Winter wheel questions (semi urgent)
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From: Toronto
AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
Winter wheel questions (semi urgent)
hello fellow C63ers,
So yesterday we had some snow flurries (that thankfully melted as they hit the ground) so i am running out of time to get winter tires!
I got a couple of quotes and was hoping for your input...option 1 is to get 18" AMG wheels with Pirelli sottozero tires. Option 2 is to get 19" aftermarket wheels with Dunlop winter sport 3d tires. In either case, the tires would not be staggered.
I currently have 19" AMG wheels with Yohohama tires.
There are many reasons why i prefer the 19" option:
1) my summer wheels are 19" so i am used to that look / performance
2) i hate the 18" AMG 5 spoke design
3) there are lots of aftermarket 19" designs i do like
4) if i buy an aftermarket design that i end up liking more than my 19" OEMs, i can use them with my summer tires too
That having been said, lots of people say it is better to have 18" than 19" tires for snow. Also i am not sure about Pirelli vs. Dunlop?
I dont want to drive when we have big snowstorms but do want to be prepared for ice and slush.
What do you think?
RL
So yesterday we had some snow flurries (that thankfully melted as they hit the ground) so i am running out of time to get winter tires!
I got a couple of quotes and was hoping for your input...option 1 is to get 18" AMG wheels with Pirelli sottozero tires. Option 2 is to get 19" aftermarket wheels with Dunlop winter sport 3d tires. In either case, the tires would not be staggered.
I currently have 19" AMG wheels with Yohohama tires.
There are many reasons why i prefer the 19" option:
1) my summer wheels are 19" so i am used to that look / performance
2) i hate the 18" AMG 5 spoke design
3) there are lots of aftermarket 19" designs i do like
4) if i buy an aftermarket design that i end up liking more than my 19" OEMs, i can use them with my summer tires too
That having been said, lots of people say it is better to have 18" than 19" tires for snow. Also i am not sure about Pirelli vs. Dunlop?
I dont want to drive when we have big snowstorms but do want to be prepared for ice and slush.
What do you think?
RL
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2012 C63 coupe
18s are only better in winter because tires are cheaper and more options and because the sidewall is taller which helps deal with potholes. Otherwise, what is relevant moreso is tire width... skinnier is better. I'm running 225/40-18s in a square set up but my car will be a DD and I need to deal with the weather.
Pirelli winters... best performance on dry payment
Dunlop winters... very good performance on dry pavement but better performance on snow/ice/slush than Pirelli
Bridgestone winters... lowest performance on dry, best in the bad stuff.
If you like the look of 19's and can deal with the risk of potholes, go with those and the Dunlop's. If it were me, I would stick to OEM size or smaller from a width perspective. You trade a little pure dry road performance for better overall winter time survival IMO base on my many years of crappy Canadian winter experience with RWD fast cars.
Pirelli winters... best performance on dry payment
Dunlop winters... very good performance on dry pavement but better performance on snow/ice/slush than Pirelli
Bridgestone winters... lowest performance on dry, best in the bad stuff.
If you like the look of 19's and can deal with the risk of potholes, go with those and the Dunlop's. If it were me, I would stick to OEM size or smaller from a width perspective. You trade a little pure dry road performance for better overall winter time survival IMO base on my many years of crappy Canadian winter experience with RWD fast cars.
Last edited by gthal; Nov 22, 2011 at 05:24 PM.
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From: Toronto
AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
thanks..the quote i got was for 19" 235 all around (not staggered)
aside from potholes, do you think the snow / ice grip of 18"s (with their higher sidewall) is noticeably better than the 19s?
RL
aside from potholes, do you think the snow / ice grip of 18"s (with their higher sidewall) is noticeably better than the 19s?
RL
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2012 C63 coupe
No. Tire width and rubber compound/tread pattern are all that matters. Sidewall does nothing for grip... it only softens the ride. 235's around should be great but if you are looking for snow traction, I would go with the Dunlop's over the Pirelli's. If you are more concerned with dry pavement grip, the other way around. As both are "performance" winter tires, neither will be as good as a hardcore winter tire but should be fine in all but the worse conditions.
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From: Montreal
e90 M3
I had the Bridgestone Blizzaks LM-25's for the first winter and they were the best in snow and slush, but they were particularly amazing on ice. the downside was during acceleration on a dry pavement the back of the car would wiggle and shift, you could feel the thread blocks move.
last winter I had the pirelli sottozeros. they feel solid, like a summer tire. they had good ice and snow traction but in the deep stuff and on ice, they lost out to the Bridgestone. not but much though, and for me they were a great balance between dry and snow/ice.
