dchou

I read in someone's post that having staggered rims on a Benz that has 4-matic will ruin the transmission. Is this true? Do 4-matic benzes have trouble with staggered rims? Thanks.

Zeppelin

It's not the staggered rim's but the staggered tires you will be running on the rims. The front and rear tires will not have the exact rolling diameter and could therefore damage the transfer case(center differential).

dchou

Maybe i have the concept of "staggered" wrong. Can you explain? Thanks.

PsssTkiD

i think staggered wheels means.. the width of ur wheels in the back is wider than in the front.... staggered tires...same wheels and everything, its just the tire width that is different. ie. -205/55/16 in front- -225/50/16-....the circumference of the whole wheel may change if u do this..

that's all i know

mike82y

from what i have read, i am very sure you cant have staggered setting on a 4wheel drive!

Mike

dchou

Oh ****, I guess i'll have to change my planned setup. Thanks tho.

Any explanation tho?

PsssTkiD

since they'll have different circumference, the other two will rotate faster/slower than the other two in 360 degrees

1Lop2K5C

Is MB 4-matic alot diff from audi quattro ? I know there are alot of A4 / TT guys out there running staggered on their setup but they dont seem to have problems

amdeutsch

Doesn't anymore do their own math anymore. Size your tires properly and you'll be OK. And for those that talk about different rolling diameter I'd like for them to look at this scenario. 2 semi worn tires on 1 axle with 2 new tires on the other. Compute the diameter taking into consideration that tread depth on new is anywhere between 8/32 and 10/32, depending on brand, whereas the worn ones could be at 3/32 or even 2/32 or lower yet.

P.S.
The challenge is to do this without a calculator. :v

JWS3

Regrettably, the answer is likely "no". Few today can recall what they did in school to do much beyond rudimentary calculations like addition and subtraction. I am not saying that I like this, but that seems to be the way things are. Kinda sad, and I regrettably include myself in this category.

dchou

But as I understand it, staggering your wheels won't change the rolling diameter. You said the rear tires are wider than the front ones but not thicker, right? So both would add the same amount to the rolling diameter.

JWS3

generally quite knowledgeable.

ffejalink

The diameter is the main issue. So long as you sustain the same diameter the system should not be damaged. But, you may wish to check with the manufacturer as installing tires of differing sizes may void your warranty. I'm checking with the guys at Les Schwab tomorrow to get more info on this issue. (those in the Northwest will understand the quality of information provided by this company).

On another subject, for anyone considering the new Odyssey's, I would highly recommend avoiding the Touring edition with the PAX run-flat tire system. Although this is great technology, it has multiple disadvantages. The tires require a special machine to properly mount/dismount the tires. The tires may only be replaced with PAX tires (which run about $400-$500 each and are available only through the dealer - currently a VERY limited supply). Aftermarket tires/wheels may not be used with the system (nothing has been developed as of yet). Also, because the PAX tires must be used, snow tires are not available. Too bad if you're in a snowly climate. No clearance for chains either. Bet the salesperson won't tell you that. (sorry for getting off topic, but it's good info)

dgwee

The main issue is circumference (diameter x pi).

For example, a 225/45R17 setup (front) will have a circumference of 78.43 inches, whereas a 245/40R17 setup (rear) will have a circumference of 77.65 inches, a difference of 0.78 inch for every wheel revolution. May not seem like much, but over a distance, this can add up to quite a lot.

trench

Ha. How true.

I used to know calculus, now I can barely do algebra.

dchou

DGWee, could you please explain the calculation? I'm not too lazy to do math. I just don't know where you getting the numbers from.

225 means the front wheel is 8.86 inches wide, right?
and 245 means the rear is 9.65 inches wide.

Both are 17, so it should fit the same tire size. Maybe it's the aspect ratio!?!

amdeutsch

17 = same tire size while listing 225 & 245



Could it be something different like ......



Gotta love those lazy ones.

PsssTkiD

thats wut i've been trying to say....about the circumference...and it does make sense.

yet, i dont really know if it will really damage anything.

why do you want to put staggered wheels on AWD anywayz?... make all of 'em the same.

BlackC230Coupe

Yeah, u could run staggered wheels on the 4matic. The BMW X5 4.8i even comes stock with staggered wheels and its a 4wd SUV.

dgwee

The formula for tire circumference is:

[ ( [ (treadWidth x aspectRatio) / 25.4] x 2) + wheelDiameter] x Pi == tireCircumference in inches

For the lazy ones, try this:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/trans-01.htm

Front tire width = 225mm, aspect ratio = 45/100, therefore tire sidewall = 101.25mm. Total tire diameter = [(101.25 x 2) / 25.4]in + 17in = 24.97in. Circumference = 24.97 x 3.14 = 78.4in

Rear tire width = 245mm, aspect ratio = 40/100, therefore tire sidewall = 98mm. Total tire diameter = [(98 x 2) / 25.4]in + 17in = 24.71in. Circumference = 24.71 x 3.14 = 77.59in

dchou

Thanks, that helped. I guess there's no definitive answer here. Some say yes, some say no.