Cobra R Rims

I was looking into Cobra R rims today for my 03 GT and was wondering if my stock tires would fit the Cobra R rims. The wheels i have now are 17x8 and the Cobra R's are 17x9 in the front and 17x10.5 in the rear. Also, if they do fit, and at since they are wider rims, this guy at a wheel shop said their would be strain on my axle and rear end, is this true? also, will that have any impact on the performance of the car (negative or positive)? Thanx for the help.

Actually stock Cobra R's ('95) were 17X9 all around. You really need at least 255's on a 17X9, and 275/40's on the 10.5's.

You have an 8.8 inch rear axle, which is the same basic design as 1/2 ton Ford trucks, which weigh 2000 pounds more than your car and have much much larger tires. Trust me, they can handle a little tire that's barely 20 inches tall.

Tell that "wheel shop" that you actually have a live axle not the dead IRS a FWD car has.