Aloca (Super Snake) Wheel/Tire Fitment Advice

[Madlock]

I snapped-up some Forged Alcoa wheels for the dealer to puton my 2012 before taking it home.

 

Since the track season is all but over, I’m pulling-off theOE SVTPP wheels and will use the SuperSnake wheels wearing ContinentalExtremeContact DWS tires for everyday driving.

 

The rear size will be will be 315/35-20. The all-season rubber and extra width should delivera good bit of extra hookup, but I haven’t yet decided on the fronts. I can use a 9 or 10” wheel width with tires from245 to 275/35-20 and am trying to work-out the best combination of compromises.

 

I particularly don’t like how the OE front tires will grabonto almost ANY road defect and pull the front-end all over the road –especially if the tires aren’t good and warm.

 

A 245 or 255 could improve the twitchiness, but not without simultaneouslydecreasing the road-holding contact patch. I’m also concerned about the impact upon ridecomfort of further reducing sidewall height in addition to a lower profileaspect ratio, and the net effect upon over/under-steer balance narrower-than-stockfront tires would have in combination with rear tires 3 widths wider (thanstock).

 

The final consideration would be the effect upon rake havingalready increased the rear tire diameter by nearly a full inch – with almost afull inch difference in diameter between a 245/35-20 and 275/35-20 for thefront.

 

275-35/20 would be the obvious choice in a perfect world bypreserving as much of both the OE steering balance and rake as possible (but notwithout the potential to exacerbate the front-end twitchiness and increase whateverlikelihood the car may have to hydroplane). It would also preserve the maximum amount of sidewall for the sake of ridecomfort.

 

What I don’t yet fully know is how much of a difference the2012’s variable steering resistance can have upon improving the front end’stendency to pull – or at least dampen its effect. I also presume the all-season rubber compoundwill generally tend to make the car feel a little less squirrely in situationswhen the F1 G: 2’s may not be fully warmed-up.

 

My final decision would be to decide upon the 9” or 10”wheel which, all of the tires (except the 245’s) would fit. If I were to choose the 275/35-20, my naturaltendency would be to use a 10” front wheel, but even Ford has gone wider than 9”with a 265 tire up-front.

 

So, after taking all that into account, which front wheel(20 x 9” or 20 x 10”) would you use, which tire (245-35/20 through 275-35/20)and why? I’d also appreciate anyinsights as to what effect upon handling and performance having increased therake by nearly 1” will have (before I consider raising it even MORE if I wereto use a narrower front tire).

 

Or, at the end of the day, is it all just not likely to makethat much difference?

 

I’d appreciate any helpful insight and suggestions.

 

 

[89Saleen215]

I ran a 275 through standing rain in Utah doing 70 mph or so with no issues. The only problem I've ever encountered has been keeping the rear planted. I'm running 295 Toyo Proxes to try to keep the rear still in the water. I'd say it's about 90% effective.

 

It's raining today and I'm going to be on the road for 8 hrs and I don't have any hydroplaning or twitchiness with the 275/295 combo.

[Madlock]

 

First, am I the ONLY person whose posts are now center-justified?

 

 

 

 

Second, my ExtremeContact DWSs arrived today and were installed on the 2012 I pick-up from the dealer tomorrow, along with the Alcoa Super Snake wheels. All I can say is, "Lawdy!"

 

 

 

 

 

My ONLY critical observation is how much BETTER the polished aluminum would look with a darker body color for contrast. Though they certainly don't look bad on White, contrast with the SVTPP wheels was a primary reason I chose it. Oh well, the 2013 Order Bank is just around the corner - and I'm going to be trading anyway.

 

 

 

 

I went with 315/35-20's on the rear - and 275/35-20's up-front. I'd originally ordered 255/35-20's, but given the relative size of the rears and the effect upon rake, I could've easily gone with 275/40-20's - or 255/40-20's if I weren't concerned amount maintaining over/under-steer balance. My only apprehension is the 35 aspect ratio on the front wheels - for potholes and such.

