For those of you with oversized wheels

First off, I cannot believe that I have ~43,000 miles on these tires and they aren't slicks yet. Second off I cannot believe how well the factory (GT) tires performed since they LOOK like they belong on a Windstar or Taurus not a GT.

But the time is approaching when I'll need new shoes, I figure in the next 4-8 weeks the tread will be in the danger zone.

I'm planning on getting aftermarket wheels with the tires since the factory upgrade wheels for 2005 are fugly. Visually speaking I'd always thought that getting 20s would be the way to go but I'm hearing they are a bad choice for anything other than the cosmetic appeal. I'm guessing that is due to unsprung weight increase. Anyone wanna argue with that?

it seems that 18s are the way to go from a performance and ride quality standpoint, but going from 17 to 18 is a small visual gain with a high price tag, and they still wont clear big brakes like the 19/20s will. 19" wheels limit tire choice in a big way too.

I'd like to get 9-10 inch wide wheels so I can put a bigger contact patch down, but do not want to do serious damage to the wonderful fuel economy I'm getting with the skinny factory tires (22-24MPG in mixed driving is awesome). I'm also not in favor of the usual approach of 10s in back and 8.5s in front since then I cannot rotate even directional rubber.

I'd like to hear the various viewpoints and argument in favor of and against all of my preconceived notions. I've always respected and trusted the advice i get here.

I have 20 x 8.5 on all four corners, i wish to have the 10's in the rear, but that comes next. I run Toyo Proxess 4 tires and got about 40k out of the first set without being in danger. I have ridden in other stangs and i can't feel a difference in 17, 18, or 20's on the corners. Performance, who cares, how often do you really need the top performance on your stang, Once maybe twice a year or lifetime. Get what looks the best or you will always be upset that you didn't. Have fun, be safe, and drive responsibly crazy!

I have 20x8.5 up front aqnd I have 20x10 out back. If you click on my sig, 08GT Wolfen, you will see my rims.

Heritage Shelby Torque Thrust M's just like on the 65 Only the 65's is original Torque thrusts !

As far as weight goes, get yourself a good rim and they should not be to heavy at all. Tires will cost more of course, but the performance is very nice, exp since I put down a bigger contact out back. IMO the s197 platform was made for 20's.

I'll be going to a 305 out back soon. Just wearing these down a bit more...

Sorry, but I think 20's look too "pimp my ride", especially if you keep the stock brakes. I've got 19's and I think the stock brakes look ridiculous.

I think 19's look the best, but you're right, the tire choice with 19's is pretty limited. Hopefully with the 2010 Stang coming on 19's, that will improve. So far, I'm really liking my Kuhmo's. I get great performance and am still getting good gas mileage.

Getting the CORRECT 20's makes all the difference in the world. Look at my GT rims, and tell me if they looked "Pimp out". Plus the difference between 20's and 19's are so small its crazy. I highly doubt you could tell the rim size by just looking at them.

I have 18" x 10" wheels front and rear, the Roush wheels I have will clear pretty much any 14" brake kit. The tire selection is large and you can rotate front to rear. I run 275/40R/18 Nitto INVOs and they make the car look a lot better from the rear with wide tires. I think the 275 is the widest you can go in front without rubbing and you can go up to 315 in the back I think. I am not sure what the roads are like where you are but I think 20's can ride harsh on rough roads. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Sorry, but those sure as heck look like 20's to me. But if I didn't already know they were 20's I might not be able to tell. You're right though, your wheels definitely don't look stupid like some other Stangs I've seen on 20's.

20's just look too big in my opinion. But that's all it is, my opinion. If you like yours, that's all that matters.

Thanks. That was my point. Yes I have seen some crazy looking 20's on people stangs..even those 22 and 24's on some...(WHY?????)

But a nice set of 20's can look nice. In truth, a nice WIDE rim in the back is what sets our stangs apart. a --x10~10.5 always look good.

Thanks for all the replies and votes so far. Cosmetically these things are purely a matter of taste, there's some scientific basis when performance is concerned but I do not race my car or drive ANYWHERE NEAR the limit, that is why I get 22-24MPG and 43,000+ miles on a set of tires.

I am concerned with ride quality, mainly from a comfort standpoint. I do not mind what most consumers would call a harsh ride, my classic has 620#/225# springs on it and is lowered running 245/45-17s (about as thin a sidewall and large a rubber as they can take). I am a little reluctant to get on the harsh side of ride quality for the serious enthusiasts on these boards though...lol. I'm guessing that those who say 20s ride poorly are probably seeing that as a result of the thin sidewalls more than the size of the rims.

