Any regrets going w/ 20's over 18's
- Thread starter ecko51
- Start date
kooldawg6
mine works really well and can take a fair amount
I would probably say both unless you get some light weight race wheels. To offset the weight gain from the 20's, you could swap out your steel driveshaft for the aluminum one and may still actually gain some performance.
I hate bench racing but I read an article about a year ago in Motortrend (I think). Where they tested the new mustang, Saleen Mustang (325hp) and several others. Even though the Saleen had 3.73 gears (If I remember correctly) and UDP the stock mustang was still I bit faster (By a couples of tenths).
the 20's might look nice but they will make the car feel a bit more sluggish. when i changed from 17s to 18s i noticed a tiny difference even though i knew about this before i bought 18s. i tried everything to not loose acceleration. i bought expensive light wheels. the wheels were actually lighter then stock for how wide they were, the wider tires is where all the weight came from.
it made the car a bit more sluggish from a stop. aluminum d/s and 3.73 and the problem was solved and then some.
it made the car a bit more sluggish from a stop. aluminum d/s and 3.73 and the problem was solved and then some.
kooldawg6
mine works really well and can take a fair amount
cLeAnRaCiNgLdR
New Member
- Dec 6, 2004
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I personally have not noticed any difference performance wise with 20's... if there was any... the pro-kit I installed made up for the difference. If I were to go with 18's I would consider a more aggressive drop though, maybe the sportlines.
I am going to the track saturday for the first time with the wheels/springs and will see if I can achieve my 13.4 that I hit with stock wheels. I'll let you know what happens.
I am going to the track saturday for the first time with the wheels/springs and will see if I can achieve my 13.4 that I hit with stock wheels. I'll let you know what happens.
mustangmike6996
5 Year Member
i have driven the crap outta my car with the 17s and the 20s one it. less wheel hope with the 20s about hte same accleration. sportier conering. a little rougher ride ( i keep my tires at 38 psi) watch out for potholes tho. i do notice something odd with the stock 17s tho. it seems to "gallop" over bumps like the front bounces then rear then front then rear then settles ( i forgot the term for this)
go with 20s in my opinion. plus they look nice
i have 20x8 black bullet 38mm offset
255/35/20 toyo proxes4, very good combo, stock overall height
go with 20s in my opinion. plus they look nice
i have 20x8 black bullet 38mm offset
255/35/20 toyo proxes4, very good combo, stock overall height
I have 19s and can tell a difference. I got 275 35s in the back on a ten inch wide wheel. So that was some extra weight. There isnt a huge difference but I can tell that it doesnt chirp the tire as easily as it did before with the tiny wheel and tires. But that could also be because I now have more tire contacting the ground. Looks good though. I never would go back...
Facts:
20's will give you worse gas mileage, slower acceleration, decreased braking performance, rougher ride, more stress on drivetrain all due to increased rotational mass, decreased tire life and much greater potential to scratch and damage rim lip.
Not to mention more expensive tire replacements and higher initial cost.
You will notice all of these factors with 20's are the cons versus going with 18's.
The only pro i can think of would be a personal liking of the look of a larger rim, which tends to be the greatest factor in deciding which size to go.
Opinion:
They look too gangsta'd out with 20" rims. 19 is a maximum i would ever go, but 18's are what i will go with. The look of a fat tire, and a good amount of sidewall looks tough especially with th BFG KDW.
20's will give you worse gas mileage, slower acceleration, decreased braking performance, rougher ride, more stress on drivetrain all due to increased rotational mass, decreased tire life and much greater potential to scratch and damage rim lip.
Not to mention more expensive tire replacements and higher initial cost.
You will notice all of these factors with 20's are the cons versus going with 18's.
The only pro i can think of would be a personal liking of the look of a larger rim, which tends to be the greatest factor in deciding which size to go.
Opinion:
They look too gangsta'd out with 20" rims. 19 is a maximum i would ever go, but 18's are what i will go with. The look of a fat tire, and a good amount of sidewall looks tough especially with th BFG KDW.
the 20's might look nice but they will make the car feel a bit more sluggish. when i changed from 17s to 18s i noticed a tiny difference even though i knew about this before i bought 18s. i tried everything to not loose acceleration. i bought expensive light wheels. the wheels were actually lighter then stock for how wide they were, the wider tires is where all the weight came from.
it made the car a bit more sluggish from a stop. aluminum d/s and 3.73 and the problem was solved and then some.
Anytime you focus the weight of something further away from the center of rotation it takes more energy to accelerate and decelerate the rotation. Even with a wheel that weighs the same but the weight is further away from the center of rotation you will have decreased performance.
Word on the DS and gears. they are a must if someone decides to go 20"
Nice looking car too Adrenaline
I think 19s are perfect for the S-197, IMO. Yes, tire sizes are a bit limited right now but they had exactly what I wanted. Shameless self-plug forthcoming: 
View attachment 401917
View attachment 401917
gaberubin
Founding Member
i love my 20s...unless you're serious about racing and track times, i seriously doubt you'll notice a difference in performance. the ride is a bit rougher, but you can always pick up tire with a slightly softer sidewall if it bothers you.
mustangmike6996
5 Year Member
i work at a wheel and tire shop. 19s are very expensive to replace. the difference between 19s and 20s is practically nothing. you have more options as for styles to choose from in 20s
you can get a larger (whatever saleen has) tire then offset the speedo for it if rim damge is a problem...but why are you not avoiding potholes to begin with?
yes the mustangs have 18s on them now. with the next body change you can count on 20s i can almost garauntee it.. look at the srt-8 .... 20 inch wheels. saleen...20 inch...the parnelli boss has 19s but look at the ride height on it!
i haves 20s and absolutly love them.
GalaxieWarrior
New Member
- Oct 11, 2006
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I just wish I could fit 15s on all four corners. Otherwise I would have already done it. I really regret getting the 18s I have now and would have stayed with the 17" stockers if I had a chance to order my stang again.
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