• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


The Official Fiesta ST Wheels Thread

Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
Ford Performance Fiesta Wheels M-1007-FA is the full name. I saw them on the Fiesta ST wheel mega thread here and thought they looked great without costing too much. FMS-M-1007-FA_xl.jpg
SO I should at least get 7.5" rims for 215? Or are 7" and 215 still ok? (thinking about curb protection (Belgium loves HUGE concrete curbs that wreck everthing).

These https://www.performancealloys.com/wheel-details.aspx?id=1405 are my absolute preferred rims but above my budget :)
BUt still, 16" better for tracking than 17", I always though lower sidewall=more grip. BUt I've been reading some different info regarding the ST.

What wheels do you run atm?

And idd, The Michelin SS3's seem to be valhalla atm :D :D
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
You can DEFINITELY run the 215s on 7s with NO problems, it's just that ideally for open tracking/max performance ONLY use, they would respond better on a wider wheel.

For street only use, especially with your high 'Belgian Block' curbing there, you would probably be better off with 7" wide wheels (they are also a little lighter than the 7.5s/8s within the same company's line up).

Right now I am on the factory wheels with the optional Pilot Sport A(ll)S(eason)3s on them for the winter, BUT, I DO wish that our cars came from the factory with the wheels you posted above, or the black versions I posted, as I'd be MUCH happier (WAAAYYY better looking!!) with them than what we got. [:(]

I have a set of 17x8 Team Dynamic Pro race 1.2s on order, and will put either Dunlop Direzza 2 Star Specs, or one of the track oriented Federal Tires products on them in a 215/40-17 size, come spring.

And YES, Speedline makes some PHENOMENAL wheels, most of which we cannot get over here, except through that site you linked.
 


Messages
215
Likes
60
Location
San Francisco
...should I get 16" and semi-slicks for trackdays? I'm Driving an ST200 atm and don't plan on doint any mods except a catback exhaust.


Cheers, Seth
I would do this. ^^ You can experience more of a weight savings and more of a performance benefit by changing to 16" wheel size with an appropriate tyre versus sticking with the 17" wheel size and some other tyre.


The nice thing by going with a different wheel size is that you will give yourself options to run 17" or 16" on different days and see what suits you best during different activities, and that will be the fun part for you.


Going with 17" with two setups you are unlikely to notice any real benefit unless you drastically change tyre type or choose a 17" wheel that is super light as in a Wed's TC-005 17x7" and weighs in at just under 14lbs or some similar lightweight wheel. You're gonna be spending money not only only wheels and tires of the same diameter but a bolt pattern conversion too, and that doesn't sound cost effective. Unless, you find a set of wheels that you have your heart set on, and then all bets are off of course!

End of the day, I would go with a new 16" set up because you already have a 17" setup. Just my opinion tho!
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
^^^NICE! [thumb]

Definitely one of the best looking wheels on/for these cars!

Is there a reason you did not go 215/40-17 (lack of street tire choices, cost, weight, wanted max 'stretch', etc.)?
 


Messages
17
Likes
3
Location
Ontario
^^^NICE! [thumb]

Definitely one of the best looking wheels on/for these cars!

Is there a reason you did not go 215/40-17 (lack of street tire choices, cost, weight, wanted max 'stretch', etc.)?
Thanks, and i plan on going with 215/40 azenis or federal 595's in the future i just couldn't afford to buy a new set at the time lol
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
Those wheels look incredible, good taste. Why would you go with Azeni or Federal? Just curious cause I'm wondering what tires are best for what use.
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
I would do this. ^^ You can experience more of a weight savings and more of a performance benefit by changing to 16" wheel size with an appropriate tyre versus sticking with the 17" wheel size and some other tyre.


The nice thing by going with a different wheel size is that you will give yourself options to run 17" or 16" on different days and see what suits you best during different activities, and that will be the fun part for you.


Going with 17" with two setups you are unlikely to notice any real benefit unless you drastically change tyre type or choose a 17" wheel that is super light as in a Wed's TC-005 17x7" and weighs in at just under 14lbs or some similar lightweight wheel. You're gonna be spending money not only only wheels and tires of the same diameter but a bolt pattern conversion too, and that doesn't sound cost effective. Unless, you find a set of wheels that you have your heart set on, and then all bets are off of course!

