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APEX Is Back And Ready To Build A Better Mustang Wheel

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Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
neema said:
Patiently waiting for the 11's. Sorry if I missed it, but are you thinking two distinct offsets for F&R? Or 4x rear wheels with spacers used for the front?

Neema, great to see a familiar face here. As others have mentioned, we are taking aim at a true square fitment, utilizing spacers for front strut clearance. Let's face it, this sport aint cheap, and we still find a lot of value in the ability to rotate effectively.

- Ryan
 

Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
Bill Pemberton said:
Great to see you posting on TMO, but there are really few rims out there for the GT350s and hoping we see a set of 19s soon, especially a squared set.
The only ones out there are mega pricey and would love to see a medium priced lightweight wheel for the GTs.

We're on it! Once the 18x11's are launched, a lightweight 19" option is on my short list. Way may decide to run with the new SM-10 design for the 19's, as these would be a bit lighter then an EC-7 in similar sizing.

- Ryan
 

Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
VoodooBOSS said:
I like that option. Didn't you tell me the SM-10 has more brake clearance too?

Both the SM-10 and the EC-7 have massive brake clearance, however we will look into the specifics of each as they pertain to the GT350 brakes. I can't wait to stuff those puppies behind one of our wheels.
 
Maybe someone could help me out here with this. This was my response at the end of the survey:

This is just my 2 cents for whatever it is worth, but I feel you are going to get more buyers or at the very least, more interest with the 19" wheels as these size wheels ascetically fit the wheel wells better than 18" wheels do on Mustangs for one thing. It seems the most popular size of wheels for Mustangs are the 19" options and it seems as if the S197/S550 owners don't want to step down in size to a set of 18" wheels as they really look very tiny unless you run a high sidewall or you lower your car a decent amount. Then there aren’t many tire options for the 18” wheels that are a high profile tire, let alone ones that are wide especially if you are looking at making a set of 18x11 wheels which a lot of Mustang owners who track their cars would prefer to have. I understand that Apex is very much Race oriented and the function, strength & durability is the key driving factor behind your wheels, but show me a really good wide tire that is 18" that I can use on the street and on the track. There are no options for a 18x10/ 18x11 at a 26.5-27” tire height (Mustang factory tire height) unless you go to a ~25.5” tire height then you have the R888’s and those are a tread wear and you would just chew through those on the street and the R888's don't have the best wet manors. I just feel that if you offer 18x10 & 18x11’s that would limit a lot of people’s tire options if they aren’t at the driving level where they could run Hoosiers and still learn good driving habits around the track as from my understanding the Hooisers can hide mistakes that you are might be making just because of the grip they have. This is a huge let down for me as I don’t know if I could afford a set of dedicated track wheels along with a set of regular wheels for driving around and having to replace tires twice or three times a year just seems like an unnecessary expense. I know that I don’t race in class so every getting tenth for me isn’t a huge deal, but I would like more rubber on the front tires and definitely on the rear tires. With the 19” wheel options you would be opened up to a large variety of tire options and for me, that is also a huge deciding factor besides the engineering and design of the wheel.

For me, I can't find a good option to run as far as tires are concerned in a 18x10/18x11 tire size as is. I'm not a class racer like some of the guys here and I get that the 18" wheel options are a preferred choice because they are a lighter option, but outside of that I don't see why they are a great wheel choice that people want when it comes to the Mustang. Everyone keeps saying that the there are more tires available, but f*** me if I can find them. I have been looking for the past 4 or 5 months with no luck. I can find front tires fairly easy, but a 305 or a 315 option? No way. Ford really seemed to f*** us with the tire height because it seems that no one really offers a tire that is a factory height. Now if I go to a 19" tire option there are tires for days ... You have your RE-71R's, your RE-11, MPSS, Michelin Sport 4S, Pilot Sport Cups, Trofeo R and that's just off the top of my head. If I looked I could probably find a few more as well. As I said, I understand that Apex is the real deal and they are going more towards your guys who actually track your cars, but if I can't even find tires for the car then what are you supposed to do? Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but I have looked at a few tire places and so far no luck finding one that is wide enough or something that is tall enough. I mean I understand when you get to places like here or Corner Ponies on facebook or even S197forum to an extent you are getting the more track focused hardcore group of people, but when you go to the less hardcore forums that are still active like TMS or Mustang6g or Anything Coyote related on facebook etc. I think you would get a lot more interest in a set of 19" wheels even you are taking a bit of a hit on the weight of the wheel.