So it really depends on what your are looking for (performance or ultimate grip.)
go to your tire shop, and ask they for replica wheels, they cost around 120-160 per wheel. They look the same as the oem wheels, but in sizes perfect for your square winter setup. the other big plus is that if something happens like a scratch or road salt etc.. (which can damage your oem wheels) you won't really care, better beat up a copy than your oem wheels during the winter.
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2014 E63S Wagon
if you wanna pay a premium for low profile 19" winter tires, all the power to you. I would've downsized to 17" if i could.
If you like your OEM 19s, you can do what i'm planning to do. use your OEM rims as winter rims and buy a set of aftermarket rims you love for the summer. That way you can run wider summer tires
If you like your OEM 19s, you can do what i'm planning to do. use your OEM rims as winter rims and buy a set of aftermarket rims you love for the summer. That way you can run wider summer tires
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From: Toronto
AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
thanks C63AMG_COUPE
i thought of doing that as well!
hmmm decisions decisions...
RL
hmmm decisions decisions...
RL
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From: Toronto
AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
ok let's take it a step further...would i be completely nuts to get BBS CH-Rs as winter wheels? in titanium no less 
here is a photoshop mockup of what they would look like on my car...
here is a photoshop mockup of what they would look like on my car...
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e90 M3
in that case, you should get them as wide as possible, use them as your summers, and use the oem as winters
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97 Porsche GT2 Wide Bodied Cabrio, Mercedes G500
I have a set of BBS CHs that I purchased used for winter.....
I just decided I'm not going to drive my car in the winter. Now I just have the rims hahaha thank god I didn't buy winter tires yet.
Should look good!
I just decided I'm not going to drive my car in the winter. Now I just have the rims hahaha thank god I didn't buy winter tires yet.
Should look good!
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2012 C63 AMG Black Series
You have an Affalterbach edition with matte paint! Why are you driving it in the winter?!1st off that’s really stupid especially with how much salt and sand ends up on the roads in Toronto. Especially from driving in slush! Youre going to ruin it. I saw your posts about being obsessed with cleaning products and such yet you want to drive the car in the winter… seems like a waste of time and completely stupid to me! Next thing is you will probably be dumb and over spend on your wheels like you did on your car. Go drive something else for the winter. Yes I plan on driving my c63 in the winter but its not a special edition, and I have a second car! Nonetheless I bought cheap (well its all relative) winter tires/rims for my car (18’s and 235’s) because its winter and who the hell cares. If steel rims cleared the brakes they would be on my car. 19s help with ground clearance but are more expensive. Yes nice looking rims would be great in winter and I would love them but honestly what is the point! Its not my business but you seem absurd.
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AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
wow your post is so persuasive with all your references to me being stupid..I am SURE to follow your advice! oh right, and you were one of those posting how your 2012 is so much better than my car in my initial thread. You have another car for winter eh? Would it happen to be a BMW? just askin.
RL
RL
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2014 C63 507, 2012 R350
I just put on Bilzzak LM60s 225/40r18 on Elbrus wheels, I think they are called. They cam from what TireRack recommended. They actually look quite nice, a 5 star with some polish on the spokes. I had Blizzak LM25s before and they were very good and so far after 5cms of very slick snow this morning, it was my first chance to se how it was on my unplowed road. They were surprising, the amount of bite they gave me on turn in. Traction was very good, what I expected from Blizzaks. Easy on the throttle and they are very impressive in what is usually the worst kind of snow.
I need a quiet tire, which is what Blizzaks have been. Comfortable tire. I don't care about performance in the winter...I need to keep the sticky compund on as long as possible! Aftee the sticky compound wears, they are a marginal tire but i did not get to that stage yet with my previous LM25s.
I was supposed to get the Sottozeros but they were on back order and got the Blizzaks for the same price, although they were 30 bucks more per tire.
I say get the Blizzaks. And go with 18s for winter.
I need a quiet tire, which is what Blizzaks have been. Comfortable tire. I don't care about performance in the winter...I need to keep the sticky compund on as long as possible! Aftee the sticky compound wears, they are a marginal tire but i did not get to that stage yet with my previous LM25s.
I was supposed to get the Sottozeros but they were on back order and got the Blizzaks for the same price, although they were 30 bucks more per tire.
I say get the Blizzaks. And go with 18s for winter.
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I wouldnt have said my 2012 is SO much better, its not. I did say you spent a lot for what is currently available. I also said I could have gotten your edition, it may have been your exact car they were offering me in march for that matter, but I couldn't justify it against the new models and the updates. My second car is a pontic vibe... pretty average! Who knows maybe Im too practical. I still don't understand the need for two sets of nice 19" alloys. Mount winter tires on your existing rims if you want nice winter rims. I get the rotation stuff and all that but like I said its a waste of money to spend on winter rims, especially for a limited production car with matte paint! You'll probably spend $2500+ for winter tires/alloys & $3000 to fix the paint on your car next summer, or even more $$$ in lost wages + cleaning supplies from cleaning your car so much to protect the paint. Thats a lot of money to waste. If you respond with something like I don't care about the paint... you totally missed the point of your car and its a shame you bought it.
