The stock Cobra wheels are very nice, but a wider size on the rear would help both the aesthetics and the traction under acceleration. So when the old Goodrich Comp T/A tires started getting a little worn, I started shopping around.

Choosing Up Size

Factory Wheel Size: 17x8 inches Front and Rear

Desired Wheel Size: 17x8 Front, 17x9.5 or 17x10 Rear

Factory Tire Size: 245/45/ZR17 Front and Rear

Desired Tire Size: 245/45/ZR17 Front, 275/40/ZR17 Rear

Man! It took me months to decide what new wheels to get. Thanks to the helpful website at the Tire Rack, I was able to do much of my shopping online. Even then, it was tough. I considered taking the popular (and relatively inexpensive) route and getting a set of Cobra Rs (17x9), but I really wanted a wider wheel on the rear while keeping the stock 17x8 size on the front. Some Rs I've seen on SN95 Mustangs look a little too wide in front, and I didn't need wider front tires harming my straight-line tracking or rubbing the swaybar when turned full-lock (not to mention rendering my UltraRamps useless!). The original front wheels' size seemed perfect.

The rears, on the other hand, are just too narrow. They seem lost in those huge fenders. Some guys have mounted 11-inch wide wheels, but a bit of work was required to prevent rubbing (and the resulting appearance is, um, debatable). I decided to go no wider than 10 inches to avoid any problems.

The next limiting factor is tire sizes. I wanted to keep the original diameter on all four wheels (I'd heard that varying the diameters front to rear could freak out the ABS), so the logical choice for the rear tires became 275/40, which would fit very well on a 10" or 9.5" rim (lots of folks run them on 9-inch wheels such as the Cobra R, but that's pushing it, I think).

Aftermarket Options

There are dozens of wheel manufacturers out there, but once I chose the size I wanted, the options narrowed considerably. I also wanted a classic five-spoke style, not some trendy avant-garde design that would look strange on a Mustang. I looked at the OZ Monte Carlo and the Antera 121, but finally chose the Borbet Type T after discovering that they'd fit (Tire Rack's website didn't list them as options for the Mustang). Sizes were 17x8 front and 17x9.5 rear. The Borbets resemble a more open version of the Ford wheels but with a "deep-dish" style, and have a gleaming machined finish inside the rim.

Even though the Borbets are very attractive, I do wish some company made the factory-style wheels ('96-'97 Cobra) in a wider size for the rears. I considered having two of my original wheels widened by The Wheel Shoppe, but it wasn't that much more money to get the whole set of Borbets, not to mention saving the hassle of having my car out of commission while the wheels were being worked on. I still may do that someday -- then I'll have a spare set of wheels for the racetrack. ;-)

Choosing the tires was easier. When I bought the Borbets, I went with the Bridgestone RE730, which had received rave reviews since it came out. Excellent handling, superb wet traction, and a smooth quiet ride were some of its reported attributes. Plus, they were quite inexpensive for a high-performance tire. I chose two each in the 245/45/17 and 275/40/17 sizes.

I ordered the complete package in September of 2000 from the Tire Rack for $1498, including mounting, balancing, new lugs with wheel locks, and shipping. They arrived within a week of my order, and I mounted them up after applying some Zaino treatment (Z-1 and Z-2 on the wheels, Z-16 on the tires) and cleaning the rust and dirt off of my rotors and hubs.

After five years and nearly 40,000 miles, it was time to replace the Bridgestones. By this time the RE730s had been replaced by the more expensive RE750, and so after perusing the usual websites I ordered a set of Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals from the Tire Rack. These tires, newly reintroduced after a long hiatus since their late-60s heyday (anyone else remember the old Wide Ovals? A big part of the old musclecar era!), appear similar to the Bridgestones while being a bit less expensive. They also had several good reviews, and just seemed to fit with the whole musclecar theme.

Impressions

The Bridgestones certainly acquitted themselves well -- after a front-end alignment (not uncommon to need this after installing new wheels) and a short break-in period (500 miles) I gave them a workout. The grip was awesome. These tires were so much better than the Comp T/As that it's hard to fathom why they weren't OEM from Ford. The everyday handling improved considerably, there was more traction on takeoff, and the ride was smoother and quieter. Wet traction was phenomenal.

After living with the Bridgestones for a while, it became apparent that they get noisy with age (supposedly the newer RE750 model doesn't have this problem). On the plus side, the tires wore well and the grip, both dry and wet, was still fine towards the end of their life.

The new Wide Ovals were similarly an improvement over the Bridgestones, but to a lesser degree when the newness of the tires was factored in (new tires will usually feel better than old). I'm quite satisfied with these Firestones -- smooth, quiet ride; excellent handling and grip. The only downside is a bit greater tendency to wander on straight highways, but this may be a matter of newness.

As for the Borbets, judge for yourself. Not bad, eh? Notice how the rears fill up the fenders as they should. Notice the excellent size-match between the wheel and tire -- no bulging sidewalls here! A nice feature of the tires is the raised rib just outside the rim to help prevent curb rash. The wheels are easy to clean, and with the help of the Zaino should stay nice and shiny for years to come.

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