Anyone familiar with car modifications? Looking to put new larger rims/tires on my car

[sk8brdkd]

I own a 2000 mustang. V6. For Christmas, my bff bought me straight pipes so it sounds like a cobra now. I love it!!

But for the last 5 or so years I've been thinking of getting new rims and tires. I still will not be able to get these for probably another year but I'm inquiring now.

Currently, I have 15" rims on my car with all season tires. They are 80,000 mile tires. I am looking to get performance tires and was thinking of 17" rims. My bff was thinking 19" rims and tires. But with bigger rims and tires, I mean for the 19", doesn't the car need to be modified more to be able to handle the larger size and weight of it?

Also, being my car has the straight pipes and a cold air intake, is there anything else that can be safely added or modified to increase the acceleration and hp even more without damaging the engine or transmission?

If this should be in a different forum let me know.

 

[Applekrate]

I own a 2000 mustang. V6. For Christmas, my bff bought me straight pipes so it sounds like a cobra now. I love it!!

But for the last 5 or so years I've been thinking of getting new rims and tires. I still will not be able to get these for probably another year but I'm inquiring now.

Currently, I have 15" rims on my car with all season tires. They are 80,000 mile tires. I am looking to get performance tires and was thinking of 17" rims. My bff was thinking 19" rims and tires. But with bigger rims and tires, I mean for the 19", doesn't the car need to be modified more to be able to handle the larger size and weight of it?

Also, being my car has the straight pipes and a cold air intake, is there anything else that can be safely added or modified to increase the acceleration and hp even more without damaging the engine or transmission?

If this should be in a different forum let me know.

Hi, this may not be the best forum as it is geared to only singles. am sure there are plenty of married people into cars. But, anyway, I am into performance cars, muscle cars, racing etc. Will try to answer your questions.
As far as fitting larger tires/wheels on your Mustang, I would suggest going to a Mustang specific message board. There are people there who are more familiar with your specific car. I can tell you some basics though in next post in a few mins.....

 

[timewerx]

The 19" rims could actually make your car slower both on acceleration and top speed.

As for the cold intake, you could try some things to further get the temperature at the intake manifold down further but I caution you, you could fail emissions tests if you get the intake temperatures low enough.

 

[timewerx]

Cheap ways to further lower temperature at the intake manifold is an insulating intake manifold gasket and coolant bypass at the butterfly valve (throttle?) . I only caution these mods could cause the throttle to freeze during winter. It would probably be fine in mild winters but not Canadian winters.

I have also done a custom work on a headlight, ram intake scoop (hidden) using foam rubber for better insulation and provided foam insulation on the air intake tubes. I think such mods are not commercially available, you have to do it yourself. Together with the manifold gasket insulator and coolant bypass, I managed to get the intake manifold down to ambient air temperature when the car is doing at least 40 mph.

However, when engine-braking going downhill with the throttle on idle, the temperature at the intake manifold with these mods would actually get *lower* than ambient temperature! So I caution going extreme with cold intake. If you over-do it, you actually face a risk of freezing at the intake and even possibly freezing the throttle in place!

 

[Applekrate]

When wanting to change tire/wheel combination on any vehicle, there are some considerations more than just the wheel diameter as you mentioned. The overall diameter of your tire/wheel combo is more important than just the wheel diameter. Generally, if you increase the wheel diameter for performance applications, this does not usually increase the tire diameter also. The reason is because, normally, the larger diameter wheels use a tire with a shorter side wall. The overall diameter of a set up with 15" wheels may be the same as one with 17" or larger wheels because of the shorter sidewall. When going to larger diameter wheels for a performance application, there are , generally, 2 reason to do this.
1. is to be able to fit larger diameter brakes. 2. the shorter sidewall makes the tire react quicker to steering inputs. As with all changes, there are pros and cons. The main 'con' is cost and poorer ride quality. As far as fitting new wheels/tires on your car, there are several things to keep in mind.
Wheels/rims are measured in diameter as you mention. But, there also are measured in width and back spacing as well as bolt pattern ( not all cars have the smae bolt pattern. The back spacing dictates how much 'in' or 'out' the wheel is spaced on your car. Too much and your tires/wheels rub on the inside. Too little and they stick waaay out like a low rider.
These are some basics that may help you. Am happy to answer whatever else I may be able to help with.

 

[Applekrate]

The 19" rims could actually make your car slower both on acceleration and top speed.

As for the cold intake, you could try some things to further get the temperature at the intake manifold down further but I caution you, you could fail emissions tests if you get the intake temperatures low enough.

Please explain how installing 19" rims can make someones car slower- I challenge that.

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Would not go bigger than 1" higher and 1" wider over stock with your 6 cyl Mustang.

Not exactly a muscle machine.

The larger the tire with your car
= slower off the line.

But, possibly a little higher speed on the top end.

M-Bob

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Please explain how installing 19" rims can make someones car slower- I challenge that.

Bad challenge.
It changes your gearing.

When we put large tires on Jeeps -- best to also change gear ratio in rear end.

M-Bob

 

[timewerx]

Please explain how installing 19" rims can make someones car slower- I challenge that.

We replaced my uncle's 19" rim wheels with a smaller and narrower 15" rim and wheels and it ran 30 kph faster top speed and accelerated faster. I tested it flooring the throttle in the outback tried to hit its top speed until the car is no longer accelerating with the throttle floored.

I think it's a combination of larger diameter (less torque transmitted) and higher aerodynamic drag why the car is slower with 19" rims. The transmission is stock btw.

Also big rims are heavy.... It increases your "unsprung weight" which reduces the performance/efficiency of the suspension system.

