Wheel Width Benefits?

[Fiddler49]

There may an obvious answer to this question, but it's escaping me at the moment. What is the benefit of the LS back wheel width of 10" versus the base 9.5" width, considering that they both come with the same size tire (285/35R19)? I know you can upgrade to wider tires the wider the wheel, but I'm trying to figure out Ford's rationale in the different width wheels. The only thing I can come up with is side wall flex, but maybe there's more...

 

[boro92]

Less tire squirm, and reduced bulging/flexing of the sidewall. Just makes for a stiffer and better supported tire carcass overall.

 

[Grant 302]

Control of sidewall flex is the main thing I can think of. The reduced flex might also have benefits in reducing rolling resistance and tire temp, but I'm pretty sure those would be minimal.

 

[NWBoss]

There may an obvious answer to this question, but it's escaping me at the moment. What is the benefit of the LS back wheel width of 10" versus the base 9.5" width, considering that they both come with the same size tire (285/35R19)? I know you can upgrade to wider tires the wider the wheel, but I'm trying to figure out Ford's rationale in the different width wheels. The only thing I can come up with is side wall flex, but maybe there's more...

To make LS more understeer a little by staggering it more with wider thread section on the pavement? This is a quote from the interview with the engineers: "Generally things get stiffer as expected when moving from a Mustang GT to the track-happy Laguna Seca, except for the lower front spring rates on the Laguna Seca. Kevin explains, noting "The Laguna tune is all about handling the massive rear tire, also, because it has a more aggressive [tire] compound, the Laguna has a little more understeer margin. That's because the tires come up to little bit different temps and you have to manage it a little bit better. If you were to make the Laguna as balanced as the base car, there'd potentially be times where novices would be in trouble. We don't want to do that, so we got a little bit more (understeer) margin in that car."

http://www.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_1108_2011_ford_mustang_302/viewall.html