Looking for help and recommendations.
Currently driving C43 with factory set up 225/40ZR19 on front and 255/35ZR19 on rear. Rims are stock AMG and i believe the part number is A2054014900.
Last summer I had a cracked rim on the front right to which I was able to have a local welder repair it and have had no problems with it since.
Now I am leaking air in the front left to the point that I have to inflate it daily. I have yet to take it to tire shop but am assuming it is another cracked rim. I live in Michigan and have horrible pothole problems.
I am wondering if the problem is the tires, the rims, the potholes or all of the above?
Also, I have a very disturbing noise coming from the right rear. I have had the brakes replaced and the wheel bearings checked. Everything is normal so MB shop said it has to be in the tire but that I have plenty of tread left and don't need new tires yet.
Here are my questions:
Should I buy better tires and fix or buy replacement rim or just bite the bullet and buy a whole new wheel and tire package?
Should I stick with the stock 19's or go to an 18" setup to minimize the damage from the potholes.
Should I be running different tires for the winter and the summer?
Should I just turn the damn thing in to MB and walk away as from what I have read this is a common problem with MB.
I have searched the forums and found all sorts of info but just thought it would be easier to create a new thread to let others suggest.
I have called MB corporate but of course they won't do anything to help.
Its a current lease that is way under allowed miles. I was considering buying it because I really enjoy it and its worth more than the buy out price but this whole wheel / tire thing has got me rather frustrated.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and thank you for your help in advance.

 

I'd advise 18" wheels and non-runflat tires. Unless you're driving on war-torn streets, you'll pretty much never have to worry about this problem ever again.

More sidewall and more supple ride. Not to mention, you're likely going to have less unsprung mass, which is going to help the suspension and ride quality even more.

My '13 C63 had an incredibly stiff suspension, but it had meaty 18" 5-spoke wheels, and I never had any wheel issues on the terrible, pothole-ridden roads in my State. Same goes for my '18 C43 and now my '20 C43. I've deliberately avoided the 19" wheels at all costs with every performance-oriented sedan I've ever purchased, including my past BMWs.

I understand that people like the aesthetic appeal of 19" wheels, but the vast majority of the time, they offer no performance benefit whatsoever: they're heavier, the ride quality suffers, and you make yourself more susceptible to tire/wheel damage because of the low-profile tires. If you live in a place that has mirror-smooth tarmac, I can see the appeal of 19s.

 

I own a 2018 E43 and it has damaged three front wheels and four new front tires in 13,000 miles of operation. I did my research regarding this issue and it turns out that the car has an approximate static front wheel loading of 1350.00 lbs which is very close the the loading capacity of the rims. My car is equipped with 20 inch rims and low profile run flat tires. As a result, the dynamic loading from road imperfections is transferred directly and locally to the front rims which fail because they are marginal in terms of structural integrity to begin with. These are cast rims and the material has porosity and under typical driving conditions they exceed the yield strength of the material and fail. The wheels fail therefore because of what amounts to a design defect. Mercedes should have installed much stronger wheels on these affected cars. I have complained repeatedly to Mercedes Benz USA, but they are so far refusing to acknowledge this defect and correct it. I have also filed repeated complaints with the NHTSA asking them to recall affected vehicles.

If your wheels are failing regularly, please file a complaint with the NHTSA so that the government can recall all affected vehicles and please contact me at 310-756-2462 to coordinate our response towards Mercedes Benz USA, LLC. Above all, this is a safety issue.

 

I own a 2018 E43 and it has damaged three front wheels and four new front tires in 13,000 miles of operation. I did my research regarding this issue and it turns out that the car has an approximate static front wheel loading of 1350.00 lbs which is very close the the loading capacity of the rims. My car is equipped with 20 inch rims and low profile run flat tires. As a result, the dynamic loading from road imperfections is transferred directly and locally to the front rims which fail because they are marginal in terms of structural integrity to begin with. These are cast rims and the material has porosity and under typical driving conditions they exceed the yield strength of the material and fail. The wheels fail therefore because of what amounts to a design defect. Mercedes should have installed much stronger wheels on these affected cars. I have complained repeatedly to Mercedes Benz USA, but they are so far refusing to acknowledge this defect and correct it. I have also filed repeated complaints with the NHTSA asking them to recall affected vehicles.

If your wheels are failing regularly, please file a complaint with the NHTSA so that the government can recall all affected vehicles and please contact me at 310-756-2462 to coordinate our response towards Mercedes Benz USA, LLC. Above all, this is a safety issue.

Do you have any update on your issue?? I am having problems with my 2018 E43 as well and will be downgrading the rims to 19" rims and non run flat tires to see if the ride will improve. I hope so!!