E55AMGGG04

I have a 2007 E350 sport package and my stock rims on my car keep cracking. I have encountered a number of flats and tried fixing the rims. I had 3 flats in 2 days not counting other times. I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this kind of problem. I live in NY and I know the roads are not the best but I still try to be as careful as possible.

BkE5Kid

Damn!! thats sucks

sunny_j

are you repairing the cracked rims or replacing them?

Vik888

which sports package rims do you have? 333 sports or 321 AMG?

I have the 321 AMG rims on my 2008 E550 and I'm not sure how much worse the roads are in NY compared to SoCal, but so far (knock on wood), no issues.

Scraz51

Same thing keeps happening to my dads 05 CLK350. 3 Cracked wheels over 4 months, US$650/wheel, very lame. Only 17 inch as well.

Barry45RPM

Staggered 10 spoke 18's here on L.I.... no problems. (Except the full set that was swiped off the car last Sept.) You've really got to always watch the road though, so you don't go bumping over anything more than a painted line.

sunny_j

get reps

Scraz51

Lol thats what I said, it is just the poor quality of the roads near my house. We try and avoid the bumps and potholes but as well all experience at some stage you just lose focus and then BAM! You just hit the biggest **** of the lot.

ruffrob

I have 17's and drive within NY and NJ and those are actually Brabus knockoffs on my car and I've only had only one flat in the 30 months I've had my w211. Those must be some craters your dad is driving thru....WOW!! Good Luck with your solution to this issue. I recentlly saw some 18 inchers that I truly fell in love with ,but I need to refrain from my admiration. I bought 3 tires and had to have my car towed the last time I had 18"'s on my ride

erifly

Are you talking about the 18" 10 spoke rims...Really? they crack. Thats surprising and hard to imagine. I have hit potholes going 50mph(and those are actually not as bad as the slower moving 20mph potholes I encounter on the street) and have only come off with a small rash at most.

E55AMGGG04

I have tried repairing them instead of replacing them but I still keep having problems. My E55 with the 18'z have never experienced a problem so far. I just ordred E63 replica wheels so I will see how does work out.

sunny_j

once you fix a damaged rim it will never be 100% again. thats why its better to buy reps and replace the damaged wheels. usually it costs less or the same to replace a rim then it does to repair it. where did you order the reps from?

Scraz51

I think he hit this one pot hole that I always avoid, it has to be at least and inch and a half deep and it is really dangerous because due to the angle of the road you cannot see it at all.

Obviously I hit it first time, otherwise I would not have learned hahah. When I hit it, I thought someone hit my front passenger fender.

CEB

Reps are usually heavier and lesser quality. You can't properly replace a damaged rim with a rep as they are never identical.

If you bend OE wheels then there is a better chance of bending replicas....

sunny_j

ive owned reps and they weigh the same as OEM rims.
false again, reps ive owned are just as strong or stronger then OEM

i had reps on my 760 for close to 3 years w/o any problems

Scraz51

Lol owned, it varies. I have heard so many stories about Reps bending and other stories about reps being unbreakable that I just don't know so it is just safer to fence sit and tally up the for and against stories, so far after 3 years of listening it is still equal.

E55AMGGG04

Yeah I bought the reps from powerwheelspro.com. I spent enough money on the stock rims so I'm better off with the reps because I don't see how anything could be worse then my stock wheels on the e350.

mystro

Did you replace the original tires at any point? Only certain tires have what is called Rim Guard | Rim Protector.. the OEM tires should have had this..it's the only tire I put on anymore. Fit new OEM rims with this type of tire and your problem should be solved. Low profile tire side walls take a beating except on smooth straight roads..lots of flex, I suspect your rim riding occationally. Yes they cost more but consider them insurance. Stock wheels are tough/tested wheels..aftermarket and you take your chances.

check http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=149&&

CEB

...but that won't solve his problem. The rim guard is intended to protect the wheel rim from damage caused by curb damage (normally referred to as "curbing your wheel") but will not protect a wheel against potholes.

I'm also unsure about what you mean when you say "I suspect your rim riding occationally."

Physically damaged wheels are caused by one thing - impacts. Low profile tires compound the problem as these is less sidewall to absorb shock - an extra bead of rubber next to the wheel rim won't solve that problem...

mystro

Rim guards are NOT just for curbing issues. I callled it rim riding, rim bouncing, whatever---if your not using OEM wheels and your tires are not Rim Guards..the side wall flex when you hit potholes or do sharp turns while hitting a PH -to me- it seems it'll will cause the rim to hit the ground occationally. Rim guards stiffen the side walls to *help prevent the rim from doing this. In an area that has potholes, IMO, you'd want less flex in the tire sidewalls?

I pulled this from Bridgestone but it applies to street cars also, I'm not sure which Michelin or which other brands offers them ..you may have to get the Maybach to get the good tire on a Mercedes anymore :

Bridgestone: Rim Guard™ Off-Road Protector Rib helps protect the tire by deflecting off-road debris from between the tire bead and rim area, and also keeps the lower sidewall *stiffer making the bead fit tighter to the rim.

CEB

...you are completely wrong. I tried to explain it to you but you didn't get it.

With a properly inflated tire, it is physically impossible for the "rim to hit the ground occasionally."

Please don't post if you don't know what you are talking about...

mystro

Just for info to everyone except "CEB" this tire had proper inflation but very flexible sidewalls, true it wasn't an expensive tire but you can see the rim damage clearly and I'm sure some wheels could even crack from hard impact forces. I offered the OP help, hell it may not even be his problem but this "CEB" a Honda owner in a Mercedes forum comes across to me as someone with over prolific message posting propensity offering virtually zero information.

CEB

...the damage in your photograph was not caused by "rim riding" (which, by the wayis a term you obviously made up) but by an impact with a curb - evident by the damage to both the wheel rim and the tire.

Would it make you happier if I listed all the MBs I've owned in my sig line?

You Sir, are a maroon...

Scraz51

Was this a joke?

mystro

No, he's simply a flamer whose likely been booted off the Honda forums for the same type behavior.

...typical behavior of a lonely keyboard tiger.