Maybe you can get a very lightweight 19" rims but would probably cost an arm and leg.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

My initial reaction is that going from 15s to 19s is going to ruin the ride, and possibly not do wonders for the handling either, depending on how the car is set up.

17' sounds like a better compromise

 

[Mountainmanbob]

If we get tires to big they will scrap on the body or suspension when making turns = cheezey.

Cars are engineered for a certain tire size for best performance.

M-Bob

 

[timewerx]

19" rims with big set of tires are still useful though if used on a big and heavy car with very powerful engines. Its bigger contact patch and bigger grip lets you transmit more of the engine power to the road. Well, if you're trying to go 0-60 in under 6 seconds anyway which the vast majority of drivers wouldn't be doing in public roads.

 

[Applekrate]

Bad challenge.
It changes your gearing.

When we put large tires on Jeeps -- best to also change gear ratio in rear end.

M-Bob

good challenge-
she is asking about her car. you are referring to truck/jeep tires. not the same.

simply put- increasing wheel diameter does not neccessarily change tire diameter. There are more variables.
If overall tire diameter stays the same ( as is can ) when changing wheel diameter- gearing is not effected.

 

[dougangel]

Mustang Wheels - A Simple Buyer's Guide | AmericanMuscle
One of the questions we get most often is: what size wheel will fit my car? It’s a good question to ask, and all of the wheels we carry are made specifically for Mustangs. As long as you purchase a rim meant for your year Mustang, it will fit. To see a list of tire sizes that fit on stock wheels click here.

• 16 Inch: These rims are the standard stock size rim on most Mustangs. Purchasing these wheels will give you the same handling and ride quality you already have
• 17 Inch: Going up to 17s will give you better handling without changing the ride quality of your car
• 18 Inch: These rims will give you better handling than 17s, with only a very slight decrease in ride quality. The change in ride quality will be barely noticeable, if at all.
• 19 Inch: Once you reach 19 inch territory, you start really messing with your speedometer readings. If you already have a tuner this is a non issue. The decrease in performance and ride quality is more noticeable with 19s, and are recommended for later model Mustangs which have more room in their wheel wells.
• 20 Inch: Getting 20” rims is less about ride quality and more about looks. Putting a wheel this size on your Mustang will give your car the appearance of being lowered because the wheel well will be filled. However, you may experience poor handling and ride quality in exchange.

Mustang Wheel Width


Increasing the rim size enhances your Mustang’s look, and the performance of the car. Buying a wheel wider than stock will increase the contact area the wheel has with the road, which provides better handling and cornering.

• 8 Inch: Stock rims are generally 16x8” or 17x8”. If you are looking to replace your wheels, but want to keep the same size rim you already have, these would be the wheels to get

The biggest benefit to buying wheels the same size as stock is most of the time you will not have to buy new tires.


Foxbody Mustang with 17x8 Rims

• 9 Inch: A slight upgrade in size won’t offer much of a change in drivability. Requires new tires – unless your Mustang came with 9” rims – but you can get a lower profile, more aggressive stance. Anything from a 245/45 to a 275/40 will fit
• 10 Inch: Combine 10” rims with 9”s in the front to get a staggered look that makes your car look fierce and ready to rumble. Using 10” rims means you can put a 285/35 tire on your 1994-2004, or a 274/40 on your 2005 car, giving it a wider looking stance and better traction off the line

Note: Available in 18” and 20” rims, these can only be used on the rear of the Mustang. See below for the reason why

• 10.5 Inch: Combine 10.5” rims with 9”s in the front for a staggered look that make people think twice about challenging you to a race. A 10.5” rim gives you the freedom to put a very wide tire on the back end of your car – anywhere from a 275 to a 315!

Note: Available in the 17” rim, and can only be used on the rear of the Mustang. See below for the reason why!

 

[Mountainmanbob]

It's exactly the same it does not matter if you driving a bus larger tires make it higher geared it's not rocket science.

A simple call to a tire shop and they will explain it.

Mountainman

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

It's exactly the same it does not matter if you driving a bus larger tires make it higher geared it's not rocket science.

A simple call to a tire shop and they will explain it.

Mountainman

I think we're assuming that he'll keep the same rolling diameter - so in other words larger wheels = lower profile tyres. Hence why going to vastly larger wheels can ruin the ride quality.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Then again - why stop at 19s?

 

[Mountainmanbob]

I think we're assuming that he'll keep the same rolling diameter - so in other words larger wheels = lower profile tyres. Hence why going to vastly larger wheels can ruin the ride quality.

I got you and you have that right take care Bob

 

[timewerx]

I think we're assuming that he'll keep the same rolling diameter - so in other words larger wheels = lower profile tyres. Hence why going to vastly larger wheels can ruin the ride quality.

Not only that, ultra-low profile tires are very damage-prone. You got to be really careful with it especially when driving out in the country or in bad roads.

Big rims seem only good when driving around the city where you won't be driving very fast anyway or when racing when you need more traction for the powerful race-tuned engine and so that you can fit larger brakes....But anything other than for racing applications, it's mostly for cosmetic reasons only.

 

[Sketcher]

I'd just go with the 17"s in your case. The larger diameter on the wheel, the more susceptible it is to warping from bumps and potholes. I've experienced this with 18"s on multiple occasions.

Also, performance tires are great in the warm weather, but when ice and snow hit the roads, they can be considerably worse than all-seasons. RWD compounds this. If you experience a real winter where you live and drive your Mustang in the winter, I'd advise winter tires for those months, and your performance tires for the rest of the year. So you're looking at two sets of wheels and tires in that case. Sizing the winter set down to 15" shouldn't be a problem.