Wheels And Traction

[BlackBuggy]

What street-legal rims and tires are you guys using that are giving you a dead hook?
I want to replace the stock GT Premium 19"s with 19"s that give me clearance to install Brembo brakes up front. What are you guys using? I can't get dead hooks for **** in this thing since I have upgraded everything. I don't want to get wider rims for normal driving and find out it doesn't help enough if I could have just got some drag slicks and rims for tracking.

 

[SpartaPerformance]

I"m by far over powering my wheels and tires too. I have some friends with great luck with Nitto tires, I believe the 555 series, I'm going to try those on wider rims at some point, plus contemplating on replacing the UCA with a torque arm.

 

[BlackBuggy]

The GT350R has carbon fiber rims, 10.5 inches wide. Not so much more powerful than any of the modded 5.0 S197s, but those light rims and wider tires are definitely helping that thing get down the road.

 

[TT5.0ca]

If you think you'll ever get dead hook on the street that's a pipe dream, given how much tire you can realistically fit back there and the condition of road pavement. These cars can overwhelm any tire on road surfaces, even at stock power levels. Some power adder folks use a drag radial, just to make the incineration acceptable. You might go that way.

I could dead hook at the track, dumping the clutch up to 6000 rpm, on a 28X10 drag slick, on my last car, a 2012 BBP with a tune.

What's helping the 350R also is soft low end torque, race rubber and an IRS.

 

[Svtpilot]

^ What he said.You can make it better, but you are never going to completely hook up on the street. Your best option are drag radials. However if you stick with 19s you choice of DRs are limited. In my opinion if you are set on sticking with 19s the best option is a 10.5 inch wide rear rim such as this:http://www.americanmuscle.com/rtr-tech7-charcoal-19x105-0514.html. With 305 DRs like these.http://www.tirebuyer.com/tires/nitt...?cid=sce_shopping&CA_6C15C=330004830000180986

 

[BlackBuggy]

Thanks for the advice. If I go with 19x10.5 in the back, I would want to go with 19x9 in the front I believe. What tire size would I need to use on the front to keep the front-end height balanced with 305/35/19 in the rear?

 

[Svtpilot]

There is a slight variation by brand. The 305/35-19 nittos have an outside diamter of 27.44" nitto 255/40-19 which are same size as the factory front tires on my Boss have an diameter of 27.17 which is pretty close.

 

[BlackBuggy]

I think I just answered my own question after some thought and analysis- I would just get larger rims for running at the track.

It would be nice, though, to be able to run a stickier tire during Summer on all for wheels for street use. I am just not convinced- much like you guys have stated- that you can get great traction on a street tire with these cars.

Best luck I have had is with the Michelin Pilot Sport AS3; my stock size is 245/45/19. They aren't the best when it is cooler, but pretty predictable when it is warmer out.

 

[Svtpilot]

Well if you are going to get rims only for the drag strip then just get a set of 18x10s for the rear they are less expensive then 19s and there are more options for DRs and slicks. Also be careful with the 305s if your car us lowered.

 

[BlackBuggy]

Good point. Probably a beefier sidewall. Just need to research the proper sidewall and width for that application.

 

[BlackBuggy]

Is sway bar re-location necessary for the 305/35/19 tires on the rear?

 

[Svtpilot]

Is sway bar re-location necessary for the 305/35/19 tires on the rear?

I cannot answer that from 1st hand experience. However there are several members on a Boss 302 website I belong to that run 305s and a couple with 315s and according to them they do not need the bracket. There is also another '12 Boss owner I run into at local cruise spots who has 305s on the stock Boss rear rims (19x9.5) Since I am am planning to go with wider tires I specifically asked him about it and he tells me there are no clearance issues whatsoever.

 

[BlackBuggy]

I investigated on my own- pretty sure we only need the bracket relocation if we are running smaller rims like a 15" for drag slicks. The rim of the smaller 15" wheel will hit the end of the bracket since that wider wheel's edge is being moved closer to the bracket in that axis/dimension . On larger wheels, the rim is farther out from the center of the wheel, so the edge/rim clears the bracket.

