SVTPP Wheel and Tire Alternative Options Sought

[Madlock]

I’m hoping someone can help guide me through some of the tire issues I’m trying to resolve with my GT500/SVTPP - or at least validate my thinking. This is the first high performance car I’ve owned, so please excuse my naivety or anything that may not be readily obvious to me during my learning curve. I just want to do this right without killing myself (or anyone else) in the process.

 

I’d like at least the option to drive on wheels and tires other than the 19/20 Goodyear Supercar setup, be it in cold weather or just without having to burn through uber-expensive F1 tires over road trips – with the understanding that I’m going to forego a certain degree of performance and grip. If I manage to do this properly, I hope the outcome will perform and behave at least similarly to a baseline GT500 running on non-Supercar tires, and I can keep my SVT Pack tires for summer and the track.

 

The best alternative I’ve come-up with would be to re-shoe a set of standard 19” GT500 wheels - (or maybe the very-cool RTR near-twins to the SVT wheels) while keeping as close to the overall SVT tire dimensions as I can by using a 285/40R19 rear tire since no PCM tools is yet available for SVT cars. Front tires seem more straightforward because all versions are fitted to 19” wheels. I’d prefer the wider SVT front tire width (265) to the standard GT500 front tire (255), but I realize my choices will be limited by choosing from the few tires that exist, and the only 265/40R19 tire made seems to be the summer-only Goodyear F1’s.

 

I can live with the second set being winter-only tires if need be, but I’d prefer all-seasons, if possible. The only options I’ve been able to find within these parameters with the help of tirerack.com would be the following:

 

Winter/Snow Performance

 

Pirelli Winter 240 Soterzero 255/40R19 – Front 285/40R19 – Rear $1,114 Set

 

Although tirerack.com didn’t return any other results when I searched for 255/40R19’s and 285/40R19’s as a set, I queried from the complete list of 285/40R19’s rear tires and discovered the following model also comes in 255/R40R19’s for the front.

 

Grand Touring All-Season

 

Continental ContiProContact 255/40R19 – Front 285/40R19 – Rear $1,024 Set

 

I realize the Pirellis are for high performance winter driving, even if I wanted to track them in cold weather, but the Continentals look like they could be an “all-arounder” for everyday use if I were really to confine my aggression to the track to summer months with the original SVT wheels and tires.

 

Despite not wanting to compromise on rear tire width since they’re all the car has to get the power to the road (let alone keep the iron pipe in trim) I took the process one step further by searching for 275/40R19 rear wheels, and a whole new assortment of All-Season tires became available, including the following:

 

Grand Touring All-Season

 

Continental ContiProContact 255/40R19 – Front 275/40R19 – Rear $1,024 Set

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity 255/40R19 – Front 275/40R19 – Rear $1,314 Set

 

Ultra High Performance All-Season

 

Yokohama ADVAN S.4. 255/40R19 – Front 275/40R19 – Rear $984 Set

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus 255/40R19 – Front 275/40R19 – Rear $1,188 Set

Bridgestone RE960 Pole Position 255/40R19 – Front 275/40R19 – Rear $1,314 Set

 

Not yet knowing exactly which way to go, I’d appreciate any guidance – beginning with whether or not any of these options, like going to a 275mm rear tire or an All-Season set (even with a 285mm rear tire) for a second set of wheels would be bad moves – again, knowing I wouldn't be expecting anywhere near the same kind of grip or performance as the Goodyear F1’s in the summer.

 

I’d also appreciate any guidance with regard to these choices or any additional suggestions that might help me make the best choice as I try to give myself some good options.

 

Thanks in advance.

[QUIKSVT]

What about finding a set of takeoff GT500 19's as mentioned? You'll get good mileage out of the standard non-SVTPP tires and the wheels don't look all that bad! I'd think you could find a deal on a set that someone is taking of to replace. Just a thought!

 

Edit...last post in this thread has some for sale:

 

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/59273-loud-moan-at-slow-speed-when-turning/

[henrycp]

Are you anxious to do something now? Ford Racing is now selling the 18" 2010 wheels for under $200 a piece. I would imagine the 19" version will be available within the next 6 - 12 months.

