PP2 real life pictures

Bingo13

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I've loved to hear some feedback on how the 2 compare from someone who OWNS both. Not just a quick back to back drive, but regular use back to back.

I personally believe if Ford had given the PP2 an A10, it would have put the GT350 "out of business" with too much performance.
I have my first track event with it next weekend, so I will have additional mileage with it plus a straight up compare to the GT350 after driving the same track a month ago. Right now, after a few hundred miles, the best way I can describe it is the PP2 is a very sharp knife when it comes to handling and the GT350 is a scalpel.

Brakes are definitely better on the 350, but I like the low end torque and transmission gearing much better on the PP2. The PP2 seems to pull just as hard from mid-range to up top as the 350, which was surprising to me. What I worry about most is the lack of a rear differential cooler on the PP2, which seems to be a stupid decision by Ford. I have switched to the 75w-140 lube and wrapped the exhaust near the differential, so fingers crossed I will not need a cooler, but already expect to go that route.
 

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I have my first track event with it next weekend, so I will have additional mileage with it plus a straight up compare to the GT350 after driving the same track a month ago. Right now, after a few hundred miles, the best way I can describe it is the PP2 is a very sharp knife when it comes to handling and the GT350 is a scalpel.

Brakes are definitely better on the 350, but I like the low end torque and transmission gearing much better on the PP2. The PP2 seems to pull just as hard from mid-range to up top as the 350, which was surprising to me. What I worry about most is the lack of a rear differential cooler on the PP2, which seems to be a stupid decision by Ford. I have switched to the 75w-140 lube and wrapped the exhaust near the differential, so fingers crossed I will not need a cooler, but already expect to go that route.
My diff got hot, warning light came on. But I got a about 8 laps in on a 1.25 mile road course. I was coming off the track when it came on. You can set the gauges on the dash, make sure you have this one up so you can watch it.
 

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Can one put 285/35-19 tires on a PPL2 (w/stock rims)?

I'm hopefully getting close to ordering a 2019 Performance Package Level 2 (301A).

I want to have the dealer remove the OEM Michelins and replace them with Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires sized 285/35-ZR19. I've looked through the PPL2 threads here and in the Tires/Wheels forum, and unless I've missed something, I don't see posts regarding whether anyone has tried this size tire on the PPL2, or even PPL1 or base GT model. Has anyone tried this size tire on the PPL2 with the stock PPL2 rims? Or has anyone tried them on a PPL1 or even Base GT? The Rim Width Range for these tires is 9"-11". The front rims on the Performance Package Level 2 are 10.5" wide and the rear rims are 11". The sidewalls of the 285/35 Continentals are only 8.25mm (0.3") taller than the OEM size tires.

I definitely want to replace the Michelins because 1) this will be a fair weather only, street only car (no track use), and 2) I don't want to have to deal with the paint being attacked by all of the road debris picked up and chucked backwards by the super sticky Michelins that poke out of the bodywork (especially in the front). I realize that the tires will still poke out somewhat because they're being mounted on the stock rims that poke out, but the tread won't be poking out as far as the 305s. The sidewalls and shoulder will be the widest part of the tire. And the Continentals won't be a sticky as the Michelins, of course.
Even though the rears don't have as much of a problem as the fronts, I want to put 285s on the rear as well to maintain the balance of the car. So this is where the 285s are stretched to their limits, as the max rim width for this size and model Continental is 11", which matches the rear rim width of the PPL2.
The slightly taller sidewalls will raise the ride height 0.3", which is not optimal for handling, but I don't think that amount will be significant. It will help with front splitter clearance, though. My only concern with this increase is clearance in the wheel well. I'm hoping this small amount won't be a problem.

I have also heard that Ford may have some sort of policy prohibiting dealers from mounting "smaller" tires (I couldn't get a definition of exactly what "smaller" meant). This doesn't make sense to me. And I remember that someone (The Silver Bullet?) had plans with his dealer to put something like a 295/30-19 on (which didn't happen because those tires weren't available when his PPL2 arrived early). If anyone has a definitive answer on this issue, it would help much.

