Why not 19" or 20" rims on Cobras?

[ChoiceViper]

I agree toofast, I'm a complete noob when it comes to the Mustang platform, and you seem to have much racing experience, but when you change, let's say, from a 17" wheel/tire combo to a 19" the overall heighth of the mounted tire on the rim is the same, with the only difference being a smaller, stiffer, less flexing sidewall for the 19". Would'nt that equate to better cornering around a given racecourse all other things being equal?

 

[Juiced-03]

Fakesnake's 19" HRE's

 

[BadAsp]

Originally posted by BLACKVNM
Both those cars are badass. I don't think the SN 95 body would look half as good as the 03's do with the 18+ rims. I don't know if I would go 20's - - I agree with the mixing, 18s front and 19s back looks sweet on that 03.

Actually, I think bigger wheels look BEST on the SN-95 cars. My personal pref. is the original mag on the S-351's. Those looked great AND were light enough not to affect the total unsprung weight. Mags however are not street freindly.... they just don't like touching the other metals around them.

 

[TrueBlue'01GT]

Originally posted by ChoiceViper
Is that your purple pants-ass in that reflection?

Bruce Banner is taking the picture....lol Nice ride those wheels look great!

 

[TrueBlue'01GT]

18" Cobra wheels..

 

[97whitecobra]

Choice the overall height is not quite the same with a bigger wheel and lower profile wheel combo. Most will still be taller. Which is why there is not as much gap from the tire to fender. The reason you originally said you liked the bigger wheels to get rid of the gap.

Fakesnake's HRE's are tuff to beat!

 

[ChoiceViper]

True 97whitecobra most are a TINY bit bigger. Usually no more than a half inch. To get rid of the gap you also need springs.

It looks to me that Fakesnakes car has been lowered in conjunction with the plus size wheel/tire.

 

[JoeNashville]

Originally posted by Fn'sh!t^
The reason I read somewhere Ford did not go with 18" stock on the cobra is the 17" handled better.

Dingdingding...WINNER.

Of course, I'm sure that it saved in materials costs for both wheel and tire over 18s, but Fn'sh!t^ got the official company line correct. Coletti was quoted as having said this.

Also, TooFast had a good point in that a lot of great race tires come in the 275/40ZR-17 size.

Many of us agree that the Corvette was made for handling. Check out the size of the rims on them...not only are they no larger than 18, but they are actually narrower that what we have on the Cobras. ;-)

 

[SynMan5.0]

I remember the Bullit featured in MM&FFs with the 20" replica Bullit wheels. IMO it looked bad ass, but I don't think I would've liked it with any other wheel. I also would never do it to my car because of the added weight. As far as bigger wheels being beneficial to traction in a corner, that's false. There is a limit. I do remember reading in several mags that Ford went with 17" wheels on the new Cobras because they were found to corner better than any 18" setup they tried. The '00 Cobra Rs were put on 18s, but I think anything larger would be a waste of time and money. Out of all the road course races and autocrosses I've been to, I've NEVER seen anyone running anything bigger than 18" wheels. I believe there is a point where the sidewall of the tire gets too thin and that's why you don't see them on race cars. You have to have SOME sidewall movement. And trust me, if 19 or 20" wheels worked better on a road course, you would see them on everybodys cars. Racers look for any advantage they can get and some spare no expense. If bigger wheels worked, they would use them.