2015 Mustang Wheel Options

Fast and dirty, here are some definitions of wheel terms that are often brought up.

• Bore: the bore of the wheel, measured in millimetres, is the hole cut out in the center of the wheel to fit over the hub of the vehicle. For 2015, all Mustangs feature a 70.5mm hub. Aftermarket wheels, however, do not always have the same size bore. In fact, many aftermarket wheels come with a larger size bore, such as 73mm, so that they can fit a larger variety of cars. If this is the case, centering rings (hubcentric rings) made of plastic or metal can be used to adapt the bore to the proper size.
• Bolt Pattern: bolt pattern is the arrangement of the studs. For example, a 5x114.3mm pattern signifies there are 5 studs, and they are spaced 114.3 millimetres apart. The first number is always the number of studs and the second is the measurement between each stud. Patterns can either be metric (like 4x100, 4 studs, 100m apart), or imperial (5x5 = 5 studs, spaced 5” apart). For 2015, all Mustangs have a 5x114.3mm pattern.
• Offset: this is the measurement between the mounting hub of the wheel and the actual center of the wheel itself. A positive offset indicates the hub mounting surface is placed outboard of the centerline, and a negative offset means it is inboard of the centerline. Zero offset means the mounting point is directly at the center of the wheel. Offset is important because most vehicles can only accommodate a certain offset range value. Offset values outside this range may have clearance problems, stick out too far or placed too inward etc.
• Backspacing: you may hear this term bandied about every so often. Backspacing is pretty much the same as offset, just an older term. Today, offset is the prevalent term used.

Base model EcoBoost and base V6 Mustangs come with a 17x7.5 wheel shod with a 235/55/R17 tire. OEM offset for this wheel is 30mm with an overall height of 27.2”. Any aftermarket wheel with an offset of 25mm to 48mm should fit (always confirm with the manufacturer). However, as 17s come in a narrower 7.5” width, sticking closer to the 25-35mm mark should maintain a nice stance.

Stepping up to a 18x8 with 235/50/R18 or 255/40/R18 tires (standard V6, EcoBoost premium, GT, GT Premium) yields an overall tire height of 27.3” and maintains the same factory 30mm offset as the 17’s. Allowable offset range is the same, between 25-48mm, but with an extra half inch width on the wheel, going higher than 35mm is more doable all whilst maintaining a good stance.

EcoBoost or GT ‘Stangs sporting the performance package get 19x9” with 255/40/R18 tires and an additional 18mm of offset, for a total offset of 42mm. As the wheel is now wider than before, it makes sense the offset must increase positively that way when it's mounted, the wheel does not stick out too far. Tire height for this setup is 27.0”.

Remember when Mustangs originally came with 15” wheels? My, how times have changed! For 2015, 20” wheels sporting fat 265/35/R20 tires are available straight from the factory (as an option) on EcoBoost Premium and GT Premium cars. Like the 19s, offset jumps to 48mm to accommodate the larger 9” wide wheel and are calculated to be 27.3” total in height. If you were to drop down to a 25mm wheel (which would fit), the wheel will stick out an additional ¾ of an inch as compared to stock.

To recap, any wheel from 17x7 to a 20x9, with an offset ranging from 25mm to 48mm should fit any of the 2015 Mustang models comfortably. Keep in mind, bore size for any new wheel needs to be a minimum of 70.5mm or larger (hub centric rings can only fill space, they cannot remove space if the bore of the wheel is smaller than 70.5mm).

Furthermore, many aftermarket wheels feature stud holes that are more narrow than stock, thereby the stock lug nuts will not fit. If this is the case, you need a “tuner” style lug nut (they are splined and more narrow than a conventional hex lug nut). 2015 Mustangs use 12x1.5 thread for their studs.