Will these wheels fit?




my retired mb friend says they will not fit and I’m wondering why not if people are able to fit 17s why would these not fit?
the wheels I found come with tires 225/55/16 and I currently have 185/65/15




You will also need to push out the front of the fender by about 3/8 inch with a spacer kit.
And the LCA's will need to be re-adjusted to make sure the tires are perfectly centered in the fender (spacing between the front tire and the fender).
So it is not automatic and requires quite a bit of tuning.
I would say you should really really like the rims before committing.




It seems like there is so much space in the wheel well since replacing my struts
is there a rim size that is plug and play? Eager for a new look and might just get my OE gullies painted in anthracite.




I have the 6.5" x 15' ET 48 (W124 originals) easy fit and can use wider 195 or 205 tires and have the original look), the 7.5" x 16" ET 42, '97 E420 rims, these will need a bit push out of the fender, perhaps 1/4".
8" x 16" ET 36 Gully's will require 3/8" push out and centering of the wheel.
The ideal rim size for no mods is 7" x 16" ET 42. That will require no mods.




OEM wheels of different models are my personal taste , i did that with all my old Nissans as a teen….but I guess a replica MB wheel would do I already have the knock off baby hammer’s lol
I’ll never sell my car but it will get some restomod features as it ages
OEM wheels of different models are my personal taste , i did that with all my old Nissans as a teen….but I guess a replica MB wheel would do I already have the knock off baby hammer’s lol
I’ll never sell my car but it will get some restomod features as it ages
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What do you mean by centering the wheel, can it be done with the stock control arms?
also my current wheels are rubbing over harsh bumps, weak springs or LCAs too far forward? I’ve done most other suspension components
also thoughts on my car spinning tires in rain especially going uphill from a stop?
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 13, 2023 at 07:20 PM.
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What do you mean by centering the wheel, can it be done with the stock control arms?
also my current wheels are rubbing over harsh bumps, weak springs or LCAs too far forward? I’ve done most other suspension components
also thoughts on my car spinning tires in rain especially going uphill from a stop?




I understand what you are saying but I’m not trying to put 20s on the car, a +1 rims size and diameter within a certain percentage of stock is not going to drastically affect the car and quality tires will make up for most of it
im only weighing my options and seeing if what I already have on hand might work
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 14, 2023 at 02:43 PM.




Certainly the wider tires/rims look better on the car as well.
I believe 195 tires are too narrow for 8 inch rims, you will have to stretch tires etc. for installation, I do not like that option.
The 215/45 I do not like as well, because you need to lower to car to make them look good and I do not like lowered cars as it makes them not usable/practical.
The bottom of the car starts scraping etc. Also you will still need to push out the fender.
I think the 205/50 is still the best option for the 8" wide 16" diameter rims and keep the standard height.
Your last question was about "centering" the tire. That is just a front end alignment issue and it is handled by using the adjustment bolt in the LCA. It is a minor detail that has to be taken care of in front end alignment. Center the wheel first (on the passenger side) then adjust toe. A good alignment shop can take care off this.
Don't be afraid to push the front of the fender out. It is a simple process of putting some spacer in. One can not even tell it has been done. It makes the front and rear of the front fender on the same plane.
- Cheers!




as you know I store my car when snow and salt come but I don’t mind driving it in rain, can’t always help it here. I know the car is prone to hydro plaining naturally(manual warns) but since I am not buying rims I can afford to get higher quality tires like michellin to combat that
I still have the cheapest tires I could get from 3yrs ago just to get off the dry rotted originals, I’m at the point where I can upgrade so I ask these questions , ,much appreciated!
also got a mighty vac today and will revisit the ac system pods soon
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 14, 2023 at 11:34 PM.




The spacer kit needed is just 2 bolts need replaced with longer lengths (probably by 1/4-3/8 inch) and a set of nylon spacers to be inserted between the fender and the chassis.
One bolt is a machine bolt (for the molding), the other bolt is for the fender and is a sheet metal bolt.
A friend gave me his leftover various thickness (1/8, 1/16) nylon washers he had leftover from his fender adjustment and I just used those.
At this point you should also check to see if the existing rubber spacer/bracket is broken after 30+ years. Mine was on one side. Replace it if it is broken. Mercedes does not make them but the aftermarket one available is good quality. It maybe a corteco brand.




I'm not confident Michelin has the 205/50R16.