The design of the wheels I think is a whole other story, because the EC-7 design while one of the strongest, lightest and easiest to manufacturer designs on the market is just everywhere. Not to say that the EC-7 is a bad wheel because Sal has been running it for a while from what I can remember when he was mostly on S197forum so you are getting that high quality wheel. For something like Optima where style is one of the considerations and judged events, it just seems that when you have SVE, AMR, RTR, BBS, Avant Garde, Rovos etc. all making their own design of the wheel (and that is just in Mustang offsets) it is just an overly saturated design that you see everywhere. I mean, I know some of those manufacturers aren't nearly as track focused and they certainly lack the JWL Certification that Apex had to go through in order to deliver the best quality wheel, it would be nice to have a fresh face in the group. That is where I think the SM-10 is the best option of the group. You still get the BBK clearance that you do on the EC-7's, but they are lighter, the I-beam spokes are a nice touch that makes you feel like you are getting that high quality wheel, you get the beefier lip, so it seems as if it would be stronger than the EC-7's so you could go "curb hopping" if your driving style or track conditions suited that kind of driving with a bit less of breaking the wheel and you are still getting that great high quality wheel that you would expect from Apex. I mean the SM-10's just seem like a no brainer to me even despite the slightly higher cost from what I can remember. Maybe I am alone in my above thinking, I don't know
 
675
253
Sean you are on the right track. I also replied that I wished they offered decent 19x10.5 and/or 11 with correct S197 offsets so that we can run the GT350 295/305 or even GT350R 305/315 tires. The 350 and 350R replicas that are out these days all have too little offset and will have tires poking way out of our fenders. It seems like the wheel market has shifted to the S550 so I won't get my hopes up.
 
Sean said:
Maybe someone could help me out here with this. This was my response at the end of the survey:

For me, I can't find a good option to run as far as tires are concerned in a 18x10/18x11 tire size as is. I'm not a class racer like some of the guys here and I get that the 18" wheel options are a preferred choice because they are a lighter option, but outside of that I don't see why they are a great wheel choice that people want when it comes to the Mustang. Everyone keeps saying that the there are more tires available, but flower me if I can find them. I have been looking for the past 4 or 5 months with no luck. I can find front tires fairly easy, but a 305 or a 315 option? No way. Ford really seemed to flower us with the tire height because it seems that no one really offers a tire that is a factory height. Now if I go to a 19" tire option there are tires for days ... You have your RE-71R's, your RE-11, MPSS, Michelin Sport 4S, Pilot Sport Cups, Trofeo R and that's just off the top of my head. If I looked I could probably find a few more as well. As I said, I understand that Apex is the real deal and they are going more towards your guys who actually track your cars, but if I can't even find tires for the car then what are you supposed to do? Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but I have looked at a few tire places and so far no luck finding one that is wide enough or something that is tall enough. I mean I understand when you get to places like here or Corner Ponies on facebook or even S197forum to an extent you are getting the more track focused hardcore group of people, but when you go to the less hardcore forums that are still active like TMS or Mustang6g or Anything Coyote related on facebook etc. I think you would get a lot more interest in a set of 19" wheels even you are taking a bit of a hit on the weight of the wheel.

The design of the wheels I think is a whole other story, because the EC-7 design while one of the strongest, lightest and easiest to manufacturer designs on the market is just everywhere. Not to say that the EC-7 is a bad wheel because Sal has been running it for a while from what I can remember when he was mostly on S197forum so you are getting that high quality wheel. For something like Optima where style is one of the considerations and judged events, it just seems that when you have SVE, AMR, RTR, BBS, Avant Garde, Rovos etc. all making their own design of the wheel (and that is just in Mustang offsets) it is just an overly saturated design that you see everywhere. I mean, I know some of those manufacturers aren't nearly as track focused and they certainly lack the JWL Certification that Apex had to go through in order to deliver the best quality wheel, it would be nice to have a fresh face in the group. That is where I think the SM-10 is the best option of the group. You still get the BBK clearance that you do on the EC-7's, but they are lighter, the I-beam spokes are a nice touch that makes you feel like you are getting that high quality wheel, you get the beefier lip, so it seems as if it would be stronger than the EC-7's so you could go "curb hopping" if your driving style or track conditions suited that kind of driving with a bit less of breaking the wheel and you are still getting that great high quality wheel that you would expect from Apex. I mean the SM-10's just seem like a no brainer to me even despite the slightly higher cost from what I can remember. Maybe I am alone in my above thinking, I don't know

Sean,

You'll have to look at 295/40R18 it's 27.2" tire height. Not too much choice but there are the Falken 615K and the new Hankook RS-4 in that size. Nitto does have some street tire too otherwise you can get the NT-01 in 305/35/18 which is 26.5"
 

mmcguirk

Team Shelby Pacific Coast Region Director
Hi

Can the EC-7s be drilled for 5/8 studs and machined to accept 1" lug nuts?

