I have enormous wheels, too:
235/40/18
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From: PDX
1999 C43, 2008 P30 E63, 2014 SQ5, 2024 Model Y Performance
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From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
I took my car to the limit on some serious twisties with my staggered setup and can only remember 1 instance of understeer where my tires chirped a little and had a little bit of plow but I was coming down a hill with a sharp corner at the bottom.... I was taking it to the MAX and had a more concerning oversteer situation on the same run, I didn't lose control or spin out but it was CLOSE! It was frightening enough for me and my friend that I decided I had enough of the twisties that day
) and I don't suffer much from understeer with the staggered set up. The secret is to get the weight transfer to the front when braking and starting to turn in 
then boot it and get the back to slide out. Good tyres help also (Michelin SP2's). The only complain I have is a bit too much of front body roll. That could be stiffer IMO. I will have get to check the sway bar bushes and other suspension parts which could be on the way out.
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05 c55 silver, 98 Imperial Red C43
On the understeer question....I had some rcomps on my front wheels at one point. My car was so fun to drive. I mean u could take a 30mph turn at like 70-80 easily and it would grab amazingly. Mine is lowered tho
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
I love my C43 on the small roads around here (plenty in the mountains ) and I don't suffer much from understeer with the staggered set up. The secret is to get the weight transfer to the front when braking and starting to turn in then boot it and get the back to slide out. Good tyres help also (Michelin SP2's). The only complain I have is a bit too much of front body roll. That could be stiffer IMO. I will have get to check the sway bar bushes and other suspension parts which could be on the way out.
) and I don't suffer much from understeer with the staggered set up. The secret is to get the weight transfer to the front when braking and starting to turn in then boot it and get the back to slide out. Good tyres help also (Michelin SP2's). The only complain I have is a bit too much of front body roll. That could be stiffer IMO. I will have get to check the sway bar bushes and other suspension parts which could be on the way out. People frequently ask about the best "first mods". Some are perplexed when they hear, "high performance driving school". Those who attend quickly recognize that knowing how to drive vastly outweighs just about everything else.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 998
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From: Oakland
W210 DRFT BNZ
Very true. I'm a bad driver. About to do a local chapter autocross in a day on Sunday.
But still the square 245 cross section setup is perfect! Perfect I tell you! I love it. Coupled with the 190E Cossie LSD I just picked up from money-one (I LOVE YOU!) the car is finally what it was meant to be from the factory.
But still the square 245 cross section setup is perfect! Perfect I tell you! I love it. Coupled with the 190E Cossie LSD I just picked up from money-one (I LOVE YOU!) the car is finally what it was meant to be from the factory.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
They are worth every dollar spent, at least the "reputable" driving schools (and cheaper that most mods to begin with IMO)
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From: Oakland
W210 DRFT BNZ
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Super Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 998
Likes: 70
From: Oakland
W210 DRFT BNZ
Do note however, that going this wide required me to roll my fenders to the limit pretty much. Rears fit better, with just rolling it seems (previous owner), but the fronts required hardcore rolling and even pulling.
Due to my wide offset, the front rub against the fender liner near the door and near the foglights. Plus I have Kumho Ecsta XS tires, which are rather square and wide for a 245 tire, since they are Max Summer Performance as according to TireRack. So I imagine this problem can be cured entirely and properly with proper offset and a less aggressive tire.
Either way, the rubbing is really small and not an issue (I just did an Autocross event on this setup and it really proved itself).
Speedybenz, who is the owner of an arguably fastest known track W202, runs SSR comp wheels in +0 size, but same width as me:
17x8.5F
17x9.5R
So I imagine his tire setup might look similar, or perhaps a little wide in the rear.
And having said that, my front camber was at -1.5 and the rear at -1.6. Currently I have front camber at -1.6 and rear at 0 or -0.5, I forget. It is perfect. Just where I want it. I am running Bilstein Sports on all corners.
Last edited by jumph4x; Oct 11, 2010 at 10:32 AM.