If anyone has tried this size tire, especially on a PPL2, I'd appreciate any info so I can choose the right replacements for the Michelins. BTW, I chose the Continentals because I've had good luck with their performance tires in the past, and you can't beat the value.
 

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I'm hopefully getting close to ordering a 2019 Performance Package Level 2 (301A).

I want to have the dealer remove the OEM Michelins and replace them with Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires sized 285/35-ZR19. I've looked through the PPL2 threads here and in the Tires/Wheels forum, and unless I've missed something, I don't see posts regarding whether anyone has tried this size tire on the PPL2, or even PPL1 or base GT model. Has anyone tried this size tire on the PPL2 with the stock PPL2 rims? Or has anyone tried them on a PPL1 or even Base GT? The Rim Width Range for these tires is 9"-11". The front rims on the Performance Package Level 2 are 10.5" wide and the rear rims are 11". The sidewalls of the 285/35 Continentals are only 8.25mm (0.3") taller than the OEM size tires.

I definitely want to replace the Michelins because 1) this will be a fair weather only, street only car (no track use), and 2) I don't want to have to deal with the paint being attacked by all of the road debris picked up and chucked backwards by the super sticky Michelins that poke out of the bodywork (especially in the front). I realize that the tires will still poke out somewhat because they're being mounted on the stock rims that poke out, but the tread won't be poking out as far as the 305s. The sidewalls and shoulder will be the widest part of the tire. And the Continentals won't be a sticky as the Michelins, of course.
Even though the rears don't have as much of a problem as the fronts, I want to put 285s on the rear as well to maintain the balance of the car. So this is where the 285s are stretched to their limits, as the max rim width for this size and model Continental is 11", which matches the rear rim width of the PPL2.
The slightly taller sidewalls will raise the ride height 0.3", which is not optimal for handling, but I don't think that amount will be significant. It will help with front splitter clearance, though. My only concern with this increase is clearance in the wheel well. I'm hoping this small amount won't be a problem.

I have also heard that Ford may have some sort of policy prohibiting dealers from mounting "smaller" tires (I couldn't get a definition of exactly what "smaller" meant). This doesn't make sense to me. And I remember that someone (The Silver Bullet?) had plans with his dealer to put something like a 295/30-19 on (which didn't happen because those tires weren't available when his PPL2 arrived early). If anyone has a definitive answer on this issue, it would help much.

If anyone has tried this size tire, especially on a PPL2, I'd appreciate any info so I can choose the right replacements for the Michelins. BTW, I chose the Continentals because I've had good luck with their performance tires in the past, and you can't beat the value.
The sidewalls are only 0.3" taller, but that actually makes the tire's diameter 0.6" taller. I still don't think you would have any clearance issues though. But, I also think a 285 is going to look kind of stretched on an 11" wheel. 305 is the ideal size for an 11" wheel. I just don't like the look of a stretched tire. The 285 would probably be ok on the front 10.5" wheel. 295 is the ideal size for a 10.5" wheel.

You should really consider the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires. Myself and another forum member here are running them in the stock 305/30/19 sizes all around. They seem to be a really great summer tire. They also come in 295/30/19 if you want to stay with a square setup. I just think 295 is as narrow as I'd want to go in the rear. My Ford dealer was willing to install the 295 for me, but you know why I ended up with 305's all around. Wal-Mart is currently selling the 305 Bridgestones for $264.18 and the 295 Bridgestones for $240.87. I'm not sure what cost you are looking at for the Continentals, but I'm pretty sure you'd be happy with the Bridgestones, and that's a great bargain on a quality summer tire in those widths.
 

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I want to have the dealer remove the OEM Michelins and replace them with Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires sized 285/35-ZR19. Has anyone tried this size tire on the PPL2 with the stock PPL2 rims? Or has anyone tried them on a PPL1 or even Base GT?.
I should get my custom wheels this week. 19x10 ET35 front and 19x11 ET55 rear. I'm putting Michelin PS4S 285/35 in the front and PSS 305/35 in the rear. I think the is as much as I can tuck in my 2018 GT PP1 Magneride.