 

 

 

 

I wound-up mounting them on 9's up front and 10's in the rear - both of which provide just the right amount of tire overhang to give the teeniest smidge of protection to the wheels. Since these are all-season tires and meant to be my daily drivers, I'm more concerned about street hookup and road manners than the absolute sharpness of response - and they fill the wheel wells beautifully. The tires are truly impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I don't get hookup with THESE bad boys - I don't think it'll be the tires' fault.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they look pretty terrific too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a few quick laps around the parking lot, I'm amazed at how much more noticeably comfortable these tires are - even in such controlled circumstances. The F1 G: 2's almost ALWAYS take a good period of warming-up before they start behaving themselves - and even then, not always.

 

 

 

 

I've run the DWS on my Taurus SHO since buying it new - and haven't looked back. I'm hoping these prove to be not only good daily-driving tires, but reasonably good performance tires too - short of track use for which I'd either swap back to the OE SVTPP wheels and tires or go with 19's on all 4 corners to shorten-up the gearing.

 

 

 

 

With a rear diameter of 28.7, the 315/35-20's have made the gearing noticeably taller - but the combination of a taller first and wider footprint might prove to be just the right combination for hooking-up as many of the 550 as possible from the crank to the road.

 

 

 

 

Will miss my 2011 though - I had a gem.

 

 

 

 

[YZD263]

First, your not alone with your posts center-justified. I've had the same issue for the past few days.

 

Second, congrats on your new set of wheels and on your new Shelby. The Alcoas look great on your car! I also bougth a set for my '07. Currently waiting for them to be shipped. As my car will go on storage for the winter in a couple of weeks, I will probably wait until next spring to put them on.

[John Allen]

I just went to the Continental Tires web site and they don't show a 315/35/20 for the DWS on the size chart. http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/us/en/continental/automobile/themes/car_tires/performance/extreme_dws_en/hidden/printable_datasheet_en.pdf Is this size new? What wheel width does Continental recomend for a 315/35/20. My Alcoa wheels are on the way and I plann on the DWS tires but thought i was limited to the 275/3520 for the rears. Do you have any rub problems on the rear? Supension all stock?

 

Thanks

[IA Shelby]

As you know the alcoa 10 inch wheel will handle a lot more tire than a 275. I believe the issue is that the offset for the rear is set at +36.7 on a 10 inch wheel. Anything larger than a 275 will start to extend past the fender well.

 

This is my assumption why Shelby never put anything larger on the SS due to appearance reasons.

 

To some, even 1mm is not tolerable. Personally I like the looks of Madlock's car. Has a blend of new & old muscle look to it.

[Madlock]

 

Continental doesn't keep its own web site current. DWS 315/35-20s have been available for quitesome time.

 

 

 

 

The recommended wheel width is 10.5 to 12.5, but fitment was NO problem whatsoever. They mountedeasily and seem to fit very well.

 

 

 

 

Clearance is not a problem. My SVTPP suspension is stock. The PCM's maximum revs/mile parameter is 725 - the tires spec at 724, placing themat the limit of what Ford intended the cars telemetry to accommodate, which I presume to be their intended physical limit. What I DON'T yet know is how or whether they'll accommodate an FR-3 pack, but there seems to be plenty of margin for the additional 1/2" lowering.

 

 

 

 

Because the Alcoa's are identical to the relative OE wheel offset, any additional width is shared on both sides. They protrude just a hair beyond the wheel well, but it's nothing the popular wide-profile splash guards won't easily cover if kick-up becomes a problem and are well-clear of the suspension hardware - both under load and not.

 

 

 

 

The front tires are a different proposition. I went with the 275/35-20 because they were the natural choice with a wider rear tire to keep steering balance - and the additional overhang on a 9" wheel (versus a 265 on a 9.5" wheel) is terrific for protecting the aluminum. Besides, these won't be track wheels/tires - although I'd LOVE to use them that way, given how much lighter the Alcoa's are than the OE SVTPP wheels.