 

This is my first high performance car to. I have almost 1,000 miles on her now. I had the stock wheels and tires for only 158 miles (sorry, they're sold already) before I installed the Alcoa's and Hankooks. So far I really do like the Hankooks and they were very reasonably priced. I got all 4 tires for approx. $730 from tirerack. Mine is a summer driver though, so I can't help with the all-weather stuff.

[Madlock]

What about finding a set of takeoff GT500 19's as mentioned? You'll get good mileage out of the standard non-SVTPP tires and the wheels don't look all that bad! I'd think you could find a deal on a set that someone is taking of to replace. Just a thought!

 

 

The challenge with the 19" take-offs (although I've already located a set) isn't the wheels - it's the tires. The rear diameter is a full inch shorter than the SVTPP's on the 20's. (Both versions use 285/35's). While I'm fairly sure I wouldn't be risking a whole lot, the SVT suspension lowers the body by 1/2"; and because there's no PCM reprogramming tool offered for the SVT, the telemetry would be "off". by at least 3.5%. That's why I'm so adamant about wanting to compensate for the difference in sidewall height - in addition to the matter of the standard GT500 tires being "summer only" - albeit perhaps to a lesser extent given the SVT tires' extra-funky composition.

 

Nevertheless, thank you for your input. Does my rationale otherwise seem reasonable?

[Madlock]

Are you anxious to do something now? Ford Racing is now selling the 18" 2010 wheels for under $200 a piece. I would imagine the 19" version will be available within the next 6 - 12 months.

 

This is my first high performance car to. I have almost 1,000 miles on her now. I had the stock wheels and tires for only 158 miles (sorry, they're sold already) before I installed the Alcoa's and Hankooks. So far I really do like the Hankooks and they were very reasonably priced. I got all 4 tires for approx. $730 from tirerack. Mine is a summer driver though, so I can't help with the all-weather stuff.

 

 

That's terrific. Congratulations.

 

I've already thought about those 18s and have already gone down a whole decision tree on that matter too. But for the sake of clarity, I thought I'd leave that out of the first post because if my rationale is sound there it would be relevant to my calculations with the 18" wheels too. But thanks for the tip anyway!

 

While I'm sure the 19s will also soon be available, there's a huge difference between them in that they're cast rather than forged and the 19s will probably be MUCH more expensive. I've already locked-in a set of brand new 19" pull-offs (complete with tires and TPMS sensors), so I may have some extra rubber to sell once I've re-shoed them for my SVT.

 

With regard to the 18's, I actually thought those might make a dandy additional option for additional ride comfort - or for having a set of wheels to use with cheap tires whose only use would be for the purpose of turning them into vapor with the ESC defeat. I suppose as long as I'm reasonably close to the original diameters, even if I have to compromise by going to a bit narrower tire for the sake of improving the variety I have to choose from, I'd be okay provided I don't expect to be chucking it hard into any tree-lined corners.

 

What I really don't yet know is how highly-strung the SVT modifications make car. I know a LOT of the added handling benefit comes almost entirely from the specialized tire composition - but don't know what other aspects of the modifications and set-up Ford Racing made are now dependent upon the new tires in other ways. More plainly put, I don't yet know if on a 1-10 scale we're talking about the difference between 8 and 10 or 2 and 10, for example by going from what's essentially a track-configured car and tire to a track-configured car with what's essentially an everyday tire.

 

These are all things I'm sure I'll learn as I get to know the car better. And to a certain extent, provided I don't become unsafe, I think I'll probably behoove myself by driving on the lesser quality tires than the better ones while I'm "learning". But I'd also like to preserve the original OEM wheels and tires to whatever extent I can (even to the point of swapping-out the RTR look-alikes) and also do this in a manner that at least helps me avoid having to make the same expenditure more than once. Finally, I'm a slave to conformity and "stock". Right, wrong or indifferent, whatever the manufacturer has decided is "gospel" to my mind, so I've never been one to deviate much when it comes to the aftermarket. (Although I do have to admit to being in love with the blacked-out wheels they've shown on the 2012 BOSS 302.

 

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Apart from the availability of various types of wheels and in lieu of recommending a specific solution, do you think I'm focusing on the right issues and making fundamentally the correct conclusions?