Tires
 

Tires

Hi Everybody,

Well its time for tires on my 1996 Mustang GT 4.6 SOHC.

I wanted to ask if anybody knows what manufacturer of tire came with the car? I know the size is P225/55z/ R16

What does everybody think about using the original manufacturer of the tires that came with the car? Waste of money? It seems logical to use them since FORD did test the car with those tires on them.

I'm not sure if i can afford the z rated tires, so i hope going to a q rated of the same manufacturer will be alright.

I live in florida, so all i need is dry/wet weather traction.

The main thing i am looking out of my tire is long life. The car is a daily driver so performance is not the objective for this car.


Thanks for any suggestions.
DB

Re: Tires
 

If you are looking for long life, skip the Z rated tires. The most important part is the size, keep the same size tires. There are plenty of good tires on the market that are less expensive than the ones that come on it, just stay with a major brand, don't buy cheap junk. 16 inch tires are pretty popular, so you aren't limited to the tire that came on the car.

Re: Tires
 

I am with Harold on this one. Based on what you have stated as your goal, I would avoid any Z rated tire. You should find a lot of options in that size, adn don't get too wraped up in getting OE tires. Ford uses whateevr deal they can pull plus what they feel the average consumer would like.

Some tires are crap in the rain, and others are good. One suggestion is to go to Tire Rack web site and read the survey results. Also, call them up. They always give good advice and listen to your objectives.

I would think Bridgestones, Yokos, and Continental would be good brands to look at to name a few. Mich's tend to be over-priced, but you never know.

If it were me and I wanted a long lasting, summer tire with a good reputation I would probably look for a Bridgestone. I tend to avoid Good Years.

Re: Tires
 

I thought FORD tested tires on their cars, to decide which ones to use, which is why i wanted to go with the one that came with the car.

Re: Tires
 

I am sure they test them, but I don't think it is very scientific. I could be wrong, but I always thought OE tire selection was based more on "marketing" and "pricing" strategies. Sure, the tire needs to fit the style of the car, but there are soo many options.

Re: Tires
 

Don't shy away from other brands of tires because they are not OE...I've had better results with "cheapos". These days, some "cheapos" rival the big names. I'll probably get flamed but, my Kumho's run circles around the OE tire (Goodyears). I have had better 60' foot times, much longer wear, no dry rotting after 3 years, stability at high speeds...etc...After all, you are not lookin for a "Z" rated tire. I think most will agree that any tire is better than an OE tire....Ford that is.

Re: Tires
 

Big fan of Kumho here! Run 712's. 255/45/17 and 285/40/17.

Re: Tires
 

Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to let you know that I bought the tires from Sears for a total of $563 (99/tire, alignment = 64, and I forget the balance cost). The only thing I was disappointed in was the warranty of the laser alignment (6 months).

Put about 300 miles on them over the weekend (city driving) and at low speeds the car reacts great, and they’re pretty quiet.

If you would like an update after some more miles please IM me as this post may get buried.

Thanks for everybodys help and now its on to the next conquest for the Mustang
DB