Hot_Fur

All -
After buying my C300, I only had a few days to enjoy her before heading back to Afghanistan. I'm wheels shopping, but my time on the net is limited...so I figured I'd ask.......staggered or non-staggered? Besides being able to rotate the tires....advantages or disadvantages.....recommendations.......ideas...th oughts.....? I'm not looking to put too much into her aside from the Eibach kit that's going in next week, along with front and rear sways. My friend is bringing her into the shop, so I'll decide between 18s or 19s after that. Now I'm mainly concerned about the staggered vs non-staggered issue.
Thanks.

dcjwlee

Short of a track day, the difference should be nothing more than aesthetic.

Where in A-Stan are you headed?

Hot_Fur

I just got back here.... I usually work more in Nuristan but they have me in southern Afghanistan right now. Beats the hell out of north Africa, where I was the last 2 months....lol

Thanks for the reply... I did some digging and figured that aesthetics was truly the main difference for road vehicles...

Stevedotmil

There's the traction versus steering feel as well. If you have a high powered car that is RWD then it makes more sense to have a little more width on the rears for some people's driving style. Your care will drive differently when driven hard with staggered versus square as well.

Richard2011

But does a C300 even have issues with traction in the first place? It's not like it's a C63. I was considering a non-staggared setup for the ability to rotate tires, and I know wider tires in the back would help with traction, but I think the 8.5" stock wheels do fine in the back. I wouldn't go skinner than 8.5" anyways.

Stevedotmil

I have the manual and when I get into it even a little more than the 90 year old lady next to me from a light when it's wet out I can either watch the ESP light blink and get annoyed because my car is acting squirely or turn it off and practice my throttle control. You know how it rains down here in the Carolinas. That last storm system that came through was really making me want to get new tires. I'm sure with a better all season tire I wouldn't have this problem.

8 versus 8.5 check the width of your rims in the front versus the back. I have the staggered sport rims and they are 7.5 +47 in the front and 8.5. +58 in the back. Item number 4 in the accessories brochure.

http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Files/eB...html#/5/zoomed

Glyn M Ruck

I would stay unstaggered on a C300 for the ability to rotate corner to corner & change direction of rotation of tyres & keep them quiet while maximising life.

Going staggered would be purely cosmetic. Wider is not always better. Grip is a ratio of weight over contact patch. I think a 235 tyre is about optimum for these cars at appropriate profile for rim size.

jimmythegreek

If your not after the look of the staggered wheels, especially w deep dish rims, go non staggered. I absolutely love staggered only because I am a dish junkie and have to have big lips on all my cars, otherwise if I was running flush wheels (no lip) I would go same all around. And I agree that size is a ratio to weight, but I have a set of 19s in 8.5 F w 235 and 10" rears w 275 that are brand new tires and I can turn ESP off and smoke em up like nothing, its more drivabilty and handling IMO.

Stevedotmil

We can't forget about cost as well. That always plays a role.