 

 

 

 

Other options were 265 or 255/35-20s but I decided against them for reasons of steering balance and to retain an appreciable amount of sidewall after plus-sizing the front wheel - despite 255/35-20 being the Super Snake's recommended front size (with 275/35-20s in the rear). Also, because the 315's are 21mm (.83")taller than the OE 285/35-20s, 275/35-20s up-front prevented me from exacerbating the resulting additional rake - which I wanted, to help improve launches, but didn't want to go overboard as to upset the car's overall handling.

 

 

 

 

The net difference in rake with the 275/35-20s up-front is7.55mm (.295"). 265/35-20s would've created 11.1mm of additional rake (.43") and the 255/35-20s would've created 14.55mm (.55"). 255/40-20s up front would've resulted in less than 2mm of overall rake change, but not without a narrower front tire than I wanted. A 275/40-20 front would've created negative rake of 6.2mm (.25"), which I didn't want to go with despite the additional contact patch and being more comfortable.

 

 

 

 

The rear tires are in a class unto themselves size-wise, so any further changes will be relative to them. If the 275/35-20s aren't too my liking (i.e. if the all-season rubber doesn't cure the front-end of digging into road defects and pulling the front-end), I'll make changes accordingly. However, because the OE front wheels provide 4.17" of total sidewall, I'm hoping the 275/35-20s 3.79" of sidewall will be enough to be comfortable and provide sufficient pothole damage while hoping it will even sharpen-up the front end responsiveness just a little bit. If not, there are lots of other sizes to try.

 

 

 

 

I DID grab a set of 255/35-20s - just because they happen to be what Shelby recommends for the front wheels if I were ever to need to revert to 275/35-20s in the rear (which I would move from the front). Furthermore, because Continental is going to a W-rated 255/35-20 from the present Y-rated tire, TireRack had them on clearance for $159.00 each. Not a bad bargain for cheap insurance.

 

 

 

 

Having not driven the car any more since, I haven't yet fully developed an appreciation for how much of a practical effect upon the gearing the taller rear tires will have (from 27.85" to 28.68"). The 3.73 only exists to compensate for the SVTPP's larger rear wheel anyway - providing no quickness improvement whatsoever over the 3.55 final drive ratio. The 315/35-20's have the same net effect as a 3.62 final drive ratio would with the OE SVTPP wheels. A 3.84 final ratio would restore OE gearing properties.

 

 

 

 

Though I've yet to find-out with certainty, because these are meant to be "everyday" wheels and tires, they seem nearly-ideal – at least "on paper". The more compliant all-season rubber should make the car MUCH more docile in conditions when the F1 G: 2's wouldn't have been fully warmed-up while the kind of additional sizing should improve overall ride comfort – while simultaneously improving hookup (given another nearly 15% contact patch and taller gearing effect.

 

 

 

 

The all-season compound and aggressive tread pattern should ALSO improve upon front-end pull without any greater tendency to hydroplane despite the additional width. Furthermore, based upon how well-reviewed the tire happens to be and how well it performs with my Taurus SHO (no lightweight to keep in trim), they should be nearly silent while offering absolutely remarkable wear traits – all without taking-away from my ability to drive like a maniac.

 

 

 

 

What these AREN'T meant to be are track tires, or even touring tires – for which I'd either use the OE SVTPP wheels and tires (which are VERY good on the track) or a set of higher-profile run-flat 18's. A second track option would be a set of 19" SVTPP wheels from Ford Racing – using 285/35-19's to shorten-up the gearing on the track where I'd want it most – without impacting ride comfort or fuel economy on the road everyday.

 

 

 

 

So, that's pretty-much my entire rationale – and what I hope will be the successful end to ONE part of what has been a VERY long search. If I find I need to make any modifications for the rears, it would be to widen the Alcoa's to 11" which would require ½" spacers to maintain its original wheel track – something I'd not look forward to doing for myriad reasons. Now it's on to find optimal sets of track and touring tires in 19" and 18", respectively.

 

 

 

 

Addendum:

 

 

 

 

The DWS traction and compound MAY be enough to provide greater everyday hookup in and of themselves WITHOUT going to 315. I wouldn't be at all surprised. If so, the Shelby-recommended sizing would be ideal with these tires, as they're both available – and VERY inexpensive in relative terms. However, you're now entering into sizing that Michelin and Bridgestone support with their excellent A/S tires too.

