Questions: wheels & tires

[nhs156]

I'd like to upgrade my tires at the rear - width-wise (and move to some Michelin PSS or something non-Goodyear). I'm thinking more rubber on the road can only help as it relates to getting traction at the rear wheels. To that end I have some questions that I'm hoping some of you fellow enthusiasts can answer.

Question 1: What's the max width I can put on the rear without rubbing and ensuring that the tire does not protrude beyond the width of the rear fender (forget rim size for a second - this is a question about tire width only). I've seen some with 325s (though I believe they protrude slightly), but I believe 315s should be fine. Ultimately, I'm not sure. Thoughts?

Question 2: What width rim would I need to accomodate 315 or 325 tires (assuming they're the max widths I could reasonably mount at the rear)? I've heard of some sticking 315s on the stock 9.5" width rims - but my question is not what I CAN put on a 9.5 rim, but rather what rim width I SHOULD get to accomodate a 315 or 325 tire?

Questions 3: If I upgrade the rear tires (width-wise) do I need to increase the width of the front tires to ensure the car remains balanced? If so, what width front tire would I need to "match" the 315/325 tire.

Question 4: If I upgrade the rear tires/wheels, should I stick with 20" wheels in the rear or move down to 19s all around? As far as I can tell, there's no advantage to larger wheels, other than aesthetics. Smaller wheels are lighter and generally result in better handling. So why would Ford stick 20s on the back? What am I missing?

Question 5: I like the look of the SVT upgraded wheels, and if I upgrade the rims would like some aftermarket wheels that look as similar as possible. Ideally I'd even like to use the SVT center cap vs. whatever comes with the aftermarket wheel. Which manufacturers make a wheel that looks closest to the upgraded SVT wheels? I've found Forgeline and their F14, which look pretty good. Anyone else I should consider?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[nhs156]

Bump... c'mon -I know some of you have opinions or first hand knowledge.

I *think* the answer to q1 is 315 depending on brand - Michelin PSS run wide, for example - but honestly there are so many conflicting opinions in past threads that I'm not clear. Perhaps someone with a fitted Michelin PSS in 315 size can comment? Don't want to do any mods to the car to make the tire fit.

Likewise, I *think* the answer to q2 is 11 inches needed for a 315 tire - but I've seen some put tires on stock 9.5 rims, which doesn't feel safe based on many suggesting that 295 is as wide as you should go on a 9.5" rim (including my local tire place / performance shop)

I *think* the answer to q3 is "yes, you should upgrade in principle, but you won't be able to accomodate a much wider tire upfront and effects will be negligible -so just stay stock up front".

I have no clue on q4 - not a lot of information out there; certainly nothing definitive that I've seen. My question is pretty specific.

Likewise on q5 - not sure what brands to look for a stock-looking alternative to stock. BBS don;t work for me, Shelby rims look nothing like stockers.

 

[Montana]

I have a feeling a lot of guys on here are tired of answering tire questions. Not including myself. I have researched and searched this site, and I too keep reading conflicting answers. I plan to just play it safe and run 295 PSS rears until I can buy new wheels. Then I will play it safe again and go up to 305 rears and 275 fronts. Now choosing a wheel is a whole other ball of wax.

 

[jay38372]

Amen to the wheels, I have a SGM and I've debated between silver, chrome or black wheels. I think silver or chrome would look good with that color hard part is picking a wheel that looks good.

 

[Lethalchem]

Amen to the wheels, I have a SGM and I've debated between silver, chrome or black wheels. I think silver or chrome would look good with that color hard part is picking a wheel that looks good.

+1, I've changed so many times it's not even funny. Only thing I'm certain about is I won't be purchasing the fad wheel flavor of the day. :banana:

 

[BlueDevil63]

No expert here but I have been told by experts that with 11" wide wheels with the right offset MPSS 315/35R20 tires will fit on a stock car with no rubbing issues. I have 11" iForged wheels and MPSS 315/35R20s waiting to be installed and I don't expect any issues.