I wanted to wait a day before I added anything, but one thing I wanted to say is I have a personal preference for seeing some meat (relatively high sidewall) on Mustangs. The ones DarkFire has are a perfect example of what I mean, what size tires are those? I looked around and it seems like the 20s all come with 30-35 series sidewalls. That is practically a rubber band! Do they not have 45 series sidewalls available or do they simply not fit on the 20s? If I get 18s can I run a 50-55 series sidewall and have the overall size of the 20s with more meat and cushioning for the ride? Stangningjak, yours do not look so paper thin in that photo, are those 40-series?

Another thing worth mentioning...I am decidedly against the pimped/bling look of SOME 20s...and I don;t mean the spinners...lol. Seriously, I think a retro style of wheel avoids the pimped-bling look fairly well. I was looking at some Black bullits for my car since it is Mineral Grey. I like the black FR500s too but they don't come in 20s.

Also worth mentioning, the brand of wheel has as much to do with brake clearance as the size. I friend of mine removed his 20s since his 14" brakes would not clear, he's running Roush 18s with no problem though...weird. I would like to upgrade by brakes later, but until then I'm also kinda worried about the factory ones looking like a Honduh unside the bigger rims.

I still cannot decide...keep up the comments and opinions, but please do not insult other people's cars. All opinions are good, but they are just that...opinions.

In our opinion we find the Staggered 20's (8.5" front / 10" rear) to be the best compromise between looks and performance for the S197s. As long as you use a good quality wheel and keep a decent sidewall on the tire (we use 255/35s front 275/35s rear) you will not sacrifice too much ride quality either. Not to mention they will increase the overall clearance of the vehicle. Thank you

19x8.5 front
19x9.5 rear

Darien87, those wheels are fantastic. To the OP, my only concern upgrading to a non OEM wheel is replacement. If you do decide to go aftermarket, keep in mind some wheel designs become discontinued after a short time on the market meaning if you need a replacement, you're out of luck and have to buy another set. A friend of mine with an 05 had 20's (a lot of dealers threw these on to add profit margin-overpricing the wheels while keeping MSRP at sticker) and a year ago he hit a pothole, popped the tire and bent the rim. Tire replacement not a problem but the company stopped producing the wheel. Sorry, don't know the company name or tire/wheel size.

I think 19s look best on the S197. Specifically, those ones on Chad's car. I am waiting until I can afford those, or ASA just came out with a new rim that I think looks amazing.

ASA GT1 Bright Silver Paint

Those are all nice. I had not considered replacement availability, kinda makes sense to buy a 5th rim now that I think bout it. Unless you get staggered widths, then you'd need a 6th...sigh.

What about spares? The factory spare is not going to be big enough anymore, at least for the rear end if you get a flat. Any of you guys carry a full-size spare in the trunk?

Hey....

to me...
of the 18's i couldn't find any that i liked that didn't look a bit too small for such a big car, and 20's are almost too big....
i really wanted 19's for my car... but they costed too much for me.. i found a nicely priced set of 20's....

the sidewalls with 20's are so small, when i looked up the sizes it says they're a tiny bit smaller in overall diameter than factory (with a 295 30 on a 20x10)
either way the change is so small for the spare you'll be alright... it's only a spare afterall


i've been running mine for about 2 weeks and i love 'em


i'm more of a race person than a style person... but these turn heads! plus... thats why i have a seperate set of race wheels!

+1.

Why make your car start slower, stop longer...and corner crappier? I think 20" wheels look GREAT! But...that's it. Too much added weight. Tires are too much $. Blah.

I guess if you have 400hp, you can still turn the tires over....but your stopping power will suck greatly. My theory is, the faster you make it, the faster you should stop it.

Anyway....I think 19's are a good look, but not enough tires available in that size. 18's are plentiful in all flavors of widths and manufacturer's.

I would put some 18x10s (Roush or some other forged wheel)....and some 275s at all corners. Lower the car a tad....and if you can afford a staggered, then I'd do 275s in the front and something like a 305 or 315 in the back.

Good luck!

If you upgrade your power, you will need to upgrade your brakes, no matter what size tire you run. In the end, its up to what you like best. My ride quality is great, and my rims are head turners. Even when I am at a light, I see people looking at my car, and checking out the rims.

Deep dish 20's just look dam good. And yep, its the quality of the rim you buy and tire. Shelby's + Nitto's = quality tire and rim

i dont neccesarily agree with the upgrading brakes. yeah those big 14" discs are great, but depending how your using the power, your not always going to use it.

i'm running 15x4s all year round on the front, daily driven. braking is definitely less then stock, but still better then most.



i'm a huge fan of the staggard set up, as you can tell. i think with the bigger tires out back it looks meaner. not being able to rotate em doesn't suck too bad.

i'd say at the biggest go 19s. i've seen some decent set ups with 20s, but i think 19" rims are perfect for this body style. i was originally going to buy 18s, went with 15s instead haha.