End of the day, I would go with a new 16" set up because you already have a 17" setup. Just my opinion tho!
I agree with your point that 16" will give me something new to experience/play with. But in the end, I'm only an amateur, my priority now is to get a winter setup and a summer setup which also allows me to track from time to time. I'm still new to tracking so I'm gonna see if I need more for tracking than ASA AS2 17" wheels on Pilot Sport 3's. If I do, I'll probably invest in some 16" wheels and semi-slicks. I bought the Pilot Sport 3's already and am now looking for the beste deal on the ASA AS2's :) End of january I'm getting the ST200's bodywork detailed and protected for everyday use. After that maybe a new exhaust, then an intercooler and probably some more :D I'm loving every bit of it. I'm experiencing something I have dreamed about since I was able to play Project Gotham Racing 2 on the xbox in 2003. Now to be able to enjoy racing in reality is just... It kinda feels like I was always meant to do it but was never ready for it, having other priorities, no money, time, etc. Now it's all come together and I seriously can't wait for this damn winter to end!
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
Those wheels look incredible, good taste. Why would you go with Azeni or Federal? Just curious cause I'm wondering what tires are best for what use.
We are VERY limited in tire choice for the 215/40-17 size over here. [:(] [mad]

IF we were able to get the excellent, 'PERFECT max performance street tire' Pilot Super Sports in that size here, they WOULD BE going on my wheels come spring, regardless of what they co$t!! [:)]

At least we do have the 615Ks, the various Federals, and the great Dunlop Star Specs to choose from in that size.
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
We are VERY limited in tire choice for the 215/40-17 size over here. [:(] [mad]

IF we were able to get the excellent, 'PERFECT max performance street tire' Pilot Super Sports in that size here, they WOULD BE going on my wheels come spring, regardless of what they co$t!! [:)]

At least we do have the 615Ks, the various Federals, and the great Dunlop Star Specs to choose from in that size.
Oh, I didn't know that. Coming from my previous car 205 and 215 seem smaller, getting 205/40/17 Pirelli SottoZero3's winter tyres for my ST made my ford garage get grumbly (it was on the standard Bridgestone Potenza cheap version). I was lucky I know a guy there, but they sure let me know it took alot of effort to get them there. I am sure there are better tyres than Michelin though. I chose them because of Belgian rain which occurs 70% of the thime through the year. The PS3's were the only ones that fit my needs for all these conditions.
 


Messages
215
Likes
60
Location
San Francisco
I agree with your point that 16" will give me something new to experience/play with. But in the end, I'm only an amateur, my priority now is to get a winter setup and a summer setup which also allows me to track from time to time. I'm still new to tracking so I'm gonna see if I need more for tracking than ASA AS2 17" wheels on Pilot Sport 3's.
I am still left wondering why you would consider spending money on a set of 17" wheels when you already have a set of 17" wheels from the factory? I mean, if you are going to be spending money on new wheels anyway, why not opt for wheels that will afford you some sort of benefits like lighter weight, or more width?

Spending money on something I already have sounds like I am not planning very well.
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
Because i'm not serious enough about racing to buy a smaller wheel just for that. I also don't like the look of anything below 17". On track I wouldnt care if it brought me major gains, but I don't think it will unless I spend alot of money. Which I don't want to do atm.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
I am still left wondering why you would consider spending money on a set of 17" wheels when you already have a set of 17" wheels from the factory? I mean, if you are going to be spending money on new wheels anyway, why not opt for wheels that will afford you some sort of benefits like lighter weight, or more width?

Spending money on something I already have sounds like I am not planning very well.

Some people just do not like the looks of the factory wheels, but DO like the size of them, regardless of performance gains/losses by going smaller diameter.

Also, some (like myself) just cannot stand the looks of most of the 16" wheels out there for our cars, nor that most of them are ONLY available in a 7" width (and who do NOT autocross in H/S class), again, regardless of how much un-sprung rolling weight is saved by going to the 15s/16s.

Others yet also refuse to render the factory wheels useless (just in case they need them somewhere along the line, or sell the car as stock) by going through the pain of converting to 4x100 PCDs just to get the latest 'no weight' wheels out there (although I would not have complained IF Ford had done this with these cars right from the factory [wink]).
 


Messages
215
Likes
60
Location
San Francisco
Ahh okay sorry fellas I didn't take into account the "looks" aspect because you guys were already talking about 15" and 16" wheel options, so I thought I would toss in my .02 about the smaller wheels.

