Speaking of the brake package, remember when we mentioned running factory wheels with no problems? Well, that might not be 100 percent true for everyone. If you want to swap from one style of OE wheel to another from the same model years (say you want to ditch your '99 V-6 wheels for some polished '99 Cobra wheels), you should have no problems with your brake package. Where we see people run into problems is when they want to run OE-type wheels (Bullitt, 10th Anniversary Cobra, '95 Cobra R, and so on) on aftermarket brake packages that do not use an OE-type wheel hub. Some aftermarket brake kits use a different hub, and while the wheel will physically bolt on and clear the brakes, you won't be able to install the center cap. We've seen people trim the center cap and doll it up with paint or something similar, but it still doesn't look clean.
This setup is fine for autocross use or where you won't use the center caps anyway, but on a nice street car it just screams "unfinished" to us. Now if you really want to run an OE wheel when you upgrade your brakes, you'll need to use a brake kit that features the stock-style hub, such as those from Ford Racing Performance Parts and Stainless Steel Brakes. Or you can build your brake kit from various sources and use OE spindles and hubs.
Will It Fit?We spoke with several companies that deal with wheel and tire packages and that have taken the time to test-fit various aftermarket wheel combinations and report back to us their findings, all in an effort to help you choose the right wheel and tire for your year Mustang. Remember, though, as we have said throughout this article, minor production variances, aftermarket brakes, and suspension changes could dictate a change in the suggested wheel or tire sizes, so double-check the fit before ordering or mounting and balancing the tires to your new rims.
Discount TireAfter trading a few e-mails with Dan Meadows, we received some great fitment information and a huge selection of wheels from which to choose. We don't have room to show all the wheel styles, but you can check them out on the Discount Tire Web site.
'79-'93 Mustang Tire Applications16-inch* 225/50R16 front and rear* 225/55R16 front and rear * 245/50R16 rear only
17-inch* 235/45R17 front and rear* 245/45R17 rear only* 255/40R17 rear only
18-inch* 235/40R18 front and rear
'79 to '93 Mustang Wheel Applications* Boyd Coddington Smoothie II - 17x8* Konig Appeal - 17x8* Mustang Cobra R replica - 16x8, 17x9* Mustang SVT replica - 17x9* Mustang Cobra 2000 replica - 18x9* TSW Kyalami - 17x7* TSW Rib - 16x7
'94-'04 Mustang Tire Applications16-inch* 225/55R16 front and rear* 245/50R16 front and rear
17-inch* 245/45R17 front and rear* 255/40R17 front and rear* 275/40R17 rear only
18-inch* 245/40R18 front and rear* 275/35R18 front and rear - best all-around fit* 285/35R18 rear only
'94-'04 Mustang Wheel Applications* Boyd Coddington Smoothie II - 18x9, 18x10* Fittipaldi Force - 17x8, 18x8.5* Fittipaldi T5P - 18x8.5* Enkei PK6 - 18x8.5, 18x9.5* G-games Falcon - 18x8, 18x9, 18x10
* G-games Wolf - 18x8.5, 18x9.5* Halibrand Cobra III - 17x9, 18x9* Konig Appeal - 17x8* MB Motorsports Weapon - 17x8, 17x9, 18x8, 18x9* Mustang Bullet replica - 17x8, 17x9, 17x10.5, 18x9* Mustang Cobra 2000 - 18x9* Mustang Cobra R - 17x9, 17x10.5, 18x9* Mustang Mach 1 replica - 17x9, 17x10.5* Mustang SVT replica - 17x9, 17x10.5* Privat Fahren - 17x8, 18x8, 18x9* Privat Kraftwerk - 18x8.5* Privat Profil - 17x8, 18x8.5, 18x9.5* Racing Sparco NS6 - 18x8.5, 18x9.5, 18x10* TSW Catalunya - 18x8, 18x9* TSW Kyalami - 17x8, 18x8, 18x9* TSW Rib - 18x8* TSW Slot - 18x8* Voxx Saga - 18x8* Voxx Scorze - 18x8