But how do 15" rear's RIDE?! (aka - help needed in Mustang footware)

[fishpick]

OK - I have admitted before - tires and trim (car plastic bits, for those with a predilection for the naughty) are two things I'm just not car wise on...

After installing the "go fast" parts under the hood - I'm now seeing why I should also be installing the "stop fast" parts - so I'm digesting the content of the DIY Brembo thread here.

Of course - I can't install anything to make me stop faster (bigger brakes) with the current base 18" wheels that I hate... so that moves this whole project into the realm of new wheels, tires and brakes...

I'm clueless about this.

I hear and see holy battles over different tires: I see drag radials, 20" wheels with rubber bands on them, 15" rears on the street, it's all over the place. I need some folks to point me in the right direction to both learn and help me understand the tradeoffs.

Originally I was thinking of getting a set of the Boss wheels - 19", will clear bigger brakes and have the cool staggered look 19x9 in the front and 19x10 in the back, hoping that helps the supercharger stay hooked up on surface streets (with the right tire which is unknown). (and I like the looks to boot)
But then I started seeing all these 15" rears and like the more "drag look" but have no clue about road-ability of a setup like that. Then people start yelling "Welds" and other brands names - and I just get overwhelmed.

So here's the conditions (in order) and please be gentle - I know wheels / tires are one or two short steps away from "which oil is better"...

1) Needs to have a nice ride. A MUST. Most of this car is street travel - with my wife in the car - it's a cruiser - so the selection needs to be comfortable / should not amplify small road stones into a 4x4 experience (or she will kill me) BUT I would also like them to hook up really well with the supercharger
2) Needs to clear "Brembo" brakes both front and back - "Brembo" means bigger ones than stock - WITHOUT a wheel spacer on the hub.
3) needs to work with TPMS sensors - I don't want the flat tire idiot light on all the time!
4) Would really like the offset, wider rear look - but not a bicycle on the front either, there are turns in real life driving off the strip!

I seriously don't know where to start - so I'm looking for help / good resources to read!

 

[Riddick]

You need to answer these questions so we can best recommend a set up for you?

Do you plan on taking the car to the drag strip often (more than a few times a year)?
How often do you drive the car (annual mileage)?
Do you enjoy cornering in the car as much as straight line acceleration?

With that said I will give you my recommendations. First off, I would only go with a 15 inch rear set up if you plan on drag racing the car a lot. You can get a 19 or 20 back there that will hook descent at the track and the car will still drive great. I would consider stepping up to a 20 inch rim simply due to the fact you have way more tire options. If you are set on the 19s then I would throw a set of Toyo R888s back there, these are a road racing tire but they hook great on the street and you will still be able to take turns as fast as you like. I am not sure how long these last and that is something you have to consider depending on how often you drive the car.

The Nitto 555R drag radial will last the longest out of DR's but they dont have the best reputation. I ran them on my Cobra and they didnt dead hook but they did a great job overall and would hook second gear with over 600 hp at the tires. This was the perfect tire for me as I didnt have to change them out every few thousand miles and they did a descent job at getting the power down. As far as the best DR out there for a 19 or 20 inch rim I would go with the Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S, these will hook up great but will not last as long as the 555R, id guess you could get 5k out of the Mickeys and 10k out of the 555Rs. Keep in mind with a DR you will not be able to take turns to fast and you really need to avoid driving in the rain all together. Also, in colder temps the rubber will be extremely hard but that will happen to any performance tire out there.

As I said I would go with either the Toyo R888 if you like cornering or a drag radial if you dont care for turning. Do not put a wider street tire on there thinking it will hook because it wont at your power level. On my 13 I'm running 315/35/20s out back (Nitto Invo) and I can get the car sideways in first gear just by rolling into the gas and on the 1-2 shift the car will kick sideways easily. Keep in mind my car only has full exhaust and a tune so no where near your power level. Here are some links so you can see the tire sizes offered from the tires I recommended.
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/strip/et-street-ss/
https://tiresize.com/tires/Nitto/NT-555R-Drag-Radial.htm (No 19 in available)

https://tiresize.com/tires/Nitto/NT05R-Drag-Radial.htm I didnt mention this tire, its better than the 555R but not quite as good as the Mickey but they have a 305 in a 19 which could be perfect for you if you get the 19 inch rims.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...88969&ef_id=U-CzZAAAALYKlfDj:20170421194403:s Couldnt get the tire sized to load but this is the size you would get for the 19s.

 

[fishpick]

You need to answer these questions so we can best recommend a set up for you?

