qmciver

Hey Guys,

I'm getting ready to purchase my first Mercedes-Benz! It will probably be a C300 4Matic Sport. I need some foresight on the set of 18" C63 replicas that Power Wheels Pro is selling! They are :

Wheel Size 18x8.5
Bolt Pattern (PCD) 5-112
Wheel Offset +35mm
CB: 66.6
Finish: Gun Machined Face

Anyways I'm thinking of mounting a set 235/40/R18s F & 255/40/R18s R.

My question is simply do you think this wheel & tire combo will mount on the W204 without rubbing issues?

P.S. I would go with thinner tires but I would like to leave these on during the snowy season too.

Sportstick

I've bought wheels from them and have been very satisfied with quality and customer service both times. Those wheels have too low an offset. Go back and find some in the high 40's or low 50's. Check the owner's manual and you will see the offset spec for the 8.5" wide wheels. You can get away with mid to high 40's, but anything less and the wheels will really poke out of the openings.

BTW, your comment on snow tires is reversed. For winter, you want the skinniest tires possible to increase the psi of downward force to cut through the snow rather than spread out the weight of the car, resulting in riding on top of the slippery stuff. 16" (if it clears the brakes) or 17" are best for winter. I don't recommend trying to get through winter on so-called "all season" tires, but if you must, your best bet is Continental DWS.

qmciver

Thanks, for the prompt response. I haven't even brought the car yet, but I'm already making plan to add a little bit of personalization. I guess I should keep the original Michelin on 17"s all seasons.

Sportstick

You could get away with that until winter. OE tires made for MB by Michelin or Conti, are of a harder than usual compound to maximize fuel economy to help MB meet Federal CAFE requirements. As a result, these are worse than average in the snow. One solution would be to order some Conti DWS tires from tirerack shipped to the dealer (unless your dealer would meet the price) and have the dealer do the swap pre-delivery. Offer to sell the original tires back for one of their customers turning in a lease who need legal tread in order to surrender their vehicle. New DWS are about $600 and you might get $300 or so for new take-offs, and have a better chance of getting through winter successfully. DWS are still not Blizzaks, but far better than anything OE.