Tell Me about Your Setup

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I'm looking around to see what tire setup I like. I want to run something for straight-line performance as the 5.0 s197 has a live axle. Not a full slick set up, but definitely wider and thicker in the back because I like the look. Of course, I'm also going to lower the car with coils.

Honestly, I know very little about tires and wheel, so tell/show me what you run and your fitment. Maybe I'll find the right setup for me.
 

Norm Peterson

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18 x 11 will fit fairly easily with the right offset. 285/35's on 11" end up being 300mm wide, so there's plenty of room for at least 305's. Tire height vs lowering could become a consideration for anything much wider or taller than that. No lowering in the picture below, but the car has been lowered up to about 5/8" at the rear tires with no problems then either. You may need stiffer PHB bushings, though, to limit lateral axle travel due to PHB bushing compression in a corner (poly is OK here, and there is an old-school drag-racer's DIY bushing stiffening trick that I'm using).

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FWIW, just because a car runs a live axle out back does not mean it can't be made to handle. The S197 Mustang is actually pretty darn good in this respect. I'm not saying you have to turn this into a corner-carver build, just that the assumption that "stick axle cars can't be made to handle any good; you have to have IRS" doesn't know what it's talking about.

This is on street tires (MPSS). Shocks, struts, sta-bars, and rear LCAs upgraded. Still on OE springs at the time. I'm about 50 feet away from going to WOT in 4th gear.

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Norm
 
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JJ427R

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Mickey.JPG MickeyWheel.jpg
What wheel size are you using or planning on? My daily and track tires are 20" Roush Wheels with 275/35/20 Mickey Thompson Street Comps on all 4 corners. However I also have a brand new set of Firestone Indy 500's the same size to put on. I've been very happy with that setup.

1/4 mile I have 18x10 Roush wheels with 305/45/18 MT ET Streets I throw on the rear. Also run them on the street occasionally for car shows.
 
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stkjock

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Juice

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18x9 with 275/40-18 square. Wheels are for 94-04, but I cant see a difference on offset between 05&up wheels.
Also have 19x10 Boss 302 S wheels. 285s on all 4. Tight, but no issues.
 
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View attachment 73036 View attachment 73037
What wheel size are you using or planning on? My daily and track tires are 20" Roush Wheels with 275/35/20 Mickey Thompson Street Comps on all 4 corners. However I also have a brand new set of Firestone Indy 500's the same size to put on. I've been very happy with that setup.

1/4 mile I have 18x10 Roush wheels with 305/45/18 MT ET Streets I throw on the rear. Also run them on the street occasionally for car shows.
That looks stunning, the fitment is not absurdly close to the point of rubbing, I was considering either a 20 or 19 in the front and an 18 in the back. It's not full-blown drag radials, but it definitely has that meaty look to it. That ride height is about what I would do, lowered but still drivable and practical. I can't really judge the offset - maybe it's just the angle of the photo making the wheels look flat, but I would like something with more concavity like an enkei PF07, though those only come in 17 - 19. I think a 19x8.5 front could work with a 18x10 in the back. Still, ur setup is pretty sweet... I might steal it ;)

Oh and whats the clearance on those Big brakes? I'm hesitant to put 19x8.5 on the front because I want to put in bigger brakes, but I also don't want to put in 20s and have a weird brake gap. From what I heard 19" should fit something like a brembo kit.
 
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MrBhp

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305/35/20 rear tires 20x11 wheels. Car was slammed and no rubbing. 275/40/20 front tire. Not even close to rubbing. These pictures are after I raised it an inch in the rear.
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Took these while getting alignment. Sorry for the crap pictures. Phone camera is shot.
 

bujeezus

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19x10 square setup running 285/35-19. Love it! Cheap ass Ohtsu/Falken tires but they do good!
 

JJ427R

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Oh and whats the clearance on those Big brakes? I'm hesitant to put 19x8.5 on the front because I want to put in bigger brakes, but I also don't want to put in 20s and have a weird brake gap. From what I heard 19" should fit something like a brembo kit.
I'm not sure of the clearance on the brakes, I have Stoptech 4 Piston on the front and no issue with those. If I remember correctly the Roush wheels are +45mm offset, backspacing I don't remember...
 
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305/35/20 rear tires 20x11 wheels. Car was slammed and no rubbing. 275/40/20 front tire. Not even close to rubbing. These pictures are after I raised it an inch in the rear.
View attachment 73041
View attachment 73042
Took these while getting alignment. Sorry for the crap pictures. Phone camera is shot.
20s on a 05-09? when I still had my 05 I considered 20s but I thought it would be too big. How's the ride quality?
 

Norm Peterson

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Oh and whats the clearance on those Big brakes? I'm hesitant to put 19x8.5 on the front because I want to put in bigger brakes, but I also don't want to put in 20s and have a weird brake gap. From what I heard 19" should fit something like a brembo kit.
With the right wheel design, mostly meaning the contour of the back sides of the spokes, the 14" SVT/Brembo kit will fit inside 18" wheels. That was the early-year S197 GT500 wheel size (18x9.5, +45 offset) for those brakes. So at least as far as the 14" SVT/Brembo kit is concerned, any wheel that lists a 2007-2009 GT500 fitment will be OK. Other 14" big brake kits will most likely fit, but it's better to verify rather than just hope here.

Keep in mind that there are wheels bigger than 18" that do not have the necessary spoke clearance.


Norm
 

MrBhp

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20s on a 05-09? when I still had my 05 I considered 20s but I thought it would be too big. How's the ride quality?
The tires that are on it now are all season. They ride better than the Nitto 555's in 18 inch that were on it. That being said, I don't like the way the 20's look on the car. I should have saved a little longer and got Apex 18" wheels. I thought at the time that I would need 20's to clear the brakes. I'm learning now that is not the case.

rear3_4.jpg
 

JJ427R

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I don't like the way the 20's look on the car. I should have saved a little longer and got Apex 18" wheels.
I'm just the opposite, I like the way the 20s look on the car and fill up that wheel well gap, however I do wish I had the 18's for running on the track.

I hear people complain that the 20's ride rougher, I don't necessarily agree with that, can't say I notice much difference from the 19's on my 2018 anyway, and these are Mustangs, not Lincoln's, they should be a little rough!

When you only have about the size of the palm of your hand touching the road under each tire, I prefer the 20 for that larger footprint.
 
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I'm just the opposite, I like the way the 20s look on the car and fill up that wheel well gap, however I do wish I had the 18's for running on the track.
If I recall correctly, 20s in the front affect your handling and turning radius, right? I mean, your set up is better for the strip or street. I've also heard track drives say that the bigger the wheel the faster times you can make, but that would depend on your car's limits. Maybe the sweet spot for mustang track wheels would be 19s all around, of course, wider in the back. That's just my guess tho
 

JJ427R

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If I recall correctly, 20s in the front affect your handling and turning radius, right? I mean, your set up is better for the strip or street. I've also heard track drives say that the bigger the wheel the faster times you can make, but that would depend on your car's limits. Maybe the sweet spot for mustang track wheels would be 19s all around, of course, wider in the back. That's just my guess tho
I like the 19's on my 18, and those Michelins do have some good grip on the track. I'm not a fan of the staggered sizes though, I like the option of being able to rotate my tires to get that extra life out of em.

Seems most track guys don't want anything bigger than 18 and will tell you 19 and 20 are for car shows and cruising. I know Kenny Brown thinks track cars should have nothing bigger than 18" on them. I say drive with what you are comfortable with. I drive with hand controls, I'm not out to be the fastest guy on track or set any records, and have no issue with 20's so I've just never felt the need or the expense to change.
 

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