We'll see.
 

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The sidewalls are only 0.3" taller, but that actually makes the tire's diameter 0.6" taller. I still don't think you would have any clearance issues though. But, I also think a 285 is going to look kind of stretched on an 11" wheel. 305 is the ideal size for an 11" wheel. I just don't like the look of a stretched tire. The 285 would probably be ok on the front 10.5" wheel. 295 is the ideal size for a 10.5" wheel.

You should really consider the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires. Myself and another forum member here are running them in the stock 305/30/19 sizes all around. They seem to be a really great summer tire. They also come in 295/30/19 if you want to stay with a square setup. I just think 295 is as narrow as I'd want to go in the rear. My Ford dealer was willing to install the 295 for me, but you know why I ended up with 305's all around. Wal-Mart is currently selling the 305 Bridgestones for $264.18 and the 295 Bridgestones for $240.87. I'm not sure what cost you are looking at for the Continentals, but I'm pretty sure you'd be happy with the Bridgestones, and that's a great bargain on a quality summer tire in those widths.
Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, it's a little stretched, and I thought of that. It will likely affect the spring rate of the tire (somewhat), and therefore affect the overall spring rate at each end. The question is will the difference in spring rate between the front and rear of the 285s be similar to the difference in spring rates of the 305s (which have a narrower rim width rage of 10.5-11.5"). But to get accurate data for this we would need MATLAB and Pacejka tire modelling data.:eyebulge: Stretching the tire also reduces the "spring length" of the tire, so it can't absorb impact as well as if it were mounted on a 10" rim (right in the middle of the rim width range). But since the aspect ratio of the 285 is higher, it has a greater "spring length" to start with, so there likely is little difference in "spring length" between the OEM 305/30s and the 285/35s.

I didn't want to go with the 295/30-19s because it would lower the ride height, and I didn't want to add to the risk of damaging the splitter.
Oh, speaking of that: yes, the diameter of the 285/35 is 0.6" greater, but it is the change in radius of the tire (which is directly proportional to the sidewall height) which will determine the change in ride height, because it is the measurement from the centerline of the spindle (or axle) to the edge of the tire that determines ride height.

The lowest price I could find for the 285/35-19 Continentals was $242 (TireBuyer.com and WalMart). The lowest for 305/30-19 Continentals was $278 (WalMart).

Yeah, I have a lot to consider, which is why I wanted to get as much real world experience/info from folks like 6g members.

Thanks again.
 

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As for the moment, I'm running the SC2's just to see how they handle the roads around here. So far, I don't get a lot of debris being thrown around.

I for one, would not mount a 285 to either of these rims. If you want to go that route, save your money and buy a PP1 with magneride. I personally don't think the 285's will look right on the PP2 wheels and it sure won't balance out the car. Everything about the PP2 was engineered with the 305's in mind. You could easily go with a different manufacturer and have a narrower section width as they all vary from brand to brand.

General and Hankook makes a cheaper alternative that should give you additional mileage in exchange for the loss of grip.
 

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Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, it's a little stretched, and I thought of that. It will likely affect the spring rate of the tire (somewhat), and therefore affect the overall spring rate at each end. The question is will the difference in spring rate between the front and rear of the 285s be similar to the difference in spring rates of the 305s (which have a narrower rim width rage of 10.5-11.5"). But to get accurate data for this we would need MATLAB and Pacejka tire modelling data.:eyebulge: Stretching the tire also reduces the "spring length" of the tire, so it can't absorb impact as well as if it were mounted on a 10" rim (right in the middle of the rim width range). But since the aspect ratio of the 285 is higher, it has a greater "spring length" to start with, so there likely is little difference in "spring length" between the OEM 305/30s and the 285/35s.