 

 

 

 

ANOTHER great option of which I'd only become aware upon looking for tires for the Alcoas is from Dunlop – intended for Nissan GT-R's Cold Weather package (are you listening, Ford?). They're ideal for the GT500 and Super Snake wheels and are BOTH all-season AND run-flat – making them ideal for touring without worrying about wheel damage. Frankly, they're too uncommon (and expensive – at nearly $2,000 for a set) beyond the GT-R community to be well-reviewed, but all reports from within the GT-R community are VERY favorable.

 

 

 

 

Minutiae:

 

 

 

 

The ONLY downside to the Alcoa wheels for ME is my love of Performance White – which contrasts with the SVTPP wheel finish so well. The Alcoa's shine is gorgeous, but looks SO much better when it has a darker or more vivid color to "pop" against – especially Black, Race Red, Kona Blue Metallic or Grabber Blue. Don't get me wrong, I love how they look – but they seem a little more "blingy" to my eye than the aggressive, no-nonsense performance vibe for which I like the SVTPP wheels' style so much. On the upside, the Alcoa's wide-open simple spoke design will be MUCH easier to clean – and keep that way.

 

 

 

 

There you go. More than you EVER cared to know about my DWS tires.

 

 

[SGT/SC#0471]

Great post thanks, like you I took my time before pulling the trigger....got the widest I could for what I had wheelwise, looks sinilar to stock bullets and I paid $150 a wheel.

 

My experience is that the wider rubber made the front end respond to worn pavement worse that stock 235's.

 

But a willing trade off, it corners very well.

[Madlock]

 

 

Great post thanks, like you I took my time before pulling the trigger....got the widest I could for what I had wheelwise, looks sinilar to stock bullets and I paid $150 a wheel.

 

 

 

 

My experience is that the wider rubber made the front end respond to worn pavement worse that stock 235's.

 

 

 

 

But a willing trade off, it corners very well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks - and you're welcome.

 

 

 

 

The combination of such a hard rubber (when the pavement's not hot or the tires aren't good and warmed-up) and exceptional width (265) really threw me at first - to the point that I wasn't sure whether to attribute it to the tires or the new EPAS.

 

 

 

 

As such, it's been one of the primary things I'd change MOST for everyday driving - right up to the point when I remember how well and how balanced it corners. I'd really been looking forward to narrower front tires - hence my decision to ALSO purchase and shelve a pair of 255's. But given the significant degree to which the rear tires are so much wider, I was even MORE concerned about provoking understeer (not that whipping the back-end around with the throttle has ever been a problem)

 

 

 

 

Another concern I had about going even-wider up-front was a propensity to hydroplane - though I avoid inclement weather whenever I can. I ultimately decided the combination of the tires' terrific performance properties and maintaining the rake and balance, combined with the more universally-friendly rubber compound will result in an overall "net positive" with the 275's over 255's.

 

 

 

 

Even so, I'll have a set of much higher profile 18's for touring, and I'll likely go narrower up-front to give the car a lighter steering feel to go with the greater overall ride comfort. Besides, it's hard to go wider than 275 on 18's and find a tire that's tall enough. Ironically, my 2012 (for as shortly as I plan on owning it) has the new variable steering - which probably makes everything moot anyway.

 

 

[VitoScilla]

Very Very nice... Please shoot me a PM if you are interested in flipping the SVTPP Wheel/Tire Setup. Again...the car looks great with thos chrome wheels!

[Madlock]

Very Very nice... Please shoot me a PM if you are interested in flipping the SVTPP Wheel/Tire Setup. Again...the car looks great with thos chrome wheels!

 

 

Thems is luminum, my brotha.

 

Thanks!

[Amigo GT500]

Your car is a twin sister of mine except for the "socks and shoes"

[Madlock]

I just drove home my new 2012 Coupe - and had 100 miles and more than a little rain to get a sense of what I've gotten myself into.