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2014 C63 507, 2012 R350
I wouldnt have said my 2012 is SO much better, its not. I did say you spent a lot for what is currently available. I also said I could have gotten your edition, it may have been your exact car they were offering me in march for that matter, but I couldn't justify it against the new models and the updates. My second car is a pontic vibe... pretty average! Who knows maybe Im too practical. I still don't understand the need for two sets of nice 19" alloys. Mount winter tires on your existing rims if you want nice winter rims. I get the rotation stuff and all that but like I said its a waste of money to spend on winter rims, especially for a limited production car with matte paint! You'll probably spend $2500+ for winter tires/alloys & $3000 to fix the paint on your car next summer, or even more $$$ in lost wages + cleaning supplies from cleaning your car so much to protect the paint. Thats a lot of money to waste. If you respond with something like I don't care about the paint... you totally missed the point of your car and its a shame you bought it.
You can get winters for about 1900, taxes in, whih is what I paid. They will be on my car for three years and at the end I wi ll probably sell them for 800. So 1100 out of pocket.
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I have two sets of 18" staggered factory AMG wheels (the ones you don't like) only to soften the performance suspension which it did otherwise i would have gone 19" as well. Both winter and summer rubber have the same aspect ratio. This winter being my second i added ~200lbs of traction sand bags into the trunk and that made a big difference. I also "prefer" to drive my 4X4 when it’s actually snowing but have been driving much better than last year with the extra weight back there.
I had Dunlop Sport Winter on my ML63 first set then Pirelli and I found the Pirelli better at speed so went Pirelli on the C63. Both seemed to have the same traction in snow on the ML and could not tell them apart all be it all wheel drive and almost twice the weight
New mod: Plasti-Dip on my Winter rims for the rocks and salt
I had Dunlop Sport Winter on my ML63 first set then Pirelli and I found the Pirelli better at speed so went Pirelli on the C63. Both seemed to have the same traction in snow on the ML and could not tell them apart all be it all wheel drive and almost twice the weight
New mod: Plasti-Dip on my Winter rims for the rocks and salt
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AMG C63 Affalterbach Edition
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I have a set of these on my Caddy and think they great in bad weather however anything over 120klm/hr (65mph) they seem to wonder on the road a bit. I originally took them back and had all 4 replaced then rebalanced while on the car and still the same wondering. Not a big issue on the caddy cause i don't really drive her all the fast but cant imagine what they would feel like on the AMG 
I know they are rated at 170klm/hr .. maybe the 5000 Lb weight of my Caddy has a factor there
What size did you end up going with ?
I know they are rated at 170klm/hr .. maybe the 5000 Lb weight of my Caddy has a factor there
What size did you end up going with ?
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2014 C63 507, 2012 R350
I don't think I would go with those. If you can get out of it I would, especially in a mild climate like Toronto, compared to Ottawa. You should go with Blizzaks, Pirelli Sottozeros or Continentals Winter tires. Only because you have a lot of dry weather driving there.
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2010 C63 AMG, 2009 ISF , 2002 L-Tuned IS300, 2011 ML350
I would definitely go 18's if I were to drive my car in the winter, much more comfortable with higher sidewalls. Potholes are nasty towards the end of the winter season, one of the reason why I drive on my OEM 18s for the first month of spring before installing my 19s.
As for your matte silver special edition car, I do agree you should be extra careful driving it in the winter as salt can damage the finish easily. I learned the hard way from my past sport cars, I always drove them in the winter but ended up spending so much to refinish the paint or repair weather related damage (rusted mechanical or electrical parts)... to the point I dont want to drive my C63 in the snow, winter beater is cheaper & worry free. :P
As for your matte silver special edition car, I do agree you should be extra careful driving it in the winter as salt can damage the finish easily. I learned the hard way from my past sport cars, I always drove them in the winter but ended up spending so much to refinish the paint or repair weather related damage (rusted mechanical or electrical parts)... to the point I dont want to drive my C63 in the snow, winter beater is cheaper & worry free. :P
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MY17 E43 Matte Selenite/Macchiato Beige, MY16 GLE350d Tenorite/Crystal Grey, MY17 B250
RL: I'd suggest throwing a piece of matte clear bra on the leading edge of your hood for the winter. I had a piece on the hood of my matte E coupe for winter and it looked good enough that it didn't bother me. Cost was under $100.
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2014 C63 507, 2012 R350
Is that the 3M stuff? Or actual material? I wouldn't putting it on for winter to save myself a few rock chips.