This is the existing set up for the BBS on my race car

Thank you
 

Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
Sean said:
Maybe someone could help me out here with this. This was my response at the end of the survey:

For me, I can't find a good option to run as far as tires are concerned in a 18x10/18x11 tire size as is. I'm not a class racer like some of the guys here and I get that the 18" wheel options are a preferred choice because they are a lighter option, but outside of that I don't see why they are a great wheel choice that people want when it comes to the Mustang. Everyone keeps saying that the there are more tires available, but flower me if I can find them. I have been looking for the past 4 or 5 months with no luck. I can find front tires fairly easy, but a 305 or a 315 option? No way. Ford really seemed to flower us with the tire height because it seems that no one really offers a tire that is a factory height. Now if I go to a 19" tire option there are tires for days ... You have your RE-71R's, your RE-11, MPSS, Michelin Sport 4S, Pilot Sport Cups, Trofeo R and that's just off the top of my head. If I looked I could probably find a few more as well. As I said, I understand that Apex is the real deal and they are going more towards your guys who actually track your cars, but if I can't even find tires for the car then what are you supposed to do? Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but I have looked at a few tire places and so far no luck finding one that is wide enough or something that is tall enough. I mean I understand when you get to places like here or Corner Ponies on facebook or even S197forum to an extent you are getting the more track focused hardcore group of people, but when you go to the less hardcore forums that are still active like TMS or Mustang6g or Anything Coyote related on facebook etc. I think you would get a lot more interest in a set of 19" wheels even you are taking a bit of a hit on the weight of the wheel.

The design of the wheels I think is a whole other story, because the EC-7 design while one of the strongest, lightest and easiest to manufacturer designs on the market is just everywhere. Not to say that the EC-7 is a bad wheel because Sal has been running it for a while from what I can remember when he was mostly on S197forum so you are getting that high quality wheel. For something like Optima where style is one of the considerations and judged events, it just seems that when you have SVE, AMR, RTR, BBS, Avant Garde, Rovos etc. all making their own design of the wheel (and that is just in Mustang offsets) it is just an overly saturated design that you see everywhere. I mean, I know some of those manufacturers aren't nearly as track focused and they certainly lack the JWL Certification that Apex had to go through in order to deliver the best quality wheel, it would be nice to have a fresh face in the group. That is where I think the SM-10 is the best option of the group. You still get the BBK clearance that you do on the EC-7's, but they are lighter, the I-beam spokes are a nice touch that makes you feel like you are getting that high quality wheel, you get the beefier lip, so it seems as if it would be stronger than the EC-7's so you could go "curb hopping" if your driving style or track conditions suited that kind of driving with a bit less of breaking the wheel and you are still getting that great high quality wheel that you would expect from Apex. I mean the SM-10's just seem like a no brainer to me even despite the slightly higher cost from what I can remember. Maybe I am alone in my above thinking, I don't know


Thank you for taking the time to map out your thoughts on the subject, really valuable feedback here. The decision to lead with 18" wheels vs. 19" wheels is one that we battled with just last year when introducing our latest 18x10" / 18x11" staggered fitment for the BMW F80 M3/M4 (newest gen). Similar to other automobile manufactures, BMW's are getting bigger/heavier, packed with more technology, and equipped with larger diameter brakes from the factory, which all translates to running larger diameter wheels & tires. We have all witnessed the progression. The E30 and E36 BMW chassis of the late 80's and 90's were typically outfitted with 16" and 17" wheels, while the more recent E46 and E90 chassis of the new millennium were best suited with 18" wheels, and so forth. The same progression can be found when looking at the Mustang platform, from early fox body's to today's S197 & S550 chassis.

There are far too many wheel options out in the world from manufactures that focus their efforts on the design aspect of a wheel, and at the end of the day, that is not how we bring value to our customers. The design of our flow formed wheels lend themselves to proper brake clearance, weight and strength optimization, and load distribution first and foremost. Offering these designs in a wide array of widths and offsets that allows enthusiasts to run their desired tire size(s) and type without performing extensive modifications is key. You may have heard us say this before, but we want to solve the communities pain points, filling voids in the marketplace. Chasing designs to meet ever changing aesthetic preferences is not the fight we want to fight.

