Signature Wheel’s Mach-E Adventures

[50 Deep]

Now that @markboris' car is assembled we are through all of the testing and validation. From this point on we are just going to be knocking out sick builds for you all. Forum members will see a nice discount on anything they might want,

One thing to keep in mind going forward will be tire sidewall profiles. Mark ordered some 255 Michelin front tires to match his Michelin rear. They are the same compound and tire type. However, one was a Porsche designation and the other from different OEM manufacturer. Upon installation we found they have different sidewall characteristics and fitment on the rim. This will not be as important for those with square fitments, but anything staggered will require some tire research.

Our own development Mach-E will be coming on line soon and we will have more to share. Here are some more of Mark's car until then.

 

[markboris]

I want to elaborate a bit on my tire choices that Terrance commented on above. I originally bought 265/45/20 front and 295/40/20 rear Michelin Latitude Sport 3 tires. They all matched perfectly because I did the research on them. Sidewalls and tread pattern were perfect. The reason I chose the Latitude Sport 3's is they are a summer performance SUV tire biased on the Green side and have the Green X stamp from Michelin. This means among other things they have a low rolling resistance. Their weight rating exceeded the OEM tires and I was happy with all the other specs. After they were mounted on the wheels, there was an issue and it was my issue. The rears were perfect and have a nice flat sidewall while the front tires had a slight bulge. I am sure 99% of the people would not mind this but I am picky and they need to match both in looks and how they fit the wheel. While Michelin states that a 265 has no problem running on a 8.5" wheel, they are better off on a 9" wheel or larger to eliminate the bulge.

I wasn't going to order a new set of front wheels in 9" (which would fit by the way) to accommodate the 265's so the only other thing I could do is go one size smaller on the tire. Unfortunately Michelin does not make a 255 tire that matches the sidewall of the 295's in the rear. I needed that size to complete this set up and needed it now and since I already had the Latitude Sport 3's on the rear, I had to get that tire for the front. So, if anyone looks closely, they will see the sidewalls on the front and rear tires don't match whatsoever.

Moving on, in order to have tires that will have matching sidewalls front and rear, I will be ordering Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires in the same size that I have now (255/45/20 front, 295/40/20 rear) and I know for a fact after speaking with Michelin they will be identical. These tires are biased on the performance side rather than the "green" side so I am assuming the rolling resistance will be a bit higher but then so will be the performance. Michelin states this is the highest performance tire they make for SUV's and is 11% better in most of the tests over the Latitude Sport 3s. I should have these tires in a couple of weeks and then I will shoot a few more photos and will also have my painted fender mouldings on the car by then.

 

[NormF]

Good idea to have a separate section for vendors.

 

[generaltso]

@markboris, what's the offset on those wheels? Just wondering how much poke was added to bring them flush with the wheel well lip. The OEM wheels really are set in quite a bit.

 

[pt19713]

This angle makes the stock Mach-E look like it's riding on a spare tire! lol

 

[Davedough]

Those wheels look great. The extra width really helps the look of that car.

This has me thinking, I'm definitely going to have to find a lowering system when I get my GT. That wheel well gap isn't horrible, but I like the flush look. I just hope someone comes out with a system that doesn't destroy the ride quality. My current car is way too stiff and I'm getting too old for that bouncy ride. I can also see that thin spoke rims are going to necessitate some slotted/crossdrilled rotors. Those big chunky rotors are kind of glaring to me.

Man, I need my car so I can start modding it lol

 

[markboris]

@markboris, what's the offset on those wheels? Just wondering how much poke was added to bring them flush with the wheel well lip. The OEM wheels really are set in quite a bit.

Hit up Terrance. He designed the fitment and knows the specs. I told him I wanted to run those size tires WITHOUT POKE and he figured out the wheels that would make them fit.

 

[markboris]

Those wheels look great. The extra width really helps the look of that car.

This has me thinking, I'm definitely going to have to find a lowering system when I get my GT. That wheel well gap isn't horrible, but I like the flush look. I just hope someone comes out with a system that doesn't destroy the ride quality. My current car is way too stiff and I'm getting too old for that bouncy ride. I can also see that thin spoke rims are going to necessitate some slotted/crossdrilled rotors. Those big chunky rotors are kind of glaring to me.

