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Iconic Silver 2024 Lariat Eco w/ Black Appearance Package
I am not really a big fan of Flat/Matte/Satin black wheels, and though I did like the OEM BAP wheels, they just weren't my favorite. I ceramic coated them, which did add some gloss, but still not enough for me. I also didn't care too much for how skinny the wheels and tires looked. Long story short, I started looking for other OEM wheels (I like OEM parts whenever I can), and went down a rabbit hole. After looking at many, many options, I ended up finding a set of 2017 Focus RS 19x8" forged wheels. I decided I liked them, even though these come in a satin/matte black finish, and it's absolutely the worst paint I've ever seen. Looking at it sideways mars the paint. I wasn't worried though, as I wanted them glossy anyway. I had the wheels blasted and powdercoated in three stages with a primer, wet black, and a super durable clear. Then for good measure I ceramic coated them. I have absolutely no worries about these lasting basically forever. The offset on these wheels is an ET50, which is a little different than most other Ford wheels. The way it works out, is an inch wider wheel and basically an inch more offset, so they sit mostly in the exact same place as the original wheels vs. sticking out further or needing spacers for clearance (not needed here). I am using the stock style Ford script glossy black centercaps, and black Gorilla lugs that I had used on my original wheels.
For tires, I struggled here too. I wanted good performance dry and wet, at least stock specs, good looks, long lasting, quiet, and a good fit of course. Better snow performance would be a bonus. Pretty much wanted it all. I was leaning heavily toward the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail's. They obviously have a great reputation. But truth is, I run 99.9% on pavement, so it would really be mostly for looks while sacrificing in some other areas. I have found myself returning to Michelin tires over and over again, I really believe them to be the best. I have run a lot of the Defender series tires on my trucks, but wanted something a little different and more performance oriented. I settled on the Michelin Cross Climate 2. Definitely looks different, but has incredible reviews, and checks all the boxes for me - including the XL weight rating and 3-peak mountain snow rating. When it came to size, I ended up deciding on 245/50R19. This isn't the most popular size, but there are plenty of tire choices. These are the same height as factory tires, but basically an inch wider.
I weighed the new wheel/tire combo and found this to be about 6 pounds heavier than the original wheel/tire combo. I imagine the three-stage powdercoating added to that weight. I expect there may be some mileage penalty, but how much remains to be seen. I am not entirely surprised that there is some additional weight, as the original tires seem to be lightweight versions that I think just about any replacement would weigh more.
End result, I think the fit is about as perfect as you can get. The 19" size looks more performance oriented, without looking like you stuck oversize wheels on there. They sit nicely in the wheelwells - and would still look as good lowered as they do at stock height. There is zero rub anywhere, though fitment is pretty tight. If you wanted more height, you could go 245/55 and still fit nicely, but I wanted to keep stock height, so this is the perfect setup for me. Couldn't ask for better, in my opinion. I'm very happy with how this came out.
I am not really a big fan of Flat/Matte/Satin black wheels, and though I did like the OEM BAP wheels, they just weren't my favorite. I ceramic coated them, which did add some gloss, but still not enough for me. I also didn't care too much for how skinny the wheels and tires looked. Long story short, I started looking for other OEM wheels (I like OEM parts whenever I can), and went down a rabbit hole. After looking at many, many options, I ended up finding a set of 2017 Focus RS 19x8" forged wheels. I decided I liked them, even though these come in a satin/matte black finish, and it's absolutely the worst paint I've ever seen. Looking at it sideways mars the paint. I wasn't worried though, as I wanted them glossy anyway. I had the wheels blasted and powdercoated in three stages with a primer, wet black, and a super durable clear. Then for good measure I ceramic coated them. I have absolutely no worries about these lasting basically forever. The offset on these wheels is an ET50, which is a little different than most other Ford wheels. The way it works out, is an inch wider wheel and basically an inch more offset, so they sit mostly in the exact same place as the original wheels vs. sticking out further or needing spacers for clearance (not needed here). I am using the stock style Ford script glossy black centercaps, and black Gorilla lugs that I had used on my original wheels.
For tires, I struggled here too. I wanted good performance dry and wet, at least stock specs, good looks, long lasting, quiet, and a good fit of course. Better snow performance would be a bonus. Pretty much wanted it all. I was leaning heavily toward the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail's. They obviously have a great reputation. But truth is, I run 99.9% on pavement, so it would really be mostly for looks while sacrificing in some other areas. I have found myself returning to Michelin tires over and over again, I really believe them to be the best. I have run a lot of the Defender series tires on my trucks, but wanted something a little different and more performance oriented. I settled on the Michelin Cross Climate 2. Definitely looks different, but has incredible reviews, and checks all the boxes for me - including the XL weight rating and 3-peak mountain snow rating. When it came to size, I ended up deciding on 245/50R19. This isn't the most popular size, but there are plenty of tire choices. These are the same height as factory tires, but basically an inch wider.
I weighed the new wheel/tire combo and found this to be about 6 pounds heavier than the original wheel/tire combo. I imagine the three-stage powdercoating added to that weight. I expect there may be some mileage penalty, but how much remains to be seen. I am not entirely surprised that there is some additional weight, as the original tires seem to be lightweight versions that I think just about any replacement would weigh more.
End result, I think the fit is about as perfect as you can get. The 19" size looks more performance oriented, without looking like you stuck oversize wheels on there. They sit nicely in the wheelwells - and would still look as good lowered as they do at stock height. There is zero rub anywhere, though fitment is pretty tight. If you wanted more height, you could go 245/55 and still fit nicely, but I wanted to keep stock height, so this is the perfect setup for me. Couldn't ask for better, in my opinion. I'm very happy with how this came out.
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