20" Wheels? What's the Point?

[m3incorp]

Cragar and Keystones make me think back to my Chevelle, GTO, Demon days.

...still, like I've said several times.
I would really like to have 15" wheels; either Cragar or Keystone Klassics w/
BFGoodrich Radial T/A's.
Extra sidewall for a little smoother ride and 'killer looks'................

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[Idaho2018GTPremium]

The point of 20" wheels is mainly for styling, unless the car has massive front brakes like the GT500, in which it needed the 20" to clear the calipers. With the right design, 19" wheels can look great on the S550 Mustang. I had 19" SVE R350 wheels (19x10) on my 2018 GT and they looked great. I never desired to go to 20" with those wheels. The key is that the spokes (7 of them) went all the way to the edge of the wheel. Some wheel designs have a 1/2" or larger lip where the spokes stop short of the outer rim of the wheel, which gives the impression of a smaller dia. wheel. It can make a 19" look like an 18" wheel.

My '21 ZL1 has 20x10 and 20x11 forged aluminum wheels from the factory, and I would not want to go down to 19" on the car. They just look great on the car.

22-23" wheels on the German SUVs looks silly because the brake rotors are tiny in comparison. And you're right, the short sidewall height of gigantic dia. wheels with small aspect ratio tires (not "skinny" tires, since that refers to a width), compromise the ride.

My Mustang with 19" SVE R350:

My 2021 Camaro ZL1:

 

[MidwayJ]

Unless you've raised tire diameter and got something larger than stock 27" / 27.3" - which impacts speed that car see and impacts final drive ration, this makes zero sense - gap is the same if tire diameter is the same, regardless if you have 17" or 22" wheels.

Larger diameter is what I see many with 20s doing. Tires with the same aspect ratios as you see with 19s (285/35, 305/35, etc.) I guess it's a way to fill wheel gap while raising the car.

 

[JCFoster]

I just wish someone would make some nice 18” wheels. I get trends, but in states where the roads are rough function out weighs cool. Just like wide tires, look good but useless for a normal car and more road noise.

 

[LDHunter]

I'm the OP here and although I've only put a hundred miles or so on my 2020 GT with the 20" rims and Goodyear tires I must say that although the ride is a bit rough, compared to my 4wd trucks it's pretty mild and muted. I don't find it very uncomfortable at all but then Florida roads are well known to be pretty nice. It is, after all a high performance sports car so I would have been disappointed if it didn't have that super solid and planted feel that communicates the road very well to me.

The responsiveness and feel of this car is amazing to me. I really didn't expect it to feel nearly as much like a full on race car as it does and yet it has a creature comfort factor that is pretty amazing.

I was expecting the Michelin Pilot tires but the Goodyear tires seem to be pretty nice. I haven't had time to do research on them yet. This car was bought by my dealer from a South Carolina dealer and maybe that's why the all weather type tires are on it?

To say that looks in a car aren't important to me and most Americans would be pretty silly. American's love affair with automobiles goes way back and looks and performance have been near the top of the list of desirability since the first cars were produced and Mustangs have both in spades!

By the way.... I stand corrected... I'll quit calling the tires on these 20" rims skinny.... LOL

 

[LDHunter]

I don't think an OEM-sized wheel and tire will fit in the spare tire area without causing a hump under the carpet that is covering it. The spare tire well is not really that deep.

Yeah.... I expected that. It's been several years since I've had a flat or blow out but when I'm driving it's almost always to and from business appointments and being able to replace a tire on the fly with another one that fits properly and looks right is way more important to me than losing some trunk space to a full size spare.

 

[kz]

Larger diameter is what I see many with 20s doing. Tires with the same aspect ratios as you see with 19s (285/35, 305/35, etc.) I guess it's a way to fill wheel gap while raising the car.

And then complaints that car is "slow" (with even taller gearing due to taller tire). But this crowd will fight you forever that Mustang absolutely is a sports car and don't you dare to say otherwise.

