Has anyone found 18" wheels that fit PP in stock width/offset?

[Cindy42]

Looking to see if anyone was able to find 18" wheels with the stock widths and offsets to run for autocross? And that clear the Brembo brakes. I have to buy new wheels, I'd like to get to 18.

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[NightmareMoon]

I'm in the same boat, as I'd probably prefer to get a set of 18s if they actually exist. I've done a little searching.

I think the OZ Leggera HLT come in the right sizes for 19". You'd probably have to call Tire Rack to see if they exist in 18" (that would be my next step).

I know the APEX EC-7 aren't quite right in the offset dept (they have the right widths and fit over the brakes)

Hoping someone else knows more, but unfortunately I'm worried we're not going to find anything off the shelf. I know of any cars that use the same stud pattern and offsets in that 18" size. You'll note that none of the other 15-16 mustangs use the 9,9.5" widths in an 18" wheel, so there is not going to be as high of a demand on wheel manufacturers to make a replacement in that size.

 

[Anthony@HTM]

There are many wheels, a few threads in this section actually.

HRE FF15 and Volk TE37 are the two off the top of my head that work

 

[boardkat]

forgestar can make you a set of 18x9/18x9.5 CF5 that will clear the 6pot brembos up front with the offset you desire. i know of one autox'er in particular on this board that did exactly that for his 2016 FS campaign
only downsides are that they will need to be custom made (~360/wheel), and usually take about 2 months from order to door :(

 

[Whiskey11]

forgestar can make you a set of 18x9/18x9.5 CF5 that will clear the 6pot brembos up front with the offset you desire. i know of one autox'er in particular on this board that did exactly that for his 2016 FS campaign
only downsides are that they will need to be custom made (~360/wheel), and usually take about 2 months from order to door :(

Otherwise, the Enkei PF01's in 18x9 and 18x9.5 would work if you run a 5mm spacer up front (still legal). The rears would technically need .5mm shaved off the back to meet the rules but if someone protests over half a mm of offset in Autocross we are REALLY stretching for reasons to axe someone's results.

 

[jpaulson]

forgestar can make you a set of 18x9/18x9.5 CF5 that will clear the 6pot brembos up front with the offset you desire. i know of one autox'er in particular on this board that did exactly that for his 2016 FS campaign
only downsides are that they will need to be custom made (~360/wheel), and usually take about 2 months from order to door :(

Yes, what Dennis said. Bonus is saving 12lbs per front tire/wheel and 15lbs per rear. Took about 10 weeks to get. I ordered through Howey Industries. Tires are a full 2 inches shorter. Doesn't look quite as silly as I thought it would.

 

[Cindy42]

The weight savings would be great! Unfortunately, that may be another year's budget. I guess I'll stick with the stock wheels and learn the car this year, get serious after seat time and a new budget next year. I definitely appreciate the names dropped and ideas! Thanks a bunch, all!! Hope to see some of you at some events!

 

[Whiskey11]

The weight savings would be great! Unfortunately, that may be another year's budget. I guess I'll stick with the stock wheels and learn the car this year, get serious after seat time and a new budget next year. I definitely appreciate the names dropped and ideas! Thanks a bunch, all!! Hope to see some of you at some events!

The PP already suffers from insanely short gearing, I'm not sure I'd want to exacerbate that issue by going to 18" wheels. That's A LOT of shifting or a really bad thrust curve (like barely better than a Shelby GT at high RPM). It's been tried and run through lots of fast people's minds, but at the end of the day the 3.73 rear end of the PP makes 18" wheels a bad idea. Now the 3.31's in the base GT w/out PP.... that'd be interesting.

 

[c_reber]

The PP already suffers from insanely short gearing, I'm not sure I'd want to exacerbate that issue by going to 18" wheels. That's A LOT of shifting or a really bad thrust curve (like barely better than a Shelby GT at high RPM). It's been tried and run through lots of fast people's minds, but at the end of the day the 3.73 rear end of the PP makes 18" wheels a bad idea. Now the 3.31's in the base GT w/out PP.... that'd be interesting.

I wouldn't rule out 18" wheels, it's the overall diameter that counts. You could technically have a taller 18" tire than a 19" or even 20". It's just that nobody makes a viable autocross tire in a 275/45/18. Not sure on SCCA tire restrictions per class, but a 295/45/18 is 20mm taller than a stock size tire. Again, not much selection... But just making a point.

 

[destoups]

I know at least one credible driver trying out 18s, with an eye toward treating third gear as the new second gear. (Frankly, if it appears to work, I may try it myself.)

 

[SteveW]

I made this chart when I was considering the EB PP Auto. Pretty sure I got the speeds right, if not the exact redline. The EB powerband is basically 2000-5000 from what I've seen. Look what 18s do for the EB

Gear/speeds chart: http://www.apexgarage.com/tech/gear_ratios.shtml

 

[jpaulson]

According to my calcs, my gtpp on 275 35 18's will top out at 54.5 in 2nd and 78 in 3rd. These speeds are only about 1 mile an hour faster than a gen6 SS Camaro in 1st and 2nd. The Camaro makes more torque though.

I waffled on this decision a bunch. The people I trust the most said if it was their car, they'd run the 18's.

To me, downshifting for the slow digs seemed to make more sense than upshifting in the fastest parts. Pretty sure we are shifting either way..

Time will tell.

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[Static_LV]

Last year in FS, I was running an S197 (2011 GT/CS). Needless to say, this car was not nearly optimal for the class. That aside, I did exactly what you are talking about.
I ran a set of 255/35R18 Hankook RS-3v2s on 18x8.5 Enkei PF01 wheels.
There are benefits to this kind of setup, mainly in weight (~54 lbs to ~36 lbs per corner) and a lower center of gravity (over an inch without lowering springs). There are also negatives to this type of setup. Immediately after the start, first gear is useless with 3.73 gears. Second becomes the new First and Third becomes the new Second.

You have to drive differently and really pay attention on second to third and third to second shifts.

Just to show how small this kind of setup looks on an S197, keep in mind that this is at near full right side suspension compression.

 

[Cindy42]

I figure 3rd gear is going to be a go to. It has torque there. I'm coming from running a 2013 V6 in FS, so I'm already improving my odds. Of course, they motioned to move my old car 2 days after I traded it...These are good discussions. JPaulson, I would love to compare notes sometime after I get a feel for it myself. I think your ideas are great.

 

[FlowForm_Wheels]

There are many wheels, a few threads in this section actually.

HRE FF15 and Volk TE37 are the two off the top of my head that work

I don't have anything that's made with stock widths and offsets. I could probably verify a set of Forged wheels for the application that it's needed for, but of course the question really is, why not go larger in width [MENTION=22788]Cindy42[/MENTION]? Do you need a specific size because of autocross restricts the sizing for your class?

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