Man, I need my car so I can start modding it lol

Yes the wheel gap is terrible however, after painting the fender mouldings it is looking better since there is not so much black there. Terrance and I are both working on lowering our cars. I am going about it one way and he another and hopefully soon we will have something to show. Here is a quick photo I just took with the painted mouldings and will have more next week when I replace those Latitude Sport 3 tires with Pilot Sport 4 SUV's.

 

[generaltso]

Yes the wheel gap is terrible however, after painting the fender mouldings it is looking better since there is not so much black there.

Wow, eliminating the black wheels lips really changes the look of the car. I like that much better!

 

[markboris]

Wow, eliminating the black wheels lips really changes the look of the car. I like that much better!

I had to do it. It was the only thing about the exterior I really had an issue with. It really does make the whole tire/wheel look better no matter what you are running.

 

[SSGZ]

Yes the wheel gap is terrible however, after painting the fender mouldings it is looking better since there is not so much black there. Terrance and I are both working on lowering our cars. I am going about it one way and he another and hopefully soon we will have something to show. Here is a quick photo I just took with the painted mouldings and will have more next week when I replace those Latitude Sport 3 tires with Pilot Sport 4 SUV's.

Really nice set up! What ended up being your offset for the front and rear?

 

[50 Deep]

@markboris, what's the offset on those wheels? Just wondering how much poke was added to bring them flush with the wheel well lip. The OEM wheels really are set in quite a bit.

Really nice set up! What ended up being your offset for the front and rear?

We generally keep our wheel offsets under the radar on new platforms. Helps to ensure all the time and energy we invest helps out our clients as opposed to giving it away to other competitors.

I ended up purchasing a Mach E of my own to use for some testing on larger wheel setups and a track fitment. We also have another Mach coming online with some wheels soon.

Should be a hot spring/summer!

 

[jbotelho15]

I am dying to see what 21" wheels would look like on the Mach-E as I can't help but feel 20s still look a tad small and 22s just look huge. Any pics anywhere of 21s? And any aerodynamic design wheels?

 

[50 Deep]

I am dying to see what 21" wheels would look like on the Mach-E as I can't help but feel 20s still look a tad small and 22s just look huge. Any pics anywhere of 21s? And any aerodynamic design wheels?

You are in luck. We will have 21" and 22" setups coming out of production next month. I think these will change everything.

We generally do not design aero style wheels as more material adds weight. Although it may add some aerodynamic benefit, it gets offset by the added mass away from the center of the wheel.

When I build you a set of wheels that drops 25lbs + from the rotating assembly it will provide great benefit compared to a heavier wheel with potentially more aerodynamic attributes. All the low speed starting and stopping really affects the system and requires more energy. Aerodynamic wheels won't be as beneficial if you aren't doing long trips at speed frequently. Driving across country at 75-80 mph, hell yeah. Their benefits in city driving almost don't exist.

 

[jbotelho15]

You are in luck. We will have 21" and 22" setups coming out of production next month. I think these will change everything.

We generally do not design aero style wheels as more material adds weight. Although it may add some aerodynamic benefit, it gets offset by the added mass away from the center of the wheel.

When I build you a set of wheels that drops 25lbs + from the rotating assembly it will provide great benefit compared to a heavier wheel with potentially more aerodynamic attributes. All the low speed starting and stopping really affects the system and requires more energy. Aerodynamic wheels won't be as beneficial if you aren't doing long trips at speed frequently. Driving across country at 75-80 mph, hell yeah. Their benefits in city driving almost don't exist.

It is exactly those kind of trips that i worry about which is a couple times a year but still do a lot of highway driving, I know around town weight matters more and even then not a huge deal. Maybe a wheel with a cool looking detachable aero cover for those days you do travel? Just an idea I'd personally like but if the wheel doesn't knock off a whole lot of range at highway speeds then not a big deal but that is my biggest worry.

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