Kamtrac

I just bought a silver 2012 E550 Cabrio (I love it) and want to make some mods, which I've never done before, and wanted a tip on wheels.
I'm having the resonator removed this week.
I'm having the calipers painted.

Wheels: I don't want to buy expensive oem wheels so I'm looking at after markets.
What brand do you recommend? I've heard some after markets rattle and easily chip. True??
Or would I be better off having the oem wheels powder coated??

venom_55

I went with new wheels because I wanted better rear traction. So stocks would not have accomplished that.

No problem with after market wheels if you get good wheels.

You could go a few ways depending on what you want and what your budget is.

1. Go cheap replicas and just replace cheaply when they get bent or damaged.

2. I hear (no experience) you can get good quality replicas. So cost a little more, don't get bent as easy, but still affordable.

3. Go with a good wheel manufacture and get custom offsets and hub centric rims. More expensive, but you get perfect fitment. Prices range from each manufacture, as do designs and wheel weights.
-- lots of vendors on here that can help you with wheel options based on your budget.

So if you want more traction, go with 19's or wider 18's, but if you are ok with current traction keep the stock rims or refinish to a colour you like. Lots of options but it all comes down to what you want.

Keep us posted on what you decide!

Kamtrac

I'm thinking about going to 19's from the 18's. I understand the 20's might make the ride rough and noisy.
I'm looking for a good manufacturer to see how much the replicas cost and if it makes sense to do it.
I've heard the name Vesson and am researching them. Any others?

venom_55

yeah 19's are a great choice. Road conditions were my main consideration as 20's don't offer a lot of protection.

I only had the following wheels that I would recommend (so far):
Advan
BC Forged
Forgestar

Other can comment on other brands, as there are many others good brands, but these are the brands I had and liked.

Kamtrac

Thanks for the help. I'll do some research and post pics when done.
Just ordered a new grill, clear side markers, black lettering, etc.
An ECU flash and wheels should take care of my mod itch for now!

SnakeDoctor

How much you looking to spend? Vossens are in the 2000+ area, and I *think* only come in 20"+. Not too sure about that though. The others venom_55 mentioned, are very good wheels, and the price will reflect that. If you want under $2K, you have Rohana and the likes. This forum is full of wheel ads, so you can check those out. Just scan from here and about 2-3 pages back and you'll see them all.

GerryMac

If you have the budget, then the purchase of a forged wheel with custom offsets is the way to go from manufacturers like HRE, Niche, PUR, ADV.1. HRE and Niche also offer cast wheels that are significantly cheaper but not customizable or of the same quality.

If you like OEM wheels, then you are likely stuck with less aggressive offsets with limited styles and finishes.

Wheel choice is entirely a function of budget and personal preference, so there is no easy answer to your question.

Kamtrac

Thank you for the feedback folks. I've decide to not purchase wheels at this time until I learn more and get a bigger budget.

For now I've decided to either paint or powder coat my oem AMG wheels with satin black. I just need to decide which is a better way to go as their cost is very close. Any feedback would be appreciated.

SnakeDoctor

There's always rubberized coatings (Plastidip, Raail, Flexidip, etc.) if you want something less permanent for your wheels. Relatively inexpensive since it's a DIY project. Probably about...50-60 bucks or so for the product. The rest is prepping and using good techniques/practices.

Kamtrac

She is going in Saturday for full make up! Getting wheels and calipers painted, all the chrome blackened and debadged. Once my new grill is installed I'll post some pics!

Kamtrac

More pics posted after mods done!