"High speed" wheels (Texas mile, El Mirage) for Mustang?

[Driver]

Hi all. I'm looking at the top-speed events and they look like something fun to try. I'm trying to find some narrow 17" wheels (minimum to clear the brakes) that are lightweight AND can be trusted not to explode from 180mph+ for a minute or two at a time.

Ideally I'd like some "smoothies" to help keep the under-car air *under the car*, but I can't find them in 17" 5x114.3 to save my life.

 

In the end, I'll settle for whatever doesn't kill me.

 

Any recomendations?

[mustcone347]

I really would not worry about the aero or lack there of with the wheels because you are driving a brick whether its a fox boby or an s197. The mile shootouts are not Bonniville and the short duration of the runs is not so hard on the wheels as it is on the tires. Spend money on the rubber. I have run these events with stock cobra r wheels, aftermarket cobra r wheels and my fancy Borgart 3 piece wheels. They all did just fine. Next issue would be the top speed because your going to need a whole heap of power, somewhere north of 600, to even come close to the 180 mark and that will be largely dependent on your gears. Most stock gear boxes fall on there respective faces on the overdrive shift to 5th. Alot of the cars are making there top speed in 4th versus 5th gear.

 

My personal experience is that a 500 hp AI/AIX car (79 capri with all the go fast goodies) and a jerico 4 speed reving to 8000rpm gives just north of 170mph a 5th gear might put me to the 180 mark but I think I might run out of road in the standing mile.

[Driver]

I really would not worry about the aero or lack there of with the wheels because you are driving a brick whether its a fox boby or an s197.....My personal experience is that a 500 hp AI/AIX car (79 capri with all the go fast goodies) and a jerico 4 speed reving to 8000rpm gives just north of 170mph a 5th gear might put me to the 180 mark but I think I might run out of road in the standing mile.

 

Fortunately I'm not going for a brick, and I'm not technically breaking any records. 290bhp, around 230rwhp at sea level:

 

 

Here's a bit more detail: http://www.markviii.org/LOD2/bonneville.htm

2.47 gears and you get to top out in 3rd at 1:1. The 8.8 ford rear has gears available from the 2.2x's up to 6.5x+.

The air ride that I hate will serve a purpose for once... then I'll rip it out.

I've made underbody panels before.

Drag Coefficient: .34... lower than the Ford GT (though I'm not sure whoe has more frontal area).

 

I'm more focused on Speed Week and the Texas Mile, the latter just seems cheaper and easier. It's really just a longer drag race, which these pigs do not excel at.