Is the MME under tired?

[Dear_OP]

I've been reading/hearing about the MME's bounciness. In the few times I drove the car, I thought it was OK. Nothing jarring. However I noticed that for a vehicle with a curb weight on the upper ranges of 4000lbs the stock 225/55/19 tires contact path seems thin. I think Ford is running thinner tires for mileage purposes. Anyone run wider tires? Any difference in driving dynamics?

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[HuntingPudel]

The “bounciness” (excessive pitching motion due to inadequate rebound damping in the rear suspension) doesn’t appear on some roads, but is nuts for some people’s routine travel. ??

Lots of us have gone bigger on tires. The GTs come from the factory with 245s on 20x8” rims. I went with 275s on 20x9.5” rims. @markboris I think had the record with 305s in the back (I can’t keep up on his wheel and tire combinations - he changes them almost as often as I change my shirts). ??

 

[Mach1E]

I've been reading/hearing about the MME's bounciness. In the few times I drove the car, I thought it was OK. Nothing jarring. However I noticed that for a vehicle with a curb weight on the upper ranges of 4000lbs the stock 225/55/19 tires contact path seems thin. I think Ford is running thinner tires for mileage purposes. Anyone run wider tires? Any difference in driving dynamics?

From a performance standpoint, yes the 225 all seasons kinda suck.

Look at the significant skidpad increase for the GT with 245 tires. The tires for sure are a part of that.

If you want a smoother ride, you can go with some slightly taller tires. I went with 255/45/20 and notice the better ride immediately.

But the larger and heavier the tires, the worse the efficiency….. if that matters to you. Doesn’t matter to me.

 

[Dear_OP]

I wonder how much of a range decrease going with say 245 or 255 width.
Did anyone keep the aero wheel covers that come with the car?

 

[markboris]

Lots of us have gone bigger on tires. The GTs come from the factory with 245s on 20x8” rims. I went with 275s on 20x9.5” rims. @markboris I think had the record with 305s in the back (I can’t keep up on his wheel and tire combinations - he changes them almost as often as I change my shirts). ??

They were actually 315's in the rear Steve but I did have to modify the rear upper shock support as I always want the outer tire sidewalls to be flush with the fender trim. All other sizes didn't need any suspension modifications.

I'll have some new wheels showing up around the middle of next month. Going with a square setup this time similar to yours except in a 21" size (275/35/21). I’ll post some photos as soon as I get that set on.

I've had many wheel/tire combinations (over 10) but here are four of the wider sets I’ve run showing the rear end only to get an idea what the tires looked like.

255/45/20 front, 285/40/20 rear

265/45/20 front, 295/40/20 rear

265/40/20 front, 295/35/20 rear

275/40/20 front, 315/35/20 rear

 

[HuntingPudel]

They were actually 315's in the rear Steve but I did have to modify the rear upper shock support as I always want the outer tire sidewalls to be flush with the fender trim. All other sizes didn't need any suspension modifications.

I'll have some new wheel waiting for me when I get back from Europe. Going with a square setup this time similar to yours except in a 21" size (275/35/21).

I've had many wheel/tire combinations (over 10) but here are four of the wider sets I’ve run showing the rear end only to get an idea what the tires looked like.

255/45/20 front, 285/40/20 rear

265/45/20 front, 295/40/20 rear

265/40/20 front, 295/35/20 rear

275/40/20 front, 315/35/20 rear

Damn, I was remembering 315 but I decided to type 305 since I thought 315 was too big and that I mis-remembered. D’oh! ??

 

[markboris]

Damn, I was remembering 315 but I decided to type 305 since I thought 315 was too big and that I mis-remembered. D’oh! ??

The issue with 305’s Steve, is there’s not a lot of good combos with front tires for that size in the rear otherwise I would have tried those too. ?

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