I do not come from a wealthy background and you know my car was completely dead when I got it not pristine. I had to do a ton of stuff to get to this point and it took years most of which I didn’t even get to drive it so I daily it when I feel like it and store it when I feel like it outside the winter. Won’t be that way forever but after 20yrs in a garage I think the car is happy to see sunlight and have someone that cares about it haha
I got this car during grad school and I didn’t even know if it would work at all so yes I got the cheapest tires possible until I brought the car up to a decent running condition, now that we are here I can get the appropriate quality tire. Not all things are set in stone
small rim w/ bad tire is not going to be better nor safer than a slightly larger rim w/ significantly better quality tires.
I respect your knowledge and effort to keep your car completely original but that is not my plan, in the same amount of time in your life that you have kept you car as it is, I plan to have mine customized and possibly retromodded with modern engine, might take a decade for all I know
i consider my car an old mercedes not a rare Mercedes so things don’t have to be 100% factory for me
-also not sure if when reading messages they come off as antagonistic but that is never my intention even when we disagree I consider you guys my friends lol
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 15, 2023 at 02:30 PM.
I do agree with 190E fan concerning tire and wheel size. Meredes Benz spent millions of dollars to design the W201 and I am sure that the wheel and tire size were selected for optimum safety and handling on public roads. I buy only the tire size recommended in the owners manual. Perhaps wider tires might help in some situations but there will be a deficit in others. For example wide tires might offer better traction on a dry surface but in snow or rain they will not perform as well as a narrow tire but you already know that. LOL
Last edited by LauraS; Sep 17, 2023 at 09:35 AM.




wider tires are worse in general in wet but I’m referring to my current tires. Any replacement would be better than these. I don’t think the difference is that drastic at these small of tire sizes.
Maybe at 17 and up you will need significant suspension mods. My car will never see snow so that is a trade off I’m okay with is all I’m saying ,15s are criminally too small but maybe that is my younger guy mentality
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 17, 2023 at 02:00 PM.




The 6" did not bother me 34 years ago. It does now because it distracts from the look. Even the 6.5 inch rims look better than the 6" ones.
By the way, in 1984 they equipped some W201's with 5.5" rims. I saw one in a Junk Yard that had a spare in the trunk, unused for nearly 40 years.
I also prefer a bit more meat on tires. To be honest my 190E is a more comfortable ride (even with the sportline suspension conversion and 16" rims) than my late model 428i and 535d. I mean comfortable in the sense of the jolt one gets from the potholes in the roads these days.
I do not come from a wealthy background and you know my car was completely dead when I got it not pristine. I had to do a ton of stuff to get to this point and it took years most of which I didn’t even get to drive it so I daily it when I feel like it and store it when I feel like it outside the winter. Won’t be that way forever but after 20yrs in a garage I think the car is happy to see sunlight and have someone that cares about it haha
I got this car during grad school and I didn’t even know if it would work at all so yes I got the cheapest tires possible until I brought the car up to a decent running condition, now that we are here I can get the appropriate quality tire. Not all things are set in stone
small rim w/ bad tire is not going to be better nor safer than a slightly larger rim w/ significantly better quality tires.
I respect your knowledge and effort to keep your car completely original but that is not my plan, in the same amount of time in your life that you have kept you car as it is, I plan to have mine customized and possibly retromodded with modern engine, might take a decade for all I know
i consider my car an old mercedes not a rare Mercedes so things don’t have to be 100% factory for me
-also not sure if when reading messages they come off as antagonistic but that is never my intention even when we disagree I consider you guys my friends lol
BTW, I'm not rich. I drive a cheap daily driver and I only do the maintenance on my W201 that's needed to keep it on the road in a safe manner. I don't take unnecessary risks with my W201 because I know that I won't ever be able to afford the current new C class version of it and MB will never make anything like the W201 again.
I do agree with 190E fan concerning tire and wheel size. Meredes Benz spent millions of dollars to design the W201 and I am sure that the wheel and tire size were selected for optimum safety and handling on public roads. I buy only the tire size recommended in the owners manual. Perhaps wider tires might help in some situations but there will be a deficit in others. For example wide tires might offer better traction on a dry surface but in snow or rain they will not perform as well as a narrow tire but you already know that. LOL




This car was mainly for me to learn and restore for my grandfather so part of the initial plan was to get it to stock. But it will slowly morph as knowledg, funds and time become more/less available. This is my plan as opposed to buying any new car at todays prices. I wont ever sell and feel like it needs to catch up on all the miles it missed out on. Hopefully this takes forever but the engine will be kept until it naturally gives out then i will swap something newer in.
That is true though I have been seeing some w201s easily go for more than 10k. Usually about 100k mile 90s models mostly 2.3s. Seems like the later years are preferred or maybe they just have naturally outlived many of the 80s versions?
Last edited by BetterDaze; Sep 18, 2023 at 08:13 PM.



