Zach8131

Hey everyone! Today I added a 2003 S600 to my family, and I couldn't be happier (well except for some 'mystery' noises, but I will address those later)

For now I was wondering if I am able to freely shop for rims for my car? I heard that the weight of an S600 will crush most rims, so I will have to buy specific ones, is that true?

Also, what is the minimum size needed for this car? I really want to take the 16" rims and larger tires off my 2000 S500 and put them on my 600 because MXM4's are so quiet!

What do you guys think? I know swapping rims will screw with my TPMS but I plan to disable the tire pressure system.

Thanks!!

tusabes

It's pure BS that it crushes rims

Any quality rim will be fine ,and you can go up to 20 inches easily, or go down to the 16 inch size the s430 and s500 used

yes the ride of the stock 16 inch can't be beat - my s430 with 16 rides much better than my cl500 with factory AMG 18 sport package rims .

See the picture thread at the top of this forum for many w220 with custom rims

vmystikilv

As an expert rim rider I will give my feedback.


The car is heavy, with that being said, if you add rims and they are to thin you will bend the rims. I have 19" for this reason and more.

Zach8131

Thanks for the feedback guys! I just put all new tires on my S500 too so swapping the 18 inch weird 600 only 6-spoke triangle-weirdish rims for the 16 inch chrome ones off my 500 will make it that much more comfortable! The 18's are so stiff.

Of course I will have to have TPMS deactivated too, which I don't mind at all.

tusabes

Be sure to swap both the wheels and lug bolts. Sometimes there are different length bolts and its best to keep the matched set of bolts and wheels together

Mike5215

My 2 cents. (I've owned two 220's, an 05 500 and an 04 430. Current DD is a 221). Based on experience, the best riding wheel tire combo has been on 18" staggered with Michelin Pilot Sports. The suspension is so compliant that if you go too small the handling gets too soft. Even 17's feel undersized on the car to me.

I've run OEM 18" AMG wheels, but I've also had good results using the replica wheels that are all over Ebay, especially if the offsets are the same (or very close...replica wheels must vary in some way from OEM, so manufacturers typically add or subtract 1mm from the offset)

The car wants 44mm front and 46mm rear on a staggered set up. Replicas typically run 45mm all around, which is fine. When searching for rim packages on Ebay, in addition to searching the S Class, remember that the 2008-2013 C Class use the same offsets and those wheels are a lot more common. The listing may not show the 220 as a fitment but they are a perfect fit. A full set is usually around $800.

As mentioned previously, the lugs will be different, most commonly an Audi ball-type lug bolt vs the Mercedes ball, which is slightly different.

Here are typical results: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...heels&_sacat=0

I'm not sure TPMS can necessarily be disabled to the extent that it isn't constantly throwing errors at you. The TPMS sensors on a 220 are built into the valve stem and can easily be transferred to another wheel...just swap the valve stems to the new wheels.

ibeforreal

@Mike5215 if you actually want to disable the TPMS without having it throw codes it must be done via the STAR system. Had mine done years ago.

Quadcammer

If a 5,000lb s600 is crushing rims, they are made of tinfoil.

that is nonsense.

Welwynnick

Congrats on your new purchase!

Wheels and tyres make quite a difference to the ride and handling.

Yes, 16's are amazingly smooth and quiet, but they're best for straight lines (and base models) only.

Yes, 17's grip better, but I still found them under-tyred for the car.

The N/A S600 comes with 17's as standard - 16's won't fit the 345mm front brakes.

The European TT S600 (2003 on) has 360mm front brakes, and needs 18's minimum.

I believe US models have 345mm brakes, so 17's may be OK, but considering the power, I think 18's are the minimum.

Nick

Mike5215

Why?

Astro14

The ride with factory 18" rims and Michelin Pilot AS3 tires is exceptionally good. I would recommend 18" as a ride/handling balance...and the big S600, with ABC, will corner very well on good performance tires.

MJ50

i'd grab s55 rims and call it a day...
looks nice and still comfy...

Mike5215

^ +1. The cars also look better on 18's IMO.

Welwynnick

I think 18's are the sweet spot.

Nick

tusabes

As i said, i have both the 16s and the amg 18s. the amg look way better but If you've never tried the 16s you don't know how much softer and nicer they are than the 18s for touring.

Yes they aren't for you guys who want to carve canyons, but for smooth limo like cruising the 16s are 100x better

Mike5215

My 430 was a base car (no AMG kit) on very grandmotherly 17's and while the ride was very nice, I couldn't stomach the look. I ended up doing a full AMG body kit on it and staggered 18's. All a matter of personal priority and taste. My 221, which is a bigger car all around, came on 19's and I was nervous about how stiff 20's would be but my fears were unfounded.