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I found these Moda F5's at the Tire Rack. Waited almost nine months for these beauties. I think I have the first set for F150's. They were delayed because the inside chamfer was incorrect. They still fit every tightly around the axle and needed some sanding and anti-seize compound to avoid becoming fused to the axle. The F5's are low pressure cast wheels OEM'ed for The Tire Rack by SMC, a German manufacturer (their model "Typ E"). They are specifically intended for the the truck/SUV market and should therefore be strong enough. Weight is only slightly greater than stock (38 lbs. vs. 35 lbs.). With 295/40-20 Dunlop SP 9000's (since replaced with slightly heavier BFG runflats), the total weight is, according to my bathroom scales, identical--72 lbs. One big issue--the finish is terrible. The clearcoat is sprayed on so thickly that it is horribly orange peeled. Additionally, the clearcoat is extremely fragile and will scratch if you look at it wrong. I am going to have them stripped and recoated. The axle caps also need attention. I am going to replace the center cap with a black aluminum disc with black self-stick "Ford" emblems. Finally, balance may be a problem. When I had the BFG runflats installed, the shop could not get the wheels balanced properly. I have to get to a place that can do on-car balancing. Here is an image compared to the stock wheels: |
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BabBolt runs 315/40-18 F1's on 10.5" rims (6.8" backspacing). These tires are a Ferrari application. Call The Tire Rack and ask for Goodyear Supercar tires. They are a nice match for the F1's in the front.
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Tires: |
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295/40-20's are about 29.3" in diameter, which should make the speedometer read just about dead-on (stock speedometer calibrations in almost every car are a few MPH low). Plus, the lower sidewall height (4.6" versus 5.2") should provide better feedback and more predictable handling (at the expense of some ride comfort). I would have preferred to go with 295/45-20's for ride comfort and more filling of the wheel wells. Unfortunately, there are no ultimate performance tires available in that size. Additionally, 295/45-20's would lower the effective final drive by having a much larger diameter than stock (30.5" versus the stock 28.4"), which would negatively effect acceleration and require the speedometer to be recalibrated (and a $700 4.10 rear end to get back to stock acceleration). I got rid of the Dunlops within 500 miles. They have terrible grip off the line and feel floaty in the turns. When I changed back to the worn-out F1's at an autoross event, I picked up nearly 2 seconds the first lap out. I replaced the Dunlops with 295/40-20 BF Goodrich Comp T/A SSS ("self supporting structure") runflats. Much better grip. The runflats are a good choice for those of us who have chucked their spares and jacks. The SSSs can run for 200 miles at 50 MPH with no air. The BFGs ride a little rougher, which is to be expected with runflats. But the stiff sidewalls provide quicker turn-in, and the increased road feel is a plus in my book. They are also, IMHO, a better looking tire than the Dunlops--classic Gatorback/T/A diagonal block tread. The only real downside is cost and tire life (they have a miserable 180 treadwear index).
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The stock 18"
wheels do not visually fill the huge F-150 wheel wells, even
when the truck is lowered. 22's fill the wheel wells, but there is a
limited selection of both wheels and tires and they are hideously
expensive (and very heavy). Unfortunately, most
of the 20" rims available for the F-150 are way too 
Another
interesting option is widening the rear stock wheels. While this
won't fill the wheel wells any better, it does allow for a wider tire.
BaBolt had his widened for $185 each from
Because the
runflats have such stiff sidewalls, you cannot tell when a tire is getting
low on air. So, a tire pressure monitor/alert is required. I chose the
The
sensors are strapped to the inside of the wheels (the batteries in the
sensors are said to be good for five years). The sensors transmit wireless
signals to the receiver, which is located in the cab. The
optional remote display to the right shows the pressures and internal
temperatures for all four tires, along with a large red alert light when
the pressure gets lower or temperature gets higher than the user-selected
limits.