 

[Tikigrill]

My '13 is SGM as well and I went with 11" wide rears with the 305 MPSS.

As for color... They are HRE 597R's with a polished lip and the center is Gloss Charcoal. It's a really close match to the gray of the car. The rear is a +56 offset which makes for a 2.5 inch lip.

Hope that helps...

 

[Steve@TF]

my 325s on 11" wide wheels tuck nicely :coolman:

on a new shelby the only concern is the carpeting on the inner fender wells. with 10.5s on 315s i think it will clear, not 100% sure. on 11s they'll come into contact (unless the tires are sticking out).

you can run up to 285 on the front but the only tire to really do that with is the R888 since that's the only size they come in for the front (in 20").

 

[biminiLX]

My '13 is SGM as well and I went with 11" wide rears with the 305 MPSS.

As for color... They are HRE 597R's with a polished lip and the center is Gloss Charcoal. It's a really close match to the gray of the car. The rear is a +56 offset which makes for a 2.5 inch lip.

Hope that helps...

Any pics of those on yet?
-J

 

[Tikigrill]

Any pics of those on yet?
-J

As soon as I get back in to the country I'll get some pics posted. It's a beautiful wheel. Just different enough.

 

[Lethalchem]

My '13 is SGM as well and I went with 11" wide rears with the 305 MPSS.

As for color... They are HRE 597R's with a polished lip and the center is Gloss Charcoal. It's a really close match to the gray of the car. The rear is a +56 offset which makes for a 2.5 inch lip.

Hope that helps...

That's the color combo I'm considering on a different wheel. I look forward to seeing your pics. :beer:

 

[stutter]

I just purchased MPSS 275/40ZR19/XL 105 (Y) for the front and MPSS 295/35ZR20/XL 105 (Y) for the rears. Im running stock rims, but another member on here said he put this on his stock rims and they were fine. I guess I will see. lol oke:

 

[nhs156]

Thanks for the answers, Gents.

I called a local Forgestar wheel dealer - who also happens to carry HRE, Forgeline and a ton of other wheels. He advised me of the following:

The widest rear tire that can be mounted without creating rubbing issues under load and without protruding beyond the fender is 305. 315s will stick out "a little bit" which may only be noticeable from some angles, but the tire will protrude. No amount of offset adjustment will fix this. He said he's sold several wheels and 305 tire combos to customers with the newer GT500s and Boss' w/ 305 with no issues and that several of those have since upgraded to 315s, but that the upgrade always causes an appearance issue (though it might be negligible) and rubbing issues under load.

A 10.5 inch wide rim is what he'd recommend to avoid the wheel/tire sticking out and to prevent rubbing. That would work well with a 305 tire and also support a 315.

Finally he confirmed what many here have been saying about the Nitto being the popular choice that most seem to prefer. He also suggested that 19inches all around was best performance wide and that the only advantage to a 20inch rear is aesthetics. The car will handle better with a 19inch rear (and front).

So, in a nutshell: he recommends: 19x9.5 front and 19x10.5 with 305s on the rear to maximize handling/performance and be 100% sure that no rubbing or tire protusion issues surface.

 

[shelbysvt]

Thanks for the answers, Gents.

I called a local Forgestar wheel dealer - who also happens to carry HRE, Forgeline and a ton of other wheels. He advised me of the following:

The widest rear tire that can be mounted without creating rubbing issues under load and without protruding beyond the fender is 305. 315s will stick out "a little bit" which may only be noticeable from some angles, but the tire will protrude. No amount of offset adjustment will fix this. He said he's sold several wheels and 305 tire combos to customers with the newer GT500s and Boss' w/ 305 with no issues and that several of those have since upgraded to 315s, but that the upgrade always causes an appearance issue (though it might be negligible) and rubbing issues under load.

A 10.5 inch wide rim is what he'd recommend to avoid the wheel/tire sticking out and to prevent rubbing. That would work well with a 305 tire and also support a 315.

