hey guys,
this is my first post, so hang with me on this one...
i bought my first new car ever about 6 months ago... a yellow 05 v6 convertible. i love it! i can't say enough about how sweet this car is, but id like to give it a little something extra. having read though most of the posts and lookin at tons of pics, it seems that new wheels are the best way to give it some added performance and show? i really like how the early 2000 cobra wheels look (chrome, 5 spoke, 18"). will those fit my car, or is there a way to make them fit? i read something about the offset being wrong... can anyone confirm this? it also seems like there is mixed opinion about lowering the car? if i change the wheels is it really needed?
i really like how the early 2000 cobra wheels look (chrome, 5 spoke, 18"). will those fit my car, or is there a way to make them fit? i read something about the offset being wrong... can anyone confirm this? it also seems like there is mixed opinion about lowering the car? if i change the wheels is it really needed?
Lowering is used for a couple reasons one is to remove big wheel well gaps between the fender and the tire due to lower overall diameter of wheel and tire combo's, but that can be overcome by getting a bigger tire. For example I had a 215/65/16 on stock with an overall diameter of 27 inches, I replaced it with a 255/45/18 with an overall diameter of 27.1 inches. So no noticable change in wheel well gap which means no lowering. If you were to use the rims listed above a 255/50/17 then you wouldnt need to lower. Using the tire calculator above helped me choose what size and understand how it all works. Hopefully all this makes since. Now if you wanted a lower profile tire(less sidewall) then you will either need to get a bigger rim to stay with the overall diameter or get a lower aspect ratio which on the 255/50/17 is the 50 part which would lower the overall tire diameter and then leave a bigger wheel well gap and then you will want to lower to make up for that gap.
Regarding lowering, Spike TV just did a segment on installing springs on their Horsepower TV (Roush suspension mods to a GT). Progressive rate springs will allow you to have a better ride and better performance, but changing springs only can actually hurt your suspension performance. Check out this article: http://stangsuspension.com/store/springarticle.asp
I'm running the GT bullet wheels (17-inch with Pirelli tires). Had them and the GT fog light grill installed at the dealership when I bought her. We do have very similar cars. I was thinking your avatar picture was a really good shot of a yellow convertible.
hey guys, thanks for the posts so far! its been a serious amount of help! keep em coming if you have more ideas/comments.
Hoodlum - thanks for the info... will lowering give me a big upgrade on my handling??
Pyrat - from what I can see of your car in your pic we have very similar vehicles... what kind of wheels are on it in your picture? i like them!
StreetracerDK - those wheels are sweet! what can you tell me about them?
Lowering will give you some better handling as it lowers the center of gravity of the car and the springs themselves depending on stiffness affects handling. But before you lower there is alot to take into consideration.
Sure you can just throw some springs on and be ok but other things to consider: When you lower you change the geometry of the stock suspension. So you will need caster/camber bolts to get a correct alignment so you dont wear out your tires too fast due to incorrect alignment. Panhard rod that keeps your body and chassis inline may not be inline using the stocker when you lower. Upper 3rd link and lower control arms are also other possibilities. I'm not saying everything will be affected I'm just say those are areas that you also need to look at and plan for at the same time or in the future when you lower.
Me I didnt want to spend alot on the suspension side yet so I went with the bigger rims and lower profile tires that gave me the same overall diameter of the stock rim and tires.
can anyone give me some help with wheels? 