 

The improvement in hookup and road manners is astounding. The car is also infinitely more quiet and comfortable - having shod much harshness without seeming to sacrifice any precision or nimbleness. Even on wet pavement in 65 degree weather, the 315 Extreme Contact DWS's provided better hookup than reasonably warmed-up F1 G: 2's. They're simply a delight - and the speedo calibration is spot-on.

 

Only once on the ride home did I think I MAY have heard some inadvertent rubbing - which would break my heart. Having drove home at night, it's too dark to inspect the car, so I'll have to wait for morning. But I don't care if it DOES rub - this combination is SO pleasant to drive on an everyday basis that I really don't care what I have to do to make it work.

 

Given the diameter calibration the car supports and the nominal difference in dimensions, either the OE SVTPP wheels and tires ALREADY operate on a razor's edge or the needed additional clearance is SO small I'm determined to get it somehow - that's IF rubbing is what I heard, and not a label coming off the tire at speed or something else similar. I'll wedge shims in the suspension if I have to. Besides, others have reported doing much MORE aggressive things with plenty of clearance. Given how well it performs, I'd rather it be a bad differential or something else unrelated to the wheels and tires.

 

We had a good bit of fun at the dealer tonight - with the two identical 2011/2012 coupes involved in the transaction - and the convertible the dealer mis-ordered. It was a downright Performance White bonanza.

 

 

 

 

[John Allen]

Well you convinced me Madlock. My Alcoa's showed up today and after reading all this on the tires, I just completed an order with Tire Rack for the 315 - 275 DWS tires.

[Madlock]

Well you convinced me Madlock. My Alcoa's showed up today and after reading all this on the tires, I just completed an order with Tire Rack for the 315 - 275 DWS tires.

 

 

Oh man... don't peg it on me if the ass-end of your car falls off!

.

By the way, I've decided I like the LOOK of the OE wheels better - but I sure prefer this wheel and tire setup. One thing that MAY be causing rubbing (if that's what it is) is putting the 315 on a 10" wheel instead of 10.5" or wider, squeezing the tire into being taller than it would otherwise be. Even so, I still can't imagine it being enough to matter given the math and geometry involved.

 

I just couldn't get-over how pleasurable a drive home it was - being able to get on it and maneuver as I always have, but without ANY twitchiness or harshness whatsoever - just a nice, firm ride. In fact, it's SO good that I'd even consider cutting the Alcoas to widen them and be willing to lose a little rear track if it's the only solution to keep this setup in place.

 

On the flip-side, I'd also have no qualms about using the Shelby-recommended sizes. Whatever additional hookup it may not provide by virtue of width, the comfort and handling of the DWS's would STILL be an improvement over the F1 G: 2s - while STILL giving better hookup 90% of the time.

[Madlock]

 

IMPORTANT UPDATE

 

 

 

 

Despite math implying my 2012 Coupe with Performance PackageSHOULD accommodate 315/35-20 rear tires, the tires rub the wheel arch duringextreme compression – if barely and for only an instant.

 

 

 

 

I considered myriad solutions, from taller springs and coilspacers to wheel widening and altering the wheel arch (NOT). None were an acceptable tradeoff. I attribute the discrepancy to narrower-than-recommendedwheels (10”) that caused a larger-than-expected tire diameter – by tenths of aninch.

 

 

 

 

I believe a 2011/12 GT500 WITHOUT the SVT PerformancePackage CAN accommodate the 315 DWS WITHOUT rubbing. I ALSO believe wider rear wheels would yieldsufficient clearance – WITH OR WITHOUT the SVT Performance Package. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

I already knew the DWS to be a phenomenal all-seasonperformance tire for my 2011 Taurus SHO and hoped a 315 tire would similarly improvemy GT500’s hookup and ride comfort for street use. As good as I knew the DWS to be, the GoodyearF1 G: 2 is miserable below 60°F and before fully heating-up.

 

 

 

 

The 315’s width and all-season rubber performed beautifully. Hookup was consistent and instantaneous, evenfrom cold starts – and front-end “pull” disappeared despite wider 275/35-20front tires (on 9” wheels). Wheel hopvanished and the back-end stayed planted FAR better.