Finally he confirmed what many here have been saying about the Nitto being the popular choice that most seem to prefer. He also suggested that 19inches all around was best performance wide and that the only advantage to a 20inch rear is aesthetics. The car will handle better with a 19inch rear (and front).

So, in a nutshell: he recommends: 19x9.5 front and 19x10.5 with 305s on the rear to maximize handling/performance and be 100% sure that no rubbing or tire protusion issues surface.

Most of what he said is true. Ford did 19 front and 20 rear to help with turn in and traction coming out of the turn. The smaller wheel in front helps with the turn in while the large wheel on the rear that helps with a wider tire is good for traction out of the hole. Now on the street is it that big a difference between 19 and 20? No there isn't. 19s all the way around will have a better ride quality though and less chance of breaking the rim over pot holes.

Now I run HRE p40s 20x10 front and 20x11 rear with a 265/35 front and 295/35 rear with zero problems. I could have gone 305 rear but then the speedo would be off by a lot more than .5 mph. Though a michelin 295 is like a 305 tire in other sizes since michelin runs wider. Any 315 PSS tire will rub no matter the offset. You need wheel spacers and yes it will protrude a tiny bit. If I were you and didn't want to limit urself I would go 19x10 front and 19x20 rear or do 20x10 and 20x11 rear if you want the aesthetics. This way you can put up to a 315 tire with zero problems. If you want 335 you need to take out the carpet on the inside.

 

[nhs156]

Any 315 PSS tire will rub no matter the offset. You need wheel spacers and yes it will protrude a tiny bit. If I were you and didn't want to limit urself I would go 19x10 front and 19x20 rear or do 20x10 and 20x11 rear if you want the aesthetics. This way you can put up to a 315 tire with zero problems. If you want 335 you need to take out the carpet on the inside.

I don't fully understand.... are you saying that non-PSS 315 (say, a Nitto Invo 315) wouldn't rub? I.e. it's just the extra width of the Michelin that creates the rub?

In related news... spent the PM researching tires and came to the sad conclusion that 20 inch rim may be the way to go if I want to maintain a tire diameter around stock 27 inches of the stock Goodyears. Depending on rim size, I would lose 1-2 inches in overall diameter in going with an Invo with a 305 tire. As I plan on no suspension mods/lowering, this would create a more noticeable gap between the top of the tire and fender. As 20 inch tires are taller that's less of a problem - and there seems to be slightly more varies tire choice in the 20 inch sizes.

Right now I'm thinking of 20x9.5 front and 20x10.5 rear with either Michelin PSS 265/275s up front and 305/30s in the rear.

 

[Steve@TF]

Thanks for the answers, Gents.

I called a local Forgestar wheel dealer - who also happens to carry HRE, Forgeline and a ton of other wheels. He advised me of the following:

The widest rear tire that can be mounted without creating rubbing issues under load and without protruding beyond the fender is 305. 315s will stick out "a little bit" which may only be noticeable from some angles, but the tire will protrude. No amount of offset adjustment will fix this. He said he's sold several wheels and 305 tire combos to customers with the newer GT500s and Boss' w/ 305 with no issues and that several of those have since upgraded to 315s, but that the upgrade always causes an appearance issue (though it might be negligible) and rubbing issues under load.

A 10.5 inch wide rim is what he'd recommend to avoid the wheel/tire sticking out and to prevent rubbing. That would work well with a 305 tire and also support a 315.

Finally he confirmed what many here have been saying about the Nitto being the popular choice that most seem to prefer. He also suggested that 19inches all around was best performance wide and that the only advantage to a 20inch rear is aesthetics. The car will handle better with a 19inch rear (and front).