OK

Do you plan on taking the car to the drag strip often (more than a few times a year)?

No - I don't - and if I do - I won't - because - wife forbids it. So aside from local club trips - no.

How often do you drive the car (annual mileage)?
It's a vert... in NY and a seasonal driver... so - a huge year would be a 3-5K a year

Do you enjoy cornering in the car as much as straight line acceleration?

Sure - I like to corner when I want to corner - so the "hooking" is important in case you feather the gas around a corner a bit more than you should... I'd like to continue to "corner". But yes - in general - a nice handling tire would be great!

I always think of a 20" on these cars as a rough riding, poor grabbing, rubberbands... Which was why I "initially" was thinking the staggered 19's (Boss setup)

Because it is a cruiser summer car - the ride quality is key, and handling is also important (cornering AND hooking up) - but really - not the guys at the tack kind of grab.

 

[Riddick]

Toyo R888 and close the thread . Will hook in a straight line and will grab in the corners!!

Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk

 

[fishpick]

Toyo R888 and close the thread . Will hook in a straight line and will grab in the corners!!

Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk

In 19 or 20? Or does it not matter at this point? "Pick a wheel you like?"

 

[Riddick]

In 19 or 20? Or does it not matter at this point? "Pick a wheel you like?"

Which size and wheel all comes down to what you like. I was just looking at sizes for the 19s in the Toyo R888 and its pretty slim pickings in both 19 and 20 inch, hmmmmm. They do make a 295/30/19 but that's going to give you that rubber band look in the back which you dont want. On top of that if you ran the 265/35 up front the front tires will be .3 inch taller than the rears and that may look odd.

I guess were back at square one again, the R888 tire would give you the best of both worlds but sizes suck. You may have to choose between hooking in a straight line or handling, which means more. My favorite tire of all time is the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, these tires handle amazing but Im not to sure how they would do with 600 hp on top of them.

Do some research and first pick up a set of rims you absolutely love. I was very fortunate to find a set of used Forgestars on here for a great price. The quality of the Forgestars is amazing and I absolutely love how they fit the car. There are so many choices out there for wheels and tires. Once you are set on a size rim we can find the best tire for you.

If it was my car I would stick the Mickey drag radial out back on a 20 inch rim. 20x11 in the rear with a 305 on it and a 20x9 in the front with a 275.

 

[fishpick]

Which size and wheel all comes down to what you like. I was just looking at sizes for the 19s in the Toyo R888 and its pretty slim pickings in both 19 and 20 inch, hmmmmm. They do make a 295/30/19 but that's going to give you that rubber band look in the back which you dont want. On top of that if you ran the 265/35 up front the front tires will be .3 inch taller than the rears and that may look odd.

I guess were back at square one again, the R888 tire would give you the best of both worlds but sizes suck. You may have to choose between hooking in a straight line or handling, which means more. My favorite tire of all time is the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, these tires handle amazing but Im not to sure how they would do with 600 hp on top of them.

Do some research and first pick up a set of rims you absolutely love. I was very fortunate to find a set of used Forgestars on here for a great price. The quality of the Forgestars is amazing and I absolutely love how they fit the car. There are so many choices out there for wheels and tires. Once you are set on a size rim we can find the best tire for you.

If it was my car I would stick the Mickey drag radial out back on a 20 inch rim. 20x11 in the rear with a 305 on it and a 20x9 in the front with a 275.

I'm not married to any single design - there are a lot of "very similar" wheels out there.

What I want is something that fits the bigger breaks (Brembo) and is staggered (bigger in the back). The tires need to hook and turn. And the ride needs to be smooth not rough and harsh.

Can a 18" wheel fit the bigger breaks? Does that give me more options? THIS is why wheels and tires are. It my thing - so damn complicated!
(Thanks for the help so far!)


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[RUgoinup?]

I did lots of research as well. Did not want a DR because they put me in a median with a little rain when I had my '94. Lots of rain here in FL. Kept coming back to MPSS. People cut 1.7 60fts on them. They always came out on top in wet/dry tests. I went with 285/40/19 on my rear Boss wheels (9.5" BTW). Still running Pirelli's up front (355/35) due to only 4K miles on them.

I chose a 40 for the back so I could be closer to a 28" tire to offset my 3.73 at the track. I paid $520 for 2 of them at tire crawler.

When I get back to the strip again, I'll go with a 17" Bias Ply set up front & rear.

If I were you, I'd shop for a light weight set of wheels. LMR has affordable choices i.e. Downforce in 20" or SVE Drifts in 19 or 18" and throw the Michelins on there.