I didn't want to go with the 295/30-19s because it would lower the ride height, and I didn't want to add to the risk of damaging the splitter.
Oh, speaking of that: yes, the diameter of the 285/35 is 0.6" greater, but it is the change in radius of the tire (which is directly proportional to the sidewall height) which will determine the change in ride height, because it is the measurement from the centerline of the spindle (or axle) to the edge of the tire that determines ride height.

The lowest price I could find for the 285/35-19 Continentals was $242 (TireBuyer.com and WalMart). The lowest for 305/30-19 Continentals was $278 (WalMart).

Yeah, I have a lot to consider, which is why I wanted to get as much real world experience/info from folks like 6g members.

Thanks again.
Honestly, if the only reason you are looking at 285's is to avoid slinging rocks, the 305's in a little harder compound like the 280 of the Bridgestones, doesn't seem bad at all. I haven't heard anything so far. I know there were already small pebbles embedded in the SC2's when I pulled them off with 3.8 miles on them. There is nothing like that at all with the Bridgestones. So far, I'm very happy staying with the 305's all around and will most likely do the same next go around.
 

azelmo

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Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, it's a little stretched, and I thought of that. It will likely affect the spring rate of the tire (somewhat), and therefore affect the overall spring rate at each end. The question is will the difference in spring rate between the front and rear of the 285s be similar to the difference in spring rates of the 305s (which have a narrower rim width rage of 10.5-11.5"). But to get accurate data for this we would need MATLAB and Pacejka tire modelling data.:eyebulge: Stretching the tire also reduces the "spring length" of the tire, so it can't absorb impact as well as if it were mounted on a 10" rim (right in the middle of the rim width range). But since the aspect ratio of the 285 is higher, it has a greater "spring length" to start with, so there likely is little difference in "spring length" between the OEM 305/30s and the 285/35s.

I didn't want to go with the 295/30-19s because it would lower the ride height, and I didn't want to add to the risk of damaging the splitter.
Oh, speaking of that: yes, the diameter of the 285/35 is 0.6" greater, but it is the change in radius of the tire (which is directly proportional to the sidewall height) which will determine the change in ride height, because it is the measurement from the centerline of the spindle (or axle) to the edge of the tire that determines ride height.

The lowest price I could find for the 285/35-19 Continentals was $242 (TireBuyer.com and WalMart). The lowest for 305/30-19 Continentals was $278 (WalMart).

Yeah, I have a lot to consider, which is why I wanted to get as much real world experience/info from folks like 6g members.

Thanks again.
You mention you do not want the 295 cause it will lower the ride height. I am no tire expert but isn't a 305/30/19 the same height as a 295/30/19, only the width is different.

I would not put 285's on this car. A 285 on a 10.5" wheel is probably not recommended either.
 

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You mention you do not want the 295 cause it will lower the ride height. I am no tire expert but isn't a 305/30/19 the same height as a 295/30/19, only the width is different.

I would not put 285's on this car. A 285 on a 10.5" wheel is probably not recommended either.
Not quite the same height, the 30 is a percentage and makes it about .2" larger in diameter.
 

gbgreen

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You mention you do not want the 295 cause it will lower the ride height. I am no tire expert but isn't a 305/30/19 the same height as a 295/30/19, only the width is different.

I would not put 285's on this car. A 285 on a 10.5" wheel is probably not recommended either.
Nope. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the sidewall height to the section width. Given the tire size (305/30-R19), we can compute the sidewall height by multiplying the section width (305) by the aspect ratio (30% or .3). That gives a sidewall height of 91.5mm. If we have a 295/30-R19, then it's 295 * .3 which gives 88.5. So the sidewall of the 295/30-R19 is 3mm (or ~1/8") shorter than the 305/30-R19. Not much, but still shorter, especially if one wants to put a Sto-N-Sho on the splitter.

In my initial research, besides checking the tire specs of the 285 Continentals on the TireRack site, I also checked the Continental site, and verified that the 285/35-ZR19 ExtremeContact Sport is "Approved" for rim widths from 9.0" up to 11.0".
 