 

 

 

 

All are problems the F1 G: 2 exacerbates dramatically when rockhard – before heating-up sufficiently.

 

 

 

 

Ride quality improved dramatically and was nearly silent, performingFAR better than the F1 G: 2 on the street – even on warm days and when fullyheated-up. The DWS virtually eliminated allharshness WITHOUT neutering steering feel or aggressive handling ability. My GT500 became a MUCH better car.

 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, I wasn’t prepared to subject the car to damage,so I adopted Shelby’s recommended sizes for its Alcoa Super Snake wheels bymoving the 275/35-20 tires to the rear 10” wheels and installing a pair of 255/35-20tires on the 9” front wheels.

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t prepared for the result.

 

 

 

 

The car not only looks much better (and more consistent withits factory proportions), but its performance and handling improved further, withoutsacrificing any discernible degree of comfort – which must be MORE attributableto the DWS’s construction and all-season rubber compound than any sidewall Imay have lost.

 

 

 

 

Hookup remained similarly impressive and the car simplydrove more aggressively – yet every bit as comfortably (compared to 315s). Despite my clear intention for the DWS to bea street tire and either keep the OE wheels and tires (or another set of 19”wheels) ONLY for the track, I’d have no qualms whatsoever about driving the DWSon a track if I were invited on a moment’s notice to participate.

 

 

 

 

I’m sorry if anybody followed me down the 315 path only tomake similar discoveries that are literally fractions of an inch from actuallyworking.

 

 

 

 

Hats off to those who can fine-tune their suspensions enoughto gain any needed clearance or create other workable solutions, but the275/255/35-20 combination was really the setup I should’ve chosen all-along –and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

 

 

 

 

To reiterate, non-SVTPP cars will likely accommodate the315/35-20’s perfectly well – as SVTPP cars likely would with sufficiently-wide rearwheels. I’d hate to discourage anybodyfrom choosing the 315 if it would provide everything it’s capable ofdelivering.

 

 

 

 

My only regret is the lack of 285 or 295/35-20 all-seasontires in suitable size combinations – but that dilemma affects FAR more peoplethan just us Mustang folk who live where seasons actually change. After getting used to the 35-profile tires on20” wheels for a while, I may ALSO consider going to 30-profile tires toquicken-up the gearing a bit and sharpen track response.

 

 

 

 

Despite as being as incredibly comfortable as the DWS’s ridehappens to be, I’m not sure I’d want to use a 30-profile tire on the street,even if only on the rears – which is a shame given how many MORE tire options itwould make available.

 

 

 

 

[txcobra]

Great info, thanks for sharing. I too like the Alcoas AND the look of the new OE rims. Initially, I thought I was going to order them for the'12 for sure, but now the stockers have really grown on me. Your car looks great, can you post up some pics with the new tires? In those first pics, you could definitely see the bulkier look to the bigger tires.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

Continental doesn't keep its own web site current. DWS 315/35-20s have been available for quitesome time.

 

Do you know if they have come out with a 255/40/19 in the DWS? Thanks for all the info on the tires Madlock - really great stuff by you.

[Madlock]

 

 

Do you know if they have come out with a 255/40/19 in the DWS? Thanks for all the info on the tires Madlock - really great stuff by you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

I only see 245/40-19's. Tire Rack's web site keeps a comprehensive list of all current sizes. If you were thinking of replacing the OE front SVTPP wheels, I'd have no qualms about going to a 275/40-19.

 

 

 

 

The biggest benefit has been able to approach the tires from the perspective of street and track being entirely independent from one another - and once you abandon the jack-of-all-trades tire requirement, everything gets MUCH simpler even if it means buying for yourself a second set of wheels, which is what I originally set-out to do to make the car more livable everyday, even if I were to go as firm as an FR-3 pack.

 

 

 

 

I had originally thought that meant 19" wheels and 40-19 all-season tires. I also took a chance to grab a set of the Alcoa's and am frankly amazed at how much more comfortable the car continues to be even with 35 aspect ratio tires front and rear. The different compound makes THAT much of a difference from the F1 G: 2's during the kind of driving that never gets them heated-up enough to "switch on" like they do in hot weather or on a track - when they become phenomenal, if never quite comfortable.