 

[Jeff's FRC]

Lol the track guys are really hurt by those of us with 20" wheels! Show me on the Mustang where the 20" wheel hurt your feelings...haha

Anyways, my street setup is a set of 20" Vorsteiner's that weigh in right around 25lbs iirc. 20x10 front with 285/30(26.7" diameter) and rears are 20x11 with 305/30(27.2" diameter). Both front and back weigh in at 56-57lbs wheel and tire combined, which is lighter than stock. They are an improvement in grip and weight over stock. In MOST cases, a quality(forged) aftermarket wheel and tires will reduce weight and increase grip, therefore making a positive impact on performance. Will a set of 19" wheels with the same tire with matching width and diameter make any kind of noticeable improvement on the street over its 20" counterpart? Not a fucking chance in hell!

 

[Bikeman315]

I was expecting the Michelin Pilot tires but the Goodyear tires seem to be pretty nice. I haven't had time to do research on them yet.

The PS4’s only come on cars with the Performance Package so not sure why you expected them.

Yeah.... I expected that. It's been several years since I've had a flat or blow out but when I'm driving it's almost always to and from business appointments and being able to replace a tire on the fly with another one that fits properly and looks right is way more important to me than losing some trunk space to a full size spare.

Get the Ford spare on eBay. It fits perfectly in the wheel well. This would be limited use only as there is a difference in wheel diameter. 50 miles/50MPH and you’ll be fine.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174181676086?fits=Model:Mustang|Make:Ford&epid=18017017585&hash=item288e097436:g:thAAAOSw-eleOduG

 

[Bobn57]

Before I decided on the cali special package (comes with 19x8.5" wheels, no option for anything else) I was going to get the 20 x 9s. I think they look great and fill out the wheel well nicely. No track or street racing for me either. Long past that time frame!

 

[GreenS550]

20" wheels are a way for the manufacturer to keep up with the aftermarket. But, you are right, it is style all the way. I don't like 20" wheels. Less sidewall to soak up the bumps. Harder ride. More expensive tires.
I would even do the 18" tires. But, in the never ending desire to squeeze that last .001 G out of the curves, they are here.
Interesting to note that the top Ford Mustangs have had 19" wheels for a long time.

 

[Bobn57]

...still, like I've said several times.
I would really like to have 15" wheels; either Cragar or Keystone Klassics w/
BFGoodrich Radial T/A's.
Extra sidewall for a little smoother ride and 'killer looks'................

I had Cragar SS on my first 68 FB.....miss that look. Just looked on their web site and didn't find any for new stangs. American Racing has some but not the same as the Cragar SS.

 

[Jeff's FRC]

Interesting to note that the top Ford Mustangs have had 19" wheels for a long time.

The top Mustang now has 20" wheels.

Even more interesting is that the top Camaro's have 20's, and that car is a better track car than the Mustang is.

 

[GreenS550]

Op, look around for a set of PP1 wheels and tires from a takeoff.

The top Mustang now has 20" wheels.

Even more interesting is that the top Camaro's have 20's, and that car is a better track car than the Mustang is.

I was actually referring to the Mach 1 Handling package. 19". Back to the track. Yes, less movement on the sidewalls for sure. But, worse ride. Most of us care enough about ride quality to sacrifice a tiny, tiny bit of handling to not lose our urine on the potholes. I have owned many 20" and 19" Mustangs. I will take the 19s any day of the week over a 20" rim.
My guess is that the weight isn't much different when taking the tire and wheel together.

 

[Little Guy]

Actually, to a layman, there is very little difference in look. I have 20" AR 924s (black) on my car. I hit a pot hole last week and busted the tire and damaged the wheel. Discount Tire had to get the tire from another location. I used one of my stock 19" wheels (black) as a spare until it came in. Just glancing at the car, my wife could not tell the difference until I pointed it out to her.

Also, my car is lowered. With the 19" wheel, the wheel well was filled with very little space. Before the coilovers, the 19" looked small to me.

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