Bull Run
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Crappy OEM P Zeros didn't work well with FBO and it was getting pretty scary after WMI and turbo upgrades.
Since rear tires were getting bald and 19" PP wheels are on the heavy side (~32 lbs each), I took the opportunity to upgrade both wheels and tires (slightly wider in the rear). I chose Tire Rack as they are reasonably priced, have wide range of selection, and have packages that you can just bolt on.
Justification for my choices:
1. Advanti DST HY Hybris: They were lightest 19" wheels carried by Tire Rack for S550 Mustangs. At 20 lbs, they are 12 lbs lighter per corner for total loss of 48 lbs.
2. Sumitomo HTR Z III XL: It has pretty decent reviews, and ratings seem good enough for DD use.
3. 255/40s in the front: Even P Zeros were good enough for the speeds that I turn at. Didn't want to add weight and rolling resistance. Tire rack shows HTR Z III XLs weighing same as P Zeros for the same width.
4. 285/35s in the rear: To gain additional traction for low end torque. 285s weighs 2 lbs more per tire, for total gain of 4 lbs.
5. Overall net savings of 44 lbs of unsprung/rotational weight.
Observations:
I have about 350 miles so far after the swap. Losing 44 lbs of unsprung/rotational weight and having better tires made a huge difference. Sumitomos at room temperature felt softer and sticker than P Zeros after a drive. New TPMS modules worked from start without needing to program them.
1. Steering response increased by a large margin. It's to a point where I need to adjust how I steer on left and right turns, as I'm often overshooting target lanes after the swap.
2. Car feels much nimbler while changing lanes.
3. WOT for passing or going up the highway ramp no longer cause the rear to feel squirrely.
4. Slightly better throttle response.
5. I can apply over 50% throttle from the stop without worrying about causing a Cars and Coffee incident. Traction control still kicks in when doing near WOT, but it recovers much quickly without fishtailing into another lane.
6. Similar improvement for sharp turns. Before, I couldn't give move than 25% throttle without starting to lose traction.
7. Much better cold weather performance. Both are classified as Max Performance Summers, but HTR Z III XLs felt much better than P Zeros at high 40s/low 50s.
Wheel and tire upgrade made my car much more fun to drive, as I don't have to consistently watch my throttle. If I had to start over again, I'll definitely do wheels and tires before WMI and turbo.
Bonus content:
Thin spokes make the brakes very visible. To save additional weight (~9 lbs total) and make things look less blah, I upgraded the front rotors with EradiSpeed+ 2pc units today(unfortunately, they don't make the rear ones for EB). I'll do a separate write-up once they are broken in.
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