MarcZet

Just purchased C43(love it)but options for rims are pretty slim.
I dont like my factory amg wheel and im looking for winter set up right now
Still 19 but more so im concerned about width and the question is
Will 8.5 fit in the front? with no problems with proper Et of course.
I wanna do all 8.5 all around for winter. i did read a lot of posts and im more confused then before i think.If not is there nice set of 8 somwhere(tire rack maybe).Thanks

W205C43AMGCoupe

The c43 has just been added to tirerack and they have a lot of 18" wheel options suitable for winter wheels.

MarcZet

will check that out,thanks

Bueller178

Why do you want a 8.5 rim? The whole point of a winter setup is to get a narrower taller tire on to maximize performance.


Running a 18X8 will give you much better performance and also open up tire options for you.


Happy hunting.

MarcZet

100% agree on narrower tire better for winter , just don't want the 8 in the back look too much inside from the fender . Options are pretty limited for rims in that size , or I just didn't find anything decent yet. Il keep searching . Thanks

PR2000

Just get some spacers and longer bolts to fix the gap...

sean1.8t

I disagree with the "narrow tires for snow" belief.

I mean, I think it is true for trucks/off road vehicles that are cruising through deep snow as you want to cut down to the ground/pavement to get traction.

But with cars driving around in the city when you are only on plowed/packed snow or slush/ice, I feel that you want to have the largest contact patch possible as you are going to either already be on the pavement, or you will be riding on top of the snow/ice. A narrower tire just means less sipes, and sipes are what defines a snow tire.

MarcZet

Yeah , what I was told at various dealerships , but
anyway thats not the issue , my wife has 255 all around for winter and I don't see any difference
from 225 I'm riding on right now . Just trying to find some decent rims for winter that's all, and mainly courious if 8.5 fill fit in the front .

1Gunner

Sorry, that's just wrong thinking, no matter how you try to rationalize it.

But do as you wish, it is your car..

while it may look (subjectively) better to you, winter performance will suffer with wider tires. Period.

1Gunner

While not 8.5" these are the wheels in 8 x 18 that I found and will be mounting Michelin snows (in 225 ) for my wife's C43.

Niche Misano

MarcZet

oh nice , I think there is some Mandrus available in 8 as well , and Brealin wheels but that's as far as I got .
none of them catch my eye yet , and I know it's winter wheels , but I still wanna find nice looking set since I'll be riding on them for at least 6 months . Thank you Niche is not a bad wheels and ET 30 should be alright .

1Gunner

I looked at lots, but unfortunately availability this late in the season was an issue for many.
Good luck!

sean1.8t

Explain your reasoning then. Explain to me how having a narrower contact patch driving on hardpack snow/ice is going to give you better traction. Common sense seems to be on my side but I'd love to hear you try to sway it to yours.

Dthquazi

​​​​​​
The argument is that the weight of the vehicle isn't distributed through more tread with the fatter tire. This creates a better and more forceful contact patch in snow pack. Also that is cuts the snow better. In theory compact snow and ice is better handled with the narrow tires. Think of hitting a big puddle with fatter tires vs skinnier. Which would hydroplane sooner? Also, what tires do rally cars run in snow and ice?

Lionel_Hutz

This is the kind of winter tire that motor sports teams use:

sean1.8t

Thank you for providing some reasoning that Gunner obviously couldn't.

I agree with many of your points. Seems logical. The only thing I fail to see as a good comparison is rally cars. They are racing on snow covered mud. Just like the truck argument I mentioned above, they surly need to cut through the snow/ice to get to the ground and get the traction.

But we're talking about street cars driving on pavement, salt covered pavement non the less. You're either driving directly on the pavement already or you are driving on packed down snow(not cutting through anything). Which is why I believe having a larger contact patch (more sipes in use) is better.

Oh well, agree to disagree I guess. In the long run I think this is all pretty arbitrary anyways

sean1.8t

Yes, correct

But those cars are flying about at 80mph+ on snow/mud. Not slowly navigating their way around salt covered city streets. Apples and oranges if you ask me.

1Gunner

It's pretty obvious from your comments, no matter what anyone says, your head is to far up... to comprehend physics, commons sense, reason or logic as it pertains to safety and winter driving. Therefore... you win!

DragonRR

The argument has been going on for years and some tyre manufacturers (who should know what they are talking about) think wider tyres, overall, are better.

http://www.continental-tires.com/car...ogy/wide-tires

"It is a common misbelief that you shouldn’t use wide tires in winter. However, that is outdated. In fact, they offer a variety of benefits:"

"The wider the tire, the better the performance in all wintry conditions"

1Gunner

Ok, I'll see your Continental and raise you Tire Rack and NYT!

Tire Rack: http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/...jsp?techid=126

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/sp...ty-001090.html

DragonRR

On a serious note - The NYT article is old and it could be argued that Continental covers that with their comments. ... and.. Tirerack are not a manufacturer.

1Gunner

and a tire manufacturer suggesting bigger/more expensive tires is a similar analogy to shampoo ads used to increase volumes of it's product... "wash/rinse/repeat".

Either way, no harm no foul, it's all moot points on this subject.
We'll agree to do as we wish based on logic and physics we can accept.

munis

I have gone with the OEM Size winter tires for the 19" rims.

As Jeremy Clarkson would say, my car grips on to the road like a terrified toddler holds on to its mother's hand.

You will have dry winter days, everyone does, and that is when you will need the wider tires. Atleast I couldn't be more happy with my performance.

gabe.m

The compound and softness in winter tires matters more than the width nowadays. A good compound will offer much better grip and you would feel that much more than the difference between a fat/slim tire. At the same time, thread shape matters allot.

Did you ever go sliding with your shoes on a patch of ice? I remember having contests, and some kids were't able to slide half length compared to others... of course, at that time, the idea was less traction, more braking distance . Anyways, compound and thread shape.

sean1.8t

I just think it's(skinny tires being better) an argument that was true long ago. Kind of like "pumping the brakes when sliding". That was true before ABS was implemented.

Snow tire technology has come very far in the past few decades with better design, better compounds, and being able to add way more sipes per square inch than they could before. There is a benefit to "cutting through" the snow, but I just don't think that's needed anymore on public roads.

All I know is my 225/245 tires grip the hell out of whatever they are on right now. I can be on any type of snow/ice and my car behaves like its on rails. And that's all I care about.