non-stock tire size (eliminate stagger)

[russ in VA]

Has anyone tried using the same size tires all the way around yet? I just can't go along with using larger tires on the rear (either sidewall hieght OR cross section). I want to go with the same all the way around, but the options seem limited. I don't want to drop down to the narrow 235/50's in the rear (puny looking) but I don't want to go upto the baloon tire size (245/55) in the front either. Given the relative lack of availability in sizes near these I am considering 255/45/18's all the way around. This is less than a 1% drop in total diameter up front and about a 6% drop in the rear. Lazy man's equivalent to changing the gears to a 3.73. Should make for more nuetral cornering and enhance the joy's of trailing throttle oversteer. Not to mention helping cure the tail-high stance the car has stock. Anyone know of any clearance problems with this width increase? How about ABS problems with the equilazation of rolling diameter? If there is an ABS problem, can it be reprogramed or otherwise overcome? I suppose this is all a bit preliminary since the car only has 450 miles on it! :)

Anyone know what the stock wheel offset is on the car or what the optimal offsets are for maxing out tire width? This thing needs more section width!

[FFracer]

I did put a set of stock CV all same diameter wheel tire assys on my MM and drove it around awhile, no ABS light, it must have enough latitude in the software.

[Jim]

Russ;

I brought that idea up a couple of months ago here; I think it's a great idea, and when my time for tires comes, I may just give it a shot, along with a bit of rear end drop via the air susp. sensors.

The speedo can be corrected via a chip, or there are supposedly goofy little 'boxes' you plug in (somewhere) to correct... Same deal as correcting for an actual gear change.

Once again on the tires; I believe that for some segment of the (possible) buying audience, Mercury has done themselves a disservice; the tires they chose for this car, along with the suspension setup, really do 'hook up' on a launch; had they chosen a harder compound tire, or a less effective tread pattern, I'll bet a lot more drivers would be seeing/feeling the rear slide around.

For point of reference, I drove a new TC last week, with 4 people in it, and was able to leave about 4' of rubber from BOTH tires on the tarmac with a little power braking. If the TC can do it, this car certainly can; that TC had no where near the grip of the MM, of course.

Me, I'm getting used to it. My Lightning would light up a 295 section width tire at the drop of a hat; come to think of it, I could light 'em up with my Mk VIII as well... The MM just seems to GO on a full throttle launch, with a bit of spin if I ask for it with the brake pedal.

Wow, I was rambling. Sorry.

-Jim
(No Hertz rental cars were damaged during the 'research' for this posting)

[LincMercLover]

(No Hertz rental cars were damaged during the 'research' for this posting)

LMAO! Sure Jim...