerkyChew

Hi,

I'm new to this forum. I picked up a used 2015 GT last week and would like to replace the silver aluminum wheels with some black ones. The current wheels are all 19"x8".

I've been reading up on wheel sizes, trying to figure out what to go with. I saw that some Ford 19" setups were staggered, with 8" wide up front and 8.5" in the rear. I was also interested in looking into 20" wheels, as they would probably look cooler, though I've seen some articles here and elsewhere saying that 20s could actually decrease performance and increase the ride harshness. I don't plan on racing the thing, but I don't want to sabotage my ride just for the sake of looks, either.

I've seen that reviews of the GT350 have started rolling in and thought that since that car was set up for racing, the wheel setup would probably be worth looking into. I was surprised to find that the GT350 wheels are 19 inches in diameter but a whopping 10.5w front and 11.0w rear! Those are some wide wheels!

So, my questions - Does anybody have any experience with wheels that wide in the S550? Do they even fit on a stock GT or would some sort of modifications be necessary? I assume the guts of the cars are similar enough that they should fit but I could definitely be wrong. Assuming they fit, what would the cons be with a setup that wide?

squishbang

The 19" Staggered setup in the performance package setup is actually 10" (255) up front and 11" (275) in the rear. Part of the reason for the increase in wheel size is to clear the big *** Brimbos they also add.

JerkyChew

Oh, I wasn't aware of that - good to know. So if I wanted to upgrade to some of the goodies of the PP, I'd need those wheels? Would PP-sized wheels fit on my GT or are the hubs, offset etc different?

Is it possible to bolt on the PP brakes and rotors or is it insanely expensive?

JerkyChew

Ok so some internet searching found my answer - Looks like I can add the Brembo kit to the Mustang for the low low price of $1700

If I go to tirerack.com and tell it I have the performance package, it does show 9" wide wheels as an option, so unless they're wrong it seems that I could go with that width and still run the Brembos... If I want to spend that much on front brakes!

squishbang

What are you building? A track weapon or just a boulevard cruiser?
In the case of a track weapon I'd suggest going a lot further than just brakes.
For a boulevard cruiser I'd skip upgrading the brakes, buy whatever wheels you like and spend the brake money on other stuff.
But it's your party and I'm just passing through.

AK_Kayaker

The Ford performance pack wheels are 19x9" front and 19x9.5" rear, so if you want to run the same width tires as the PP you would need wheels that wide, and yes PP wheels will fit any GT.
This link is to the brochure, that will show all the various wheels and widths for the 2015 model year.
If you do upgrade to Brembos that are the same as the ones on the PP you would need to run 19" wheels or bigger, yes 20" will fit, but as you thought they will make for a harsher ride, and reduce performance due to being heavier.
I highly doubt GT350 rims would fit, as that car has special front fenders that are wider and have a heat vents rear of the wheel well, and I would bet the extra width is to help cover the 295 tires that are on the front of that car.
As squishbang said figure out what you want to do with the car, and build it accordingly.

Dragonetti

I put 20"x9" front and 20"x10.5" on the rear and the ride quality was unchanged. My car is a none PP GT premium. I also put the Eibach pro spring kit which is a 1" drop. It is stiffer but not harsh. I didn't compare weight with a scale but the new wheels are noticeably lighter when lifted..

Oh and the tire I used on the rear was a 295 30 20 pzero, no rubbing. Will try a 305 when these are done. I can try and post a picture if you want to see fitment?

JerkyChew

Thanks everybody - This has all been very helpful.

So in a nutshell, I came from a 2013 WRX and while it stuck to the road like glue, the ride was very harsh and just plain sucked. But, I've noticed that a couple places where I could enter the turn at a high rate of speed in the WRX have resulted in the *** end of the Mustang kicking out on me, which I'm not a huge fan of. So what I'm looking for is a good balance between ride quality and performance.

I'm not necessarily looking for a track weapon, but at the same time I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by buying parts that may bite me in the *** later. For example, I don't know if I'd ever "need" the Brembos but I want to make sure that they fit in whatever wheel setup I end up getting, just in case.

AK_Kayaker, I think you're right in that the GT350 setup requires those flared out front fenders in order to cover the massive wheel sizes. So I think going that wide is not an option. Right now I'm leaning heavily towards the PP staggered setup with 19's all around but wider in the rear. I'd probably pick up the Ford handling package that ends up with the 1" loweing kit, or something similar.

Dragonetti, Sure, I like pics :-) - You're saying that you haven't had any sort of decrease in ride quality? Does it seem any harsher over bumps? From what I'm reading it looks like a 20" setup results in a bit of a lower profile tire which leads to a more bumpy feeling. I do think that 20s with a lowering kit would look cooler though!

Dragonetti

Right, no real decrease in ride quality, bumps feel the same. My car had the 20" rim package from the factory (which I liked) but they didn't have enough tire under the rear after the supercharger. I did replace the springs and sway bars with the Eibach pro kit which only gave it more of a "performance" feel. Less diving and roll in the corners.