Winter wheels. Need advice.
 

Hi,

I'm looking at getting some winter wheels for my 2013 C63 but need some advice. Since I plan to buy new wheels do I get a straight 18x8 wheel or stick with the 18x8" front and 18x9" rear? What tire size would be best and what brand of tire seems to work well?

Lastly I dread running a cast wheel since the tires are low profile and potholes in Michigan will literally swallow your car. I don't want to run a beautiful forged wheel in the winter. So I was hoping to ge a TSW wheel that is rotary forged which are supposed to be stronger than gravity cast but not as strong as forged.

Any advice truly appreciated. If it matters my car has the performance package with the 19" wheels.

You could try to find a set of stock 18", if they're cheap enough to make sense. I don't have winter tires yet, but I'll likely get Nokian Hakkapellita 7s or 8s when I do.

I have OEM 5-spoke 18" AMG wheels for sale if you're interested? They'd make great winter beaters.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...eels-sale.html

If possible, I would do a square 18x8 setup all around. I've always run square setups for winter on my cars. My C63 never goes out in the winter though. It helps with wear being able to rotate them and also helps the rear tires gain traction. Wide snow tires are no bueno.

+1

Chris, thanks for the info and it is what I was leaning towards. Would you know the ideal offset and I presume the correct offset would be for all four wheels.

I was considering going with stock wheels but I can get brand new tsw's for the same price and have the ability to rotate

Keep in mind what conditions you want to address. If it's deep snow then you absolutely want narrower wheels to cut down to the pavement. I will likely go stock tire size because I don't need to drive the car in snow, but want tires that can handle driving on the highway in -20 when the risk is more sheets of snow/ice, rather than soft fluffy snow.

The conditions I'll drive in don't involve deep snow. I live in a city that is good at plowing/salting. At most a few inches but primarily slush. I find dedicated snows are much better anyway in cold temps even if the roads are dry.

Agreed, I would absolutely get dedicated winter tires. It sounds like we're facing similar conditions. Hakkapeliitta's get rave reviews.

I was thinking 225/40R18 all the way around.

What would the proper rim width/offset be?

just put your car in tire rack and it will give you the specs on the wheels - probably 8" wide and 45mm offset or so.

Where are you? Northeast?
I got a square set up and regret it... lose way too much traction... 225s are way too skinny and were the suggestion at tire rack.

I do like my PA4s for tires... depending where you are and how much snow is on the ground... you don't need Blizzaks.

Most noticeable is how grippy these are vs summer tires once it gets cold.

DO NOT DRIVE ON SUMMERS IN WINTER !!!!!

The OEM winter wheels that MB sells for a C63 are four pre-FL (solid, two-colour spokes) 18x8 ET45 C63 fronts mounted at all four corners, with 225- or 235- width winter rubber.

Diabolis, thanks for that. Can you explain what ET45 refers to? I presume offset?
Thanks

Correct - it is the offset. ET45 is the OEM front wheel offset for the W204 C63 (both pre- and post-FL).

I have a square set for my C63 and have done a few winters on it. I'd never, ever do it any other way. The stock alignment specs are pretty aggressive, you definitely want to be able to rotate these. I am confident you can get a least a year more out of them if you are able to rotate. Also, have you not seen this:


It's like that all the time. I absolutely love it! Then you get to put your real set back on in the Spring and it's like a whole new car. Go square!

There is another benefit to going with a square setup and offset - the rears track exactly over the fronts instead of (at least partially) over deeper snow, and thus give a tad more grip on the rear which is badly needed. And, driving with a full tank of gas also helps a lot on the white stuff.

I just got a 18 x 8.5 / 18x9.5 with PA4s 235/255. In my opinion it's not worth it to drive on skinny tires 95% of the time in the winter when there's no deep snow.

Also, any wheels would do...I've been running replicas on my cars forever and I've never bent/broken anything even when hitting big potholes in Toronto.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...3cd82a3f0b.jpg


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...5bba17ea59.jpg

Er - sorry, but there is absolutely no benefit in going with a wider rear tire in the winter. At freezing temperatures, you won't get any additional traction even in the dry, let alone wet from a wider contact patch. With winter tires you get more grip by increasing the pressure per unit surface area on the tire contact patch, so you do want to run narrower tires than you do in the summer when (unlike in winter) the grip is generated by the hot tire "sticking" to the pavement.

Agree 100% that decent aftermarket rims are probably just as good for winter use. You're not exactly going to subject them to G forces that would put much strain on the rims, and, if you hit a pothole or smack a curb going sideways, the replicas are probably considerably cheaper to replace. ;)

OK, I don't like to argue on the internet but having driven the same car with the same time...one winter with 205 tires and one winter with 225 tires, I can tell you, definitively, there is better traction with the wider winter tires.

Take it as you wish.

Not to add fuel to the fire, but I've heard the same thing. If you want to drive in snow, you want a narrow tire that won't simply "float" on top of the snow. For ice or simply cold pavement, there is no benefit to a narrow tire.

I guess those of us that have been winter rallying and/or ice racing on narrow rubber on ice, slush, mud or just in the wet had it wrong all this time... :rolleyes:

Cool, bro, I'm sure many other people on this site have done that too but don't feel the need to hold it over people like they're some kind of expert now.

I purchased a 18 inch snow tire for my stock rim then i purchased a wider 19 inch rim and tire for summer.

Guys! Play nice.
I have owned 11 MB car is the last 28 yr. 5 E class in W124 (2), W211 (2) W212(1) in 4matic and 2wd. Add to that two SLKs and a W208 CLK and even a W245 B class before the new to me W204 C63.
I have driven them in areas of Canada where we get a lot of snow to lower Vancouver Island where snow is rare but winters are really wet.
With the exceptions of the Slicks and the B I have always run winter tires on after market wheels on all four corners in accordance with the recommendations found in the owner's manuals and never have I gone wrong.
In a heavy winter environment the smaller contact patch in snow is somewhat better than a larger one. It is a matter of physics. PSI on a smaller patch are higher and you get better mechanical locking into the snow. Some would argue that on ice you get more friction with a wider patch but the fact is research indicates unless you can get a ridge of snow in front of the tire on ice it doesn't matter and ABS won't save you.
Of course low temperature tire compound are part of the game as well when it comes to tires for winter.
On the W204 C63 page 346 or so of the manual there are recommendations for the stagger set up in winter tires and the so called square. i.e same size on both axles.
The stagger will automatically give you a larger tire patch where perhaps you least need it - at the point of power contact.
I just received 4 Nexen Winterguard Sport 235/40 R18 XL 95 V winter tires, mounted on Replika R170 8.5 x 18 ET 43 wheels balanced with TPM sensors installed, delivered with taxes and fees shipped from Mississauga Ontario to Sidney BC for $1751 CDN.
Now I cheaped out on the tires because a) I only drive about 1000 km a month, b) we don't get much snow so it is more about driving at 5C on heavily wet roads with a lot of standing water with a tread and compound to suit and c) I am only here 46 of the 121 day between December 1 and April 15 so they won't get much mileage over the next 6 yr and investing in anything more expensive is dumb.
The half inch in extra width and 3 mm less offset means the tires will clear the suspension fine and be about 8 mm closer to the fenders but with no interference.
One thing the same tires on BA gives you is the ability to move them front to back each season and even up the wear across the tread.
I suggest we keep our heads together when it comes to winter driving in these cars as they need a significant dose of common sense in these conditions and a quality set of winters is part of that. You do not need to over think it nor do you need to over spend.
Try 1010Tire.com or any of the other online stores. They gave great service, delivery was UPS and the packaging was super good to protect the wheels.