As a performance oriented wheel manufacture, our goal is to provide the community with quality lightweight and affordable solutions for Motorsport enthusiasts. The reality is that only a fraction of all owners actually attend track or auto-x driving events regularly, and/or race W2W competitively, but these are typically the enthusiasts that are chomping at the bit for a solution to "their problem". They are also typically the "early adopters" when new products are released, and provide extensive reviews to their peers in regards to their experience with such product. The race track is very much treated as a proving ground so to speak. Now we know there are existing 18" wheel on the market which clear the PP brakes, but readily available units at an affordable price point are few and far between. To reinforce our decision to kick things off with an 18" diameter, we surveyed the community and found that although both 18" and 19" wheels were requested in healthy numbers, the audience for 18" wheels was more vocal.

We absolutely agree that a 19" wheel suits this chassis very well, and will likely provide the broader range of enthusiasts with a great multi-faceted wheel that can be used on both track and street. I like the idea of releasing the SM-10 design in 19's, and agree with many of your points.

VoodooBOSS said:
Guys, they're most likely going to make a 19x11 and 19x10 but it won't be until after the 18x11. They're high on their priority list. I know from working on the R spec wheels that these take time to get tooled up, samples produced and shipped here for test fitment, and then moving into production with container shipping. Please be patient.

Precisely!

mmcguirk said:
Hi

Can the EC-7s be drilled for 5/8 studs and machined to accept 1" lug nuts?

This is the existing set up for the BBS on my race car

Thank you

We cannot advise or make any comment on modifications to our wheels that have a structural impact. Any change to the wheel can have a significant negative impact to strength. That being said, we drilled our Mustang lug openings to 37mm, and I believe that is larger than most BBS offerings. You would need to check the diameter of your socket to see if it will fit. The lug hole is 15.8mm thick. If you drilled that larger you would be thinning the mounting pad, effectively sandwiching less material between the car and the hardware. That would be entirely at your own risk and would void the warranty, as we have no FEA data confirming the effects of that change.

The ability to run OEM hardware and centercaps with our Mustang wheels is a small part of what makes them very user friendly.

- Ryan
 

Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
Any ETA yet on SM-10's for S550?

I apologize for missing your post. Now that we have both 18" and 19" EC-7 Mustang wheels for the S197 and S550 chassis, the next steps are to add any missing desired widths and offsets to the existing line-up (maybe a 10.5" or 11.5" width?), and then launching a second wheel design mimicking the current proven wheel fitments. Our new SM-10 design that we came out with earlier in the year for the BMW community is at the top of our list. Brake clearance is outstanding with this wheel, and new features like spoke scalloping reduce weight and increase structural integrity over previous designs. When surveying the Mustang community, results showed that Mustang enthusiasts also preferred the SM-10 design over other options.

We do not have a solid ETA at this time, however we will keep the community up to date. 2018 is totally feasible if the demand is there.

- Ryan
 
I apologize for missing your post. Now that we have both 18" and 19" EC-7 Mustang wheels for the S197 and S550 chassis, the next steps are to add any missing desired widths and offsets to the existing line-up (maybe a 10.5" or 11.5" width?), and then launching a second wheel design mimicking the current proven wheel fitments. Our new SM-10 design that we came out with earlier in the year for the BMW community is at the top of our list. Brake clearance is outstanding with this wheel, and new features like spoke scalloping reduce weight and increase structural integrity over previous designs. When surveying the Mustang community, results showed that Mustang enthusiasts also preferred the SM-10 design over other options.

We do not have a solid ETA at this time, however we will keep the community up to date. 2018 is totally feasible if the demand is there.

- Ryan

Appreciate the response and info. I'm VERY interested in a set of SM-10's, and look forward to more updates as we get closer to 2018. I've also already submitted a survey response, but let me know if there's anything else I need to do in order to convey my interest.
 

Apex Wheels

Race Proven, Street Approved
Supporting Vendor
670
1,061
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Bay Area, CA
Appreciate the response and info. I'm VERY interested in a set of SM-10's, and look forward to more updates as we get closer to 2018. I've also already submitted a survey response, but let me know if there's anything else I need to do in order to convey my interest.

Your survey response is all we need :D I'll be sure to express the communities continued interest with the team as well.

- Ryan
 

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