FLYNAVY

Looking at getting a set of OEM black steelies to use as winter/studded wheels so that I can swap back and forth quickly. Anyone done this? I found them at ECS tuning, however they want about $150/wheel which seems a little high compared to other random places on the internet that I have never heard of, offering them. Good price? Bad price? Anywhere reputable to look? It has been a while since I have really bought parts for an MB, so most of the places I frequent are BMW specific and I can't remember where to go anymore. Thanks!

dblock2151

Mind posting a link to where you found them?

tommy

Tirerack has several alloy rim options at less than $125 each. I'd much prefer them to steelies; my old steelies rusted after less than two full seasons. Plus you can get a tire/wheel package delivered to you from TR much cheaper in total than any other option out there.

samaritrey

What I did was upgrade to a set of 17 inch sport rims from a fellow member which left the original alloys winter duty.

FLYNAVY

Thanks for the replies/ideas/comments gents. Where I live, "winter wheels/tires" are really only useful a few times a year, and the big thing is driving home for the holidays through the cascades with the family/newborn. Wanted cheap wheels to put good winter tires on, and be able to quickly swap them out if needed, i.e. winter road trip and/or sudden snowstorm hits overnight. I hear you about the rusting, though hopefully minimal use and good post-use cleaning can eliminate that concern. All told, ECS tuning wanted about $750 shipped for the wheels alone………then found this link:

http://www.getallparts.com/MercedesB...FZJbfgodx4cEyQ

Totally random unknown-to-me supplier, but they quoted $58/wheel and it was just under $300 shipped so a significant improvement and more in line with what I had in mind. Still bought the wheel studs from ECS for about $90 since apparently they are a different length with the steels. All said, about $400 cheaper as long as they supply me with the correct product in a timely manner. Next up, getting some quality winter tires to go over them, find some bolts to fix the roof rack actuators that broke on my MB rack system, and then get a cargo box to round out the family road trip items. Random question, is it a correct statement that MB racks are compatible with Thule products? I heard they were the original manufacturer back in the day.

tommy

I still think you could have gotten a cheaper overall package at Tirerack due to reduced mounting costs and such, but at least that's a pretty cheap price on those steelies. Some wheel wax would probably be a good purchase.

Boom vang

going the route of the steelies is not the best way nor the cheapest. By the time you add new bolts, and hubcaps you are about the same price as used OEM's or new replica's. After 2 years here, the steelies look a rusted mess.

I did the same thing as Trey did, found a set of OEM 17" sport rims with tires on Ebay ($600 in 2007) and used the 16" rims that came with the car as my winter set

Boom vang

I don't think that the MB racks are made by Thule, the MB is much better quality, Thule is overrated, they don't use stainless steel hardware such as nuts and bolts, as well there are many stamped steel mounting parts which all rust out and seize. I have had to fabricate parts for my friend's Thule system and re-source ss nuts and bolts which are a real challenge as they are metric and imperial does not fit some of the parts and was not going the route of the steel bolts that we had to cut or grind out. For the price that Thule charges, it is criminal that their hardware does not contain stainless steel bolts

I have a MB OEM rack going on its 9th year and still looks like it is out of the box, my buddies Thule system 4 years old is a rusted mess. As a side note, the MB rack was much cheaper than Thule as it is made for the car and did not need any adapter kits and side bars to make it work. Back in 2006 the base MB rack cost me $325, the Thule with all the parts and locks would have netted out to just over $700

johnhef

Might take a little longer but I've seen quite a few 203s in junkyards. collect the spare tire wheels from the early cars and the spare bolts that go with it. Voila, cheap winter wheel set.

efzauner

yeah. get used mags.. either from your favorite used stuff site or scrap yard. Should be tons of these around.

FLYNAVY

well they arrived over the weekend. Going to get some winter tires mounted. What would you guys recommend………..studded or non-stud winter tires? Again, pretty limited use, however when I do, it will probably be trekking through snowy (or snowing) mountainous areas. Bolts were an additional $90, and I'm really glad I thought about it, because I almost just ordered one not realizing they weren't in wheel sets As for the MB roof rack system, I have to say that when I attached the forward rack, infinitely slightly off perpendicular (my bad), I ended up shearing both of the tightening bolts almost immediately. Not a huge pain to get new bolts, but I wan't exactly impressed with the build quality of the MB stuff. Perhaps the cargo boxes themselves are a bit better however. I agree the racks themselves have nice stainless steel finish on the outside, and while boxy, are probably pretty hefty in terms of carrying capacity given the thickness.

PeteyV

http://www.tirerack.com/cart/HoldingArea.jsp

Would have went this route. Plus you get a $70 gift card and they're already mounted on the rims so all you have to do is put them on your car. Saves you the install fee from a local shop as well.

tommy

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I just got Blizzaks for my EP3. Studded tires are a bit serious; I'd check with local tire shops to see what they recommend.

I would definitely recommend doing a conversion to a lug nut system vs the lug bolts if you're going to be swapping out rims like that. It would save you headaches.

FLYNAVY

Follow on question………would the tire size from the OEM alloys be suitable for these? Steels are 16x7" and 37mm offset I believe for reference

SeaCoupe

I can't believe I'm seeing you in here! Seen you post on FB from time to time. I just got some tires for my daily driver and the best price was from Costco. Be forewarned, customer service is an after thought. But the price was the best I could find.