It comes down to the wheel width- the Boss Laguna Seca comes with 10" wide rims in the rear and I am pretty sure the sway bars are bracketed to the same spot on the rear suspension.

 

[BlackBuggy]

Is anyone running 305/35/19 tires on a 10-inch rim for street use on an 11-14 GT? Will it work?

 

[BlackBuggy]

I figured out my setup:

I have a set of the Boss 302S rims coming to me. I want a little more traction and I also want to upgrade the front brakes to a 4-piston setup (the stock GT Premium rims will not clear upgraded big brakes)

275/40/19 in the rear
245/45/19 up front

I had 255/40/19 tires for a while and I didn't like them. It seemed like I had increased the width of the tire and lost overall diameter, which actually made traction worse. 285/35/19 tires will actually have a slightly smaller overall diameter than the 255/40 tires, so I can't see this helping things. I would need a really sticky composite and to go up to 305 width for increased traction in daily use.

Read up on some other guys who had the same findings- they went to 275/40 and found them to be much better than 285/35. The overall diameter of a 275/40/19 is roughly the same as a 245/45/19, so I can keep 245/45 up front and run the wider 275s in the back without sacrificing straight-line traction.

For running at the track, I will get a set of 305/35/19 Nitto 555Rs.

 

[TT5.0ca]

For running at the track on a manual, just don't about and get a bias ply drag slick. If you are 3.73, get a 28X10" tire, anything under that, get a 26".

 

[BlackBuggy]

I might have to go drag slick, but want to test things in increments. I don't want the pain of changing wheels at the track, but I also don't want the embarrassment of spinning down the track on drag radials.

 

[TT5.0ca]

I drive to the track 30+ miles one way on non-DOT drag slicks. It is fine if you take it reasonably. I don't even air them up.

If you go DR, you may end up picking up pieces of the driveline at the track, which is a little less convenient than swapping rubber there.

 

[cbanakis]

Hello everyone.

This is my first post, so sorry if I do something wrong.

I have a far from stock 2001 Mustang GT.

I have always wanted to upgrade my wheels, but can never find ones I like more than the oem premium alloy wheels I already have.

The 5 star matte silver alloy wheels with the plastic pony hub covers.

I am looking for rims with the most comparible look possible, but...
17"x9" fronts, and 17"x10.5" rears.
(Or simular)

Gotta have the 10.5's in the back, and fronts obviously need to be narrower.

Also strongly prefer to stay at 17" because of tire availability, and affordability.

Anyone ever seen anything like what I am looking for?

Or even have for sale?

Thanks

 

[84Ttop]

If you think you'll ever get dead hook on the street that's a pipe dream, given how much tire you can realistically fit back there and the condition of road pavement. These cars can overwhelm any tire on road surfaces, even at stock power levels. Some power adder folks use a drag radial, just to make the incineration acceptable. You might go that way.

I could dead hook at the track, dumping the clutch up to 6000 rpm, on a 28X10 drag slick, on my last car, a 2012 BBP with a tune.

What's helping the 350R also is soft low end torque, race rubber and an IRS.

^ What he said.You can make it better, but you are never going to completely hook up on the street. Your best option are drag radials. However if you stick with 19s you choice of DRs are limited. In my opinion if you are set on sticking with 19s the best option is a 10.5 inch wide rear rim such as this:http://www.americanmuscle.com/rtr-tech7-charcoal-19x105-0514.html. With 305 DRs like these.http://www.tirebuyer.com/tires/nitt...?cid=sce_shopping&CA_6C15C=330004830000180986

I hate to tell you guys that I disagree. Granted I will compare my S550 here for a second but I hardly see the difference that should make.
My S550 makes 676rwhp, has made 10 second passes at the track at 131 mph and absolutely dead hooks on the street with a 17" drag radial. For that matter we have built more than a handful of Foxbody's that make 450-500rwhp go mid to low 10's at the track and dead hook on the street using a 15" drag radial. A good tire (mickey thompson) and a fair amount of good suspension parts are all you really need in my opinion.