 

 

 

 

For those who had asked for new pictures with the car fitted with 275's and 255's on the Alcoa's, here it is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest irony is that despite loving the Alcoas, they're my least favorite wheel on a white car - but they sure do shine for show. As it turns out, the 315's rubbed SO slightly under maximum compression that I was able to wipe-off the rubber from the wheel arch with a wet piece of paper towel. The clearance deficit literally must have been hundredths of an inch.

 

 

 

 

I'm now looking at keeping a set of 19s for touring and road trips. The extra sidewall should make the ride downright luxurious, even WITH an FR3 pack dialed-in at its firmest. In fact, going to 245/40-19's up-front will probably lighten the steering a bit for even-better road manners over long hauls.

 

 

 

 

I've ALSO picked-up a set of bona-fide 302LS wheels - whose painted Race Red detailing matches the stripes exactly and should look killer with my particular color combination. I can't decide whether to make these my touring wheels or to use the Ford Racing SVTPP look-alikes. I hope they look as good on the car as they do rendered here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One or the other will be used for 285/35-19's on the track to shorten-up the net gearing.

 

 

 

 

My only regret is that the Alcoa's are probably ideal for the track given how light they are despite their size - and the narrow profile I could get away with. The second-best for the track are probably the BOSS 302LS wheels, but what's the point of having them and NOT showing 'em off?

 

 

 

 

I just hope 2013 doesn't render everything moot by taking the entire matter of wheels and tires back to square one. Watch there be a "Nurburgring Package" with 345's.

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, no matter how you slice it, these are terrific kinds of problems to have.

 

 

[John Allen]

Madlock,

 

I have to disagree with you on one thing The Alcoas look GREAT with the white!! I've got the Alcoas and the tires now, just need time to get them mounted and installed. They are on "display" in my office and just got too busy to deal with right now -- good problem to have in this economy I went with the 275 / 255 combo DWS also.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

I only see 245/40-19's. Tire Rack's web site keeps a comprehensive list of all current sizes. If you were thinking of replacing the OE front SVTPP wheels, I'd have no qualms about going to a 275/40/19.

 

I had been looking there too....I thought maybe you were in direct contact with a continental tire dealer or something. I just have the stock non-svtpp wheels. So I'm running 285/35/19 on the back & 255/40/19 on the front.

 

I can't believe you are going through a different car each year! Wow. Good times for you, I assume?

 

I have to agree with your opinion on the alcoa/white car combo...but I think it's more because of the red stripes that makes it just not seem right. I think they would look better on a stripe delete white car.

[Madlock]

I can't believe you are going through a different car each year! Wow. Good times for you, I assume?

 

 

Not particularly, though I consider myself extremely fortunate nevertheless.

 

It actually hasn't been QUITE so expensive as it may seem at first - though it would've been one HELL of a lot cheaper had the dealer not blown the original order.

 

$1,500 in tires and another $500 in brake maintenance offsets $2K of depreciation off the bat and with the first 10K miles being the most expensive, the cost delta is smaller than you'd think.

 

I decided to buy the 2012 because I wanted the Recaro Seats for my back on track days - which otherwise kept me laid-up for 3 days after each event. I had originally planned to have my 2012 in May - when everything pointed to 2013 being a ho hum year and 2014 was expected to be an all-new car.

 

Even when it took until September to find another like vehicle (as the model year was closed-out sooner than anybody expected) and it became known that there'd be a 2013/2014 refresh, there was no guarantee as to what the 2013/2014 would (or wouldn't) be - and whether or not I'd like any styling changes.

 

The decision THEN became whether to allow my 2011 to further depreciate into the 2013 model year and the cost delta between trading-in a 2012 instead - while giving myself the hedge of at least having a car I KNOW I'd want if the 2013 simply doesn't appeal to me. ALSO, the 2012 locked-in my right of first refusal for a particular dealer's first 2013 allocation.

