Wheel Fitment Mustangs, S197 S550
Looking for the best wheel for top performance of your Ford Mustang?
In general, wider wheels provide greater grip and traction to more effectively transfer your horsepower to the pavement.
While wider wheel width can positively affect your performance, when choosing a wheel you must consider the space within the fender well for fitment.
“Will this wheel fit?” is a question we often answer.
Without a doubt 11″ wide wheels have earned a great reputation in competitive motorsports.
While CorteX supports a lot of builds with 11″ wide wheel on the S197 and S550 Mustang, there is an alternative option with little compromise. The reality is 10.5″ wide wheels can accommodate the same size tires in many cases.
Choosing a Wheel Set-up
Importantly, you must make sure your wheel and tire choice fits your performance applications and the vehicle packaging/ architecture.
High performance street tires such as BF Goodrich, Michelin, Kumho, Falken, etc. may have slight variation in the effective mounting width of the tire for the same wheel width.
In addition, racing slicks such as Hoosier mount differently than street tires.
Compare 11″ vs. 10.5″ Wide Wheels
CorteX has a long history of using 18″ x 10.5″ wheels on Mustangs and for a few reasons. The biggest is that there is no guesswork with tire clearances.
Surprisingly the fitment issues with 11 inch wide wheel are often seen on the rear of S197 Ford Mustangs. We have found 10.5 inch wide wheels fit without any issue on tire clearance with the proper offset*.
No Spacers Required
Did we mention that 18×10.5 +48mm wheels fit on the front of S197 and S550 Mustang using our offset strut option without any spacers whatsoever? Yes, it is true.
That means you can have a square wheel setup that can be rotated to your heart’s desire for the ultimate in tire life on the track.
Coilover Suspension Wheel Set-up
To run true rear coil-overs one must consider the ride height desired and the coil spring length when running 11″ wide wheels.
There is a very particular combination of those that are required for 11″ wide wheel to fit. What typically happens is that the inside barrel of the wheel contacts the coil-over at spring ride height adjustment collar in full droop. Clearance is usually about 1/4″ shy of missing the collar. The perfect solution is to run 18 x 10.5″ wheels.
Shop Jongbloed 18″x10.5″ Wheels
Shop Xtreme-Grip Coilover Kits