So, in a nutshell: he recommends: 19x9.5 front and 19x10.5 with 305s on the rear to maximize handling/performance and be 100% sure that no rubbing or tire protusion issues surface.

that's because they are only using one offset and whoever you talked to doesnt know mustangs well enough. ive put many 315s on 20x11s without sticking out and without rubbing. on my own car i ran 325s on 19x11 and was tucking tire (sportlines) and zero rubbing at all.

for a 2013/14, if you remove the inner fender carpeting, you can run 20x11 on 315 without sticking out at all. if you dont want to remove the carpeting, you can run 315s on 10.5 without sticking out OR rubbing. just look at the set we put on Gotsvt's gt500. 20x10.5 on his on 315 nittos. he said theyre not touching the carpet and they're not sticking out. im running the same set up on my own, quite low, car

 

[biminiLX]

Honestly, it sounds like you like the stock wheels and don't plan on mods, I'd just upgrade your tires to MPSS with the 295/35/20 (wider 105Y version) on the rear is the way to go.

I don't fully understand.... are you saying that non-PSS 315 (say, a Nitto Invo 315) wouldn't rub? I.e. it's just the extra width of the Michelin that creates the rub?

In related news... spent the PM researching tires and came to the sad conclusion that 20 inch rim may be the way to go if I want to maintain a tire diameter around stock 27 inches of the stock Goodyears. Depending on rim size, I would lose 1-2 inches in overall diameter in going with an Invo with a 305 tire. As I plan on no suspension mods/lowering, this would create a more noticeable gap between the top of the tire and fender. As 20 inch tires are taller that's less of a problem - and there seems to be slightly more varies tire choice in the 20 inch sizes.


Right now I'm thinking of 20x9.5 front and 20x10.5 rear with either Michelin PSS 265/275s up front and 305/30s in the rear.

If you don't plan on lowering or suspension mods, I think the 275/35/20 and 295/35/20 on 20x9.5/10.5s are the best choice for you, I think the 30 series sidewall will make the wheel gap too much and the 315/35 will be taller and take some gear out.
I'd listen to TF Steve's advice, he's done this more than a few times :rockon:
Good luck.
-J
:beer:

 

[Steve@TF]

Honestly, it sounds like you like the stock wheels and don't plan on mods, I'd just upgrade your tires to MPSS with the 295/35/20 (wider 105Y version) on the rear is the way to go.



If you don't plan on lowering or suspension mods, I think the 275/35/20 and 295/35/20 on 20x9.5/10.5s are the best choice for you, I think the 30 series sidewall will make the wheel gap too much and the 315/35 will be taller and take some gear out.
I'd listen to TF Steve's advice, he's done this more than a few times :rockon:
Good luck.
-J
:beer:

thanks :beer:

i also damaged the paint on one of my fenders while trying to push the limits i have some good first hand experience with fitting various wheel widths and tire sizes. only thing different (back there) on the 13/14s is the carpet. (and brakes which i have waiting to go on my car).

 

[09Troublemaker]

thanks :beer:

i also damaged the paint on one of my fenders while trying to push the limits i have some good first hand experience with fitting various wheel widths and tire sizes. only thing different (back there) on the 13/14s is the carpet. (and brakes which i have waiting to go on my car).

Yep ^^^^^ dude knows his stuff

my last set of T/F wheels (20x11's) running on a 315 had NO issues !!!

Steve, I'll be ordering soon once I figure out which style;-);-)

 

[Steve@TF]

Yep ^^^^^ dude knows his stuff

my last set of T/F wheels (20x11's) running on a 315 had NO issues !!!

Steve, I'll be ordering soon once I figure out which style;-);-)

and yours were flush to the fender. which makes me that they never rubbed. did the same thing for someone else who ran nittos in 315 and they would occasionally in dips. that's when i decided to try moving them in some (this is a couple of years ago already lol). been doing them that way since. i guess its just the difference in suspension set ups that will determine if the car will drop low enough to come into contact. moving them inwards you should be able to have four adults in the car and not have any contact.

and way back then, R888s were the only 315s anyone was running on a shelby afaik and they were still pretty rare. pretty much everyone was running the 305 555R or smaller.