 

At the end of the day, my 2012 "hedge" car will have probably wound up costing me $4K or so more - which makes a lot more sense over a 3 model year expanse. To me it was a risk worth taking and, thank God, I've been able to swing it financially.

 

[Madlock]

As an addendum, I had the chance to take a very close look at the 315's to see the exact extent of the rubbing - and where it occurred relative to the tire.

 

I already knew how minimal it was by how easily the wheel arch wiped clean, with more of a residue than rubber left in anger - which made perfect sense after inspecting the tires up-close.

 

While it's impossible to predict how much MORE clearance would've been required to avoid ALL rubbing under maximum compression, the degree I experienced was almost invisible on the tire - looking more as if the tire had been cleaned than abraded. What I first though must've been down to a matter of hundredths of an inch ULTIMATELY must be a matter of thousandths. I'm beginning to think shimming the coils with a book of matches would've been enough to do the trick.

 

Again, the 275/255 setup works SO well that I'm not even missing the 315's I never had a chance to get used to.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

At the end of the day, my 2012 "hedge" car will have probably wound up costing me $4K or so more - which makes a lot more sense over a 3 model year expanse. To me it was a risk worth taking and, thank God, I've been able to swing it financially.

 

Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be too bad trading in year to year if you had your original car paid off in full. I have always been one to keep my cars about 10 years.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

the 275/255 setup works SO well that I'm not even missing the 315's I never had a chance to get used to.

 

What do you think of running the DSW's on the rear and the DW's on the fronts? That should be fine, no? I know they have different treadwear..but the backs take the biggest beating anyhow. Looks like the only option that I would have to get some benefit of the all-season properties of the DSW's in my configuration. I really don't want to start messing with the different ratios, alternate sizes, and diameters. Besides the tread being different of course...looks like the side of the tires are the same except for the DSW and DW marking.

[Madlock]

I think 245's would be much preferable to going summer on front and all-season on back. I think you'll find it makes much less of a difference than you think - and the all-season compound MORE than makes-up for any difference in contact patch.

 

I drove mine in 40-degree temperatures today - and it was as enjoyable as driving the OE tires on a warm summer day.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

I think 245's would be much preferable to going summer on front and all-season on back. I think you'll find it makes much less of a difference than you think - and the all-season compound MORE than makes-up for any difference in contact patch. I drove mine in 40-degree temperatures today - and it was as enjoyable as driving the OE tires on a warm summer day.

 

I don't want to downsize...and change the diameter on the tires. Would have been nice if Ford would have given us some more common sizes to work with. Oh well. Thanks for your thoughts and input Madlock.

[Madlock]

Well, you're already going off-reservation on the rears, and the difference between the 265/40-19 and 245/45-19 is so negligible with so much clearance that you'd be hard pressed to feel any difference - at least due to the change in diameter, but whatever you think will work best.

[Burning Blue Star IV]

Well, you're already going off-reservation on the rears, and the difference between the 265/40-19 and 245/45-19 is so negligible with so much clearance that you'd be hard pressed to feel any difference - at least due to the change in diameter, but whatever you think will work best.

 

I have the 285/35/19 on the rears and the 255/40/19 on the front. I have the non-SVTpp 19" wheels on a coupe. So my rear tire size is the same in the DSW's.

[Madlock]

If that's the case, 245/40-19's are an even-closer to ideal - and if you'd be able to tell the difference in ANY regard, you'd be a FAR better driver than 99% of folks.

 

I don't want to dissuade you, but given how well the DWS runs, you're really splitting hairs so fine as to be practically nonexistent. But if you're really so driven to adhere so religiously to OE sizing, I'd recommend going with PilotSport A/S Plus on front and rear - although you'd need to go to their ZP model (run flat) on the rear.

 

You'd at least be keeping rubber compounds and tread patterns far more consistent. The difference at various temperatures between the splitting summer and A/S tires would otherwise make far more of a difference than any size variance.

 

I love the OE SVTPP tires for the track - and would continue using them in that particular setting. However, by going from 285/35-20 and 265/40-19 to 275/35-20 and 255/35-20, I've improved the car for aggressive everyday driving several times over .