But yeah I get it. Personally for me if I were to consider looks, I probably wouldn't concentrate so much on what size the wheel is more than what the wheel actually looks like, or more accurately what that particular wheel looks like on my car. Some wheels are designed in such a way that they look smaller than they actually are, weird (Desmond Regamaster EVO or BBS RS, for example.) Some wheels have huge windows, slim spokes, and show off more brakes (Advan RGIII), and those wheels tend to look really large for their size and might look out of place on a car with small brakes (Fiesta ST).

Lots of stuff to think about. It's a journey.. you'll find yourself in the future caring about strange things that you never even thought about years ago. Anyway sorry for rambling.. we can talk about wheels for days. Bottom line I think is just do what makes you happy.

The Ford Performance wheels I have thought about picking up a set. The OZ Ultraleggera 17x7 is a good looking lightweight option as well.
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
Bottom line I think is just do what makes you happy.
^^^THIS!! [twothumb]

Rest assured, that IF and WHEN I buy a dedicated set of track wheels/tires they will be the absolute lightest ones which I can afford, and which fit on a 4x108 PCD, with aesthetics taking a back seat to un-sprung weight (but hopefully either the Advanti Storms, or the Enkei RPF1s, or maybe even something else as light which I REALLY love the looks of, will be out in a 16x8 by then, so the 'looks' will not take too much of a 'hit' anyway [wink]). [:)]
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
Ahh okay sorry fellas I didn't take into account the "looks" aspect because you guys were already talking about 15" and 16" wheel options, so I thought I would toss in my .02 about the smaller wheels.

But yeah I get it. Personally for me if I were to consider looks, I probably wouldn't concentrate so much on what size the wheel is more than what the wheel actually looks like, or more accurately what that particular wheel looks like on my car. Some wheels are designed in such a way that they look smaller than they actually are, weird (Desmond Regamaster EVO or BBS RS, for example.) Some wheels have huge windows, slim spokes, and show off more brakes (Advan RGIII), and those wheels tend to look really large for their size and might look out of place on a car with small brakes (Fiesta ST).

Lots of stuff to think about. It's a journey.. you'll find yourself in the future caring about strange things that you never even thought about years ago. Anyway sorry for rambling.. we can talk about wheels for days. Bottom line I think is just do what makes you happy.

The Ford Performance wheels I have thought about picking up a set. The OZ Ultraleggera 17x7 is a good looking lightweight option as well.

It's all personal, I'm an amateur, you are probably better at racing than me. So I'm testing the waters atm. How will I ever know if 16" of 15" are better before trying out 17"? :)
It's also my daily driver, and restrictions about car wheels, tyres, exhaust and any other mod are extremely tight. If I could, I would mod my car with a bigger intercooler, a sportcat, with new exhaust, some new air filtration, better hoses, etc... But that means I would have to buy a trailer just to get it on the track, cause driving it on the street would be completely en extremely illegal. Cops would pull me over in an instant.

Belgian car culture is small for a reason, lots of restrictions, lots of regulations to live by. Lots of fines to pay if you even so much as go 1 decibel above the norm. That's why the ST200 is popular here, it's the legal mountune 215ps tune. With a fancy colour etc. Modding your car with Mountune stuff doesn't even let you keep your car warranty in Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourgh. It's f#cking ridiculous.

edit: don't get me started on insurance, get in an accident with a modded car and you pay everything. Your company will nope out faster than you can say "I had brake fade".
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,125
Likes
6,764
Location
Princeton, N.J.
^^^WOW, the land of Eddy Merckx makes our draconian regulated California seem like a 'free for all' by comparison!!! [crazyeye] [:(]

Are the surrounding Euro countries that suffocatingly micro-regulated?!?
 


Messages
50
Likes
4
Location
Gent
^^^WOW, the land of Eddy Merckx makes our draconian regulated California seem like a 'free for all' by comparison!!! [crazyeye] [:(]

Are the surrounding Euro countries that suffocatingly micro-regulated?!?
No I don't think so, maybe The Netherlands as well (and the poor buggers also pay way more tax on a car than us). I think it has alot to do with the Kyoto pact and emission stuff. Letting the owner tune the car's engine would make the government lose a part of their control over the car-market and emission etc.
The funny thing is that you see alot of smaller tuned out cars here that look and sound fast, but have like an untouched 1.2 petrol underneath. Visual mods are allowed so people tend to go that route instead :)
 




Top