Duke04Matt

I just posted this in the CL forum but thought I might get a bit more traffic here. Any help is appreciated!

I am a new owner of a CL63 and it is the exact car that I wanted aside from it not coming equipped with the 030 package. I am not particularly fond of the non-030 AMG wheels and would like to explore the advantages/disadvantages of getting aftermarket wheels. If anyone could give me some feedback on the following (perhaps naive) questions I'd appreciate it:

• Do non-OEM wheels in any way void the warranty?
• Would any changes need to be make to the brakes? Depend on the wheel?
• Are most higher-end aftermarket wheels considered to be better (weight, heat dissipation, etc.) than the stock wheels?
• If the wheels are larger than the stock wheels (22" versus 20") does this effect how car speed (and odometer reading, etc.) is displayed? Can re-calibration be done?
• Anything else I neglected to ask that I should be sure to consider?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can chime in!

DucatiGuy

Do non-OEM wheels in any way void the warranty? For the most part the answer is no, BUT.... Here's where things can get a little shady... If you decide to install larger (heavier) wheels, and something goes wrong down the road with your suspension components, drive train or brakes, the dealer can point the blame on the wheels. Stating their weight or size caused excessive or premature wear to the components / parts damaged or in question. Although a rare occurrence, I have seen it happen.

Would any changes need to be make to the brakes? Depend on the wheel? Anytime you change the size (weight) of your rolling stock, components such as brakes WILL be effected. How large (n heavier over your OEM wheels) you go, will ultimately determine how much your braking will be effected. In general, if you're only up-sizing 1-2 sizes bigger, you shouldn't really notice a huge difference, but you will naturally feel a slight difference in stopping power, as well as the possibility of premature break wear.

Are most higher-end aftermarket wheels considered to be better (weight, heat dissipation, etc.) than the stock wheels? With the advent of high-tech alloys being used in OEM wheels, I'm happy to say most stock wheels due in fact fare quite well when compared to many aftermarket wheels in this arena. In fact, you often find the opposite in that the aftermarket wheel usually ends up weighing more, and due to the use of different combination of metals, heat dissipation is worse.

If the wheels are larger than the stock wheels (22" versus 20") does this effect how car speed (and odometer reading, etc.) is displayed? Can re-calibration be done? As long as you stay within the "up-sizing" guidelines (in respect to rim and tire combination), your speedo shouldn't be effected greatly, but if you decide to go too extreme in sizing, then yes you can have anywhere from a 10-20% margin of error in your final speed reading. One thing to note too, as you go faster, the error factor will increase. A lot of cars these days can be recalibrated for larger wheels or changes to the gear ratio. Can the MB, that I'm not 100% sure. I want to say yes it can, but once again I'm not 100% on that.

Anything else I neglected to ask that I should be sure to consider? There are a literally 1000's of wheel choices and styles to go with when it comes to aftermarket rims. For most, taking the aftermarket route is more of a statement of style or what others will call a cosmetic enhancement, but to a rare few, it's more of a performance stand point. You basically need to ask yourself, what you want out of your new wheels and go for what will please you. Obviously a wheel that not only looks good but also performs well is what we all want, but that necessarily isn't always what you end up with.

So if you're worried about your warranty or performance, I would stick to a rim and tire combination of either the same size or weight (or lighter) than your OEM rims. If you're looking for more of a wow factor, and you're OK with the possibility of a warranty issue or the loss of some performance, then you can pretty much go with whatever size you can shove into your fenders.

TraumaDude

I think DucatiGuy's answers are pretty darn thorough and right on the mark. Two other things that I'd like to add are:

1. This doesn't appear to pertain to you, living in Ft. Lauderdale, but snow tires are not as readily available in all sizes. Therefore, it is probably a good idea to have winter wheels for snow tires and summer wheels for summer tires. It prevents problems caused by switching tires repeated times over the wheels.

2. Take it from a guy who learned the hard way- DON'T BUY CHEAP AFTER MARKET WHEELS! The old saying is true, you get what you pay for. I tried to save a grand and bought cheap wheels that looked really nice. The problem was they looked like garbage in about two months and cannot be repaired.

Duke04Matt

Thanks guys (especially DucatiGuy, very thorough) I appreciate the feedback and guidance. I've attached some pictures of the 2 wheels types that have me most captivated right now - opinions? The first two are of Vossen VF061 and the second two are Forgiato Aggio.

emoving

Get the Vossen's. Those other wheels are butt ugly. I hate how the spoke comes over the whole lip. That is a horrible wheel! JMO!

emoving

Your all hooked up now though!!!!!!!!!!! PICS!

TraumaDude

Agree with emoving. Get the Vossens between those two. Post the pics!

TraumaDude

Thanks to you! April is right around the corner. Nothing like a warm weekend to tempt me into jumping into the summer wheels.

emoving

LOL.....54 this weekend!

khelawanb

I like the non painted Forgiato wheel on the blue car

traumadoc

With low profile tires on larger wheels, the wheels are more prone to damage in areas where roads are bad and potholes.

Seals in 3 pc wheels can leak and make keeping pressure a nightmare. Fill up gas... fill up air.... repeat!

If you don't go with a good brand, there may be balancing issues.

Like Ducati says. You get what you pay for.