Dnasty

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201633372675?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
This is a link to some 20" gloss black "oem mercedes" rims the price seems right and they say they ship them mounted and balaced so all i'd have to do is put them on my car. My main concern is if these are infact the same as mercedes rims or are they just cheap wheels from china rebadged? Also the bundle they recommend is with some lexani tires, I had no idea they made tired but apparently they do and are supposed to be the same thing as lionhart( note I am in los angeles so a lot of things such as snow traction or off roading is not really something that effects me). Anyway talked to the seller and they said they could put on higher end tires but with wheels so big and tires so low profile... ride, road nosie and other issues aren't going to vary greatly between manufacturer.

benbac

These are not OEM, no where on the post does it indicate that it's OEM, nor does the part # correspond with a 2016 S class wheel (oem rims for a 2016 S-class would normally start with A222*******).

The price is suspect enough, It would be an extremely rare find to locate a set of 4 OEM brand new 2016 20" S-class rims with tires for under $1000, that's basically the price of 1 rim (no tire).

The following is a more realistic price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-2016-Gen...dVtOKV&vxp=mtr

Dnasty

I figured as much, I talked to the seller on the phone as their store is about a 3 hour drive from my house and they basically said it is made in the same factory as the mercedes wheels they are just not badged. The term they used was "mercedes repro's". Is this total bull?

Dnasty

Well I found out who makes this oe repros as they call them it is a company called Stuttgart... not sure if this guy is lying or what but they seem to make quality wheels for a lot of high end europeans. Would anyone be able to confirm or help with this?

rick hesek

This and many other ebay auto part sellers try to pass off an aftermarket part as being equivalent to OEM. They are not.
As far as wheels go, you would not have to dig deep into the metallurgical features to learn that they are way off.
An OEM rear wheel for my 09 CLS is $1249.00.
A friend in my home town put 4 aftermarket 20" rims on his CLS63. He broke 2 within 6 months. My home town is in New England where the road quality is not very bad.

Rick H

Dnasty

Was he covered by any warranty or is the warranty as reliable as the seller? I'm not really looking to break the bank on wheels, I understand these are not oem. Are these any worse than other cast aluminum aftermarket wheels. I really just wanted something similar to this styling and have been unable to find it (without spending atleast 2000+ for some rotary forged or something).. the only other option I've seen that came close was some niche wheels essen m147 and those run about 1200 (I still kind of prefer the styling of the fake amgs).

rick hesek

I don't recall where my buddy bought his wheels. I believe it was mail order from a wheel distributor. I can ask him and if he had any warranty that was honored.
I've been tempted to put a set of aftermarket wheels on my 09. The reason I haven't is because of the excess stress on the wheel due to low profile tires. This is why my buddy busted 2.
The quality of the wheel is in the metallurgy. There are only a few aluminum forging and casting alloys that can be used for wheels, but the work is the heat treatment, (tempering and hardening for strength). that needs to be tightly controlled. Many aftermarket wheels are cast which is cheaper and even when tempered, is much more brittle than forged. This is why a forged wheel is $$$$ when a cast wheel is $$$. Forged wheels can be straightened a lot easier, too.
You could spend a couple hundred $ per wheel on a set and if one breaks, not such a bad pain. You may also need to replace the tire.
Let us know what you decide,

Rick H