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gbgreen

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Honestly, if the only reason you are looking at 285's is to avoid slinging rocks, the 305's in a little harder compound like the 280 of the Bridgestones, doesn't seem bad at all. I haven't heard anything so far. I know there were already small pebbles embedded in the SC2's when I pulled them off with 3.8 miles on them. There is nothing like that at all with the Bridgestones. So far, I'm very happy staying with the 305's all around and will most likely do the same next go around.
OK, that is very valuable information. Just the type I wanted. Thanks. That may help sway me back to the 305s, either with the Bridgestones or the Continentals.
I thought I might help the pebble slinging a lot going with the 285s, give away only a couple hundredths of a G, and get less expensive tires (~$40 each) as a bonus. But if a narrower tire isn't going to give any benefit, then bring on the 305s!
BTW, another reason I was thinking of going with the Continentals is because it did so well against the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and the Pirelli P Zero PZ4 in a comparison test performed by Tire Rack.
 

gbgreen

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As for the moment, I'm running the SC2's just to see how they handle the roads around here. So far, I don't get a lot of debris being thrown around.

I for one, would not mount a 285 to either of these rims. If you want to go that route, save your money and buy a PP1 with magneride. I personally don't think the 285's will look right on the PP2 wheels and it sure won't balance out the car. Everything about the PP2 was engineered with the 305's in mind. You could easily go with a different manufacturer and have a narrower section width as they all vary from brand to brand.

General and Hankook makes a cheaper alternative that should give you additional mileage in exchange for the loss of grip.
Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the input.
I fully realize the PPL2 was engineered as a package, and that's why I'm getting it: it is the ultimate street Grand Touring Mustang which can also be used occasionally as a track toy. I just don't need the track portion (of which the Michelins play a significant part).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "and it sure won't balance out the car". The only balancing I mentioned was trying to maintain the natural balance of the chassis by not going to wider tires on the rear (IOW using 285s all around, which brought up the issue of 285s on the 11" wide rims). I'm guessing that you meant that putting 285s on both front and rear would somehow upset the balance of the chassis. I don't see how that would happen. Give less ultimate grip, yes. Unbalance the chassis, no. I'm not trying to minimize or invalidate your input; just trying to clarify things.

I'm also confused by your comment about the section width. The 305 and 285 numbers represent the section width, so that's exactly what my question was asking. Thinking about it more, I thought you might mean "tread width"? I'll take a look to see if there are any significant differences here (among well respected/reviewed brands).

Thanks for the advice on the General and Hankook tires, but I want to maintain the maximum grip I can get without being so soft that it picks up a lot of small objects and flings them back towards the body (as has been reported a lot with the OEM Michelins elsewhere and here), as well as having great value (as was reported about the Continentals by Tie Rack, and about the Bridgestones by this forum and others).

Again, thanks for your input.
 

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OK, that is very valuable information. Just the type I wanted. Thanks. That may help sway me back to the 305s, either with the Bridgestones or the Continentals.
I thought I might help the pebble slinging a lot going with the 285s, give away only a couple hundredths of a G, and get less expensive tires (~$40 each) as a bonus. But if a narrower tire isn't going to give any benefit, then bring on the 305s!
BTW, another reason I was thinking of going with the Continentals is because it did so well against the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and the Pirelli P Zero PZ4 in a comparison test performed by Tire Rack.
Yes, the MPS4's are the overall better performing tire. Tirerack has tested the Bridgestones quite a bit also. The Continentals generally seem to get a little better wet traction scores than the Bridgestones, but I believe if you read all of the details with those tests, the Bridgestones and Continentals are pretty even otherwise. I chose the Bridgestones based on another forum member's recommendation and the fact that more sizes were available with the
Bridgestones.

If you really contemplate going any smaller on tire size, as someone previously mentioned, you might be better off going PP1 with Magneride and then going an aftermarket wheel setup like a 9" upfront and 10" in the back with a 255/285 staggered setup. This square setup with the 305's is freaking awesome though.
 
 
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