Did i waste $830 on the wheel upgrade?

BrutalStang · Nov 10, 2005

when ordering my 06 GT, i thought great, i'll go with the new 18" wheels for better cornering. i went with the mag style ones, as i think they look excellent on the new mustang, and i also like them on my 03 GT.

now, a friend of mine at work has an 05 GT convert, with the 17" mag style wheels. he claims that the 18" wheels just add uneeded weight, and wont help that much in cornering.

so i guess im wondering if he is just jealous(hehehe) of my option for 18's, or is he right, the 18's are just added weight?

its really to late for me to turn back, but what the heck, i might as well know now.

any info would be great!

celticstanger · Nov 10, 2005

I switched the 17's as quickily as possible - they looked like d@mn lifesavers in those big ol' wheelwells. I went to 19's, but I think 18's will be an improvement too.

If you like the look, wait 'til the car comes and then judge the ride for yourself. A few hundred bucks for better wheels aint too bad, so don't sweat it - I'm sure you'll realise quickly enough you made the right decision for you (the person who matters most when it comes to YOUR car).

crewwolfy · Nov 10, 2005

I'd use the 18s for the street, they'll be just fine. Use the appropriate rim/tire sizes for the track/strip as necessary.

Ford isn't going to make an option on their car be dangerous or severely detrimental to performance.

GOLDENPONY · Nov 10, 2005

18" wheels

I have the 18" Fanblades. I like them, look great. I like the way they fill the wheel opening. Don't know if they help the cornering, but it handles awfully well.

BrutalStang · Nov 10, 2005

goldenpony, have you perhaps driven a new GT with the 17" wheels as well? just to compare the two for me?

but if you say it handles good, im sure gonna believe ya!

and i'd just like to add to anyone who cares, i just hit post 260, just like the rated power of my GT, yeah!

HemiDude · Nov 10, 2005

Brutal, I too ordered the 18in upgraded rims, im not sure I wanna keep mine as well, im debating it right now. Im waiting for the 64w rims, not the 64e the fan blade rims. So I got awhile to wait, the FR500 rims are growing on me, I wish I could find a picture of a blakc mustang with black FR500 rims. and I gotta see if i ca nget them in 18x10 all i cna find is 18x7's.

halflife1 · Nov 10, 2005

save the cheese and buy aftermarket ones

tom281 · Nov 10, 2005

halflife1 said:
save the cheese and buy aftermarket ones

Agreed. That's what I did...... now just gotta finish saving the rest of the cheese.

hubec · Nov 10, 2005

Your friend is right... pretty much. A 17" wheel and tire will outpreform an 18"+ wheel, on the strip and on the road course, not to mention give you a better ride. HOWEVER a larger diameter wheel will usually also be a wider wheel, which carries a wider tire, if this is the case then the extra rubber that it puts on the ground can offset the extra weight and lack of compliance. I have no idea if the factory 18s are wider than the factory 17s (anyone?) if they arn't then you're friend is absolutly right and he will have better outright handling and acceleration than you. Not to mention he'll be able to buy much cheaper tires.

FL2005GT · Nov 10, 2005

I went with the 17" torque thrust style rims to save money and because I prefer the look. Also, I had crap tread life on the performance tires with my 2000 GT and wanted to stay away from a soft rubber compound, which I THINK you get with the larger rims.

However, the 18" wheels look great. The press for the new 18" package says they come with "unique" suspension tuning, which may mean better grip and handling at the expense of a harsher ride. If they are made of a softer compound, or have a wider tread, you may also get increased cornering and straight-line grip. I couldn't find details about the tires on Ford's web site.

Bottom line, if you like the look of the 18" rims, go for it. If you're really on the fence, go with the 17" and upgrade later, either Ford or aftermarket. You can't go wrong either way.

Blackballed · Nov 11, 2005

I have the 18" fanblade wheels and love them. With it only being a $850 upgrade Which really is only pocket change when your spending $28,000 on a new gt. the BFG G-force tires are $850 and some change alone and are well worth the $850. You could always upgrade later and keep the 18"s for extra.

blackened · Nov 11, 2005

when it comes to cornering, 18's will give a more precise feel than 17's given the same tire (not sidewall) height but will also be less forgiving - meaning w/ the 17's you'll have a little more warning that the tire's about to break traction in a turn. i have 17's on my 05 but will eventually be swapping for 18's w/ 275's, urethane bushings and stiffer springs. right now i'm in go-fast, go-straigt mode. i don't think you'll be dissapointed w/ your decisiion, you can alway's beef up suspension components to get a better handling car. you might just be plenty suprised by the way the thing handles right off the lot.

NVERL8 · Nov 11, 2005

If anyone in the ohio kentucky indiana area does not like their factory 18 inch wheels I would be happy to trade my factory 17 inch torque thust wheels for the 18's. They were not available when I bought my car.

Tmack · Nov 11, 2005

Basically, if this is going to be a "track only" car, go with the 17's. Personally I'm not drag racing people everyday so I'd go with 18", 19" or 20" to fill in the wheel well, but I would not go any larger.

Adam2004 · Nov 11, 2005

BrutalStang said:
when ordering my 06 GT, i thought great, i'll go with the new 18" wheels for better cornering. i went with the mag style ones, as i think they look excellent on the new mustang, and i also like them on my 03 GT.

now, a friend of mine at work has an 05 GT convert, with the 17" mag style wheels. he claims that the 18" wheels just add uneeded weight, and wont help that much in cornering.

so i guess im wondering if he is just jealous(hehehe) of my option for 18's, or is he right, the 18's are just added weight?

its really to late for me to turn back, but what the heck, i might as well know now.

any info would be great!

18s will handle better because there is less tire widewall to flex when cornering hard. I think your friend is just jealous. I'm not sure what the weight difference is.

lostsoul · Nov 12, 2005

I heard the the rims are 18x8 .. if so then that would be jacked and you would only be able to put on a 255 without it looking a little funny. after market all the way IMO

donnyonee · Nov 12, 2005

nobody mentioned the fact that ford puts on better suspension pieces for the 18" pkg. check the part numbers.

Stangnut · Nov 14, 2005

On a side note, you won't fill the wheel wells any more with 18's, 19's or any other size. Unless you want to reprogram your computer, you're going to stay with the same diameter tire as stock so making the wheels bigger isn't going to "fill" the wells anymore than the stock 17's.

I don't care if you put 22's on there, that gap isn't going to change until you change your tire diameter.

silverado · Nov 16, 2005

I would go no larger than 18 inch. Lower your car, get some fat tires (18x9 front 18x10 rear on mine), and install some D-specs for grace and you will have all the handleing performance you will need (for a while)

GT-03 · Nov 16, 2005

FL2005GT said:
The press for the new 18" package says they come with "unique" suspension tuning, which may mean better grip and handling at the expense of a harsher ride.

Good point. Part of the package is the suspension upgrade too. Because of that, it might make getting the 18" wheels from the factory better than waiting and going with aftermarket.

Did i waste $830 on the wheel upgrade?

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