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I need to replace my OEM wheels and finding aftermarket wheels for this car has proven to be extremely difficult - I seem to be unable to find many real options. BBS, but I don't want to spend CA$1500/wheel. HRE seems the best option but to purchase them, they only accept a wire transfer (wut?), I've never seen that before (I'm also a programmer who has built online payment systems).
I've searched for wheels here but the results seem disappointing. Has there been a consensus on the best wheels to replace the OEM wheels that aren't $1k+/wheel? Or are we relegated to BBS/HRE/OEM?
Try looking for a set of forged w205 C63 wheels like a few of us run on our cars.
They look good, run 1/2" wider (8.5/9.5") and the fronts have a better offset at 38P v45P.
'04 E55 (Gone but not forgotten), '13 C63 P31 (RIP), another '13 C63 PP
I went with the HRE FF15s. Waited a couple years for a set to come up used so I got a decent deal. As far as a wire transfer to HRE... If you are dealing with then directly, I would not worry. They are a very reputable company, and, in my experience, excellent customer service.
The FF15s would be my first choice, HRE says they don't make them in the offsets for the C63 anymore, so for HRE the only real remaining choice is the FF01. Wires from Canadian banks to American banks is not straightforward and wires are notoriously error prone.
'04 E55 (Gone but not forgotten), '13 C63 P31 (RIP), another '13 C63 PP
Originally Posted by Falker
The FF15s would be my first choice, HRE says they don't make them in the offsets for the C63 anymore, so for HRE the only real remaining choice is the FF01. Wires from Canadian banks to American banks is not straightforward and wires are notoriously error prone.
Yes unfortunately they don't, they are definitely one of the best wheels for a 204. I had to order a replacement earlier this year and they said they only had 7 of them left. I would call them if you haven't already, see if they have at least a set left. You may not be able to be picky with the finish tho.
As for an alternative, I think the FF11s look good on a 204 as well.
I may be laughed out of here but I and others I know in w212's and other good rides have enjoyed and had good luck with BC Forged wheels. They're forged and reasonably priced also each set is custom so you can have your specific off set, width etc that you want. Just have to be willing to give them lead time which is usually around 6 weeks.
I also have heard pretty great things about BC Forged. I was really close to getting a set. They very reasonably priced compared to other forged wheels. But I ended up going with Welds which did end up costing me a lot more mula..
The BC Forged wheels look nice, however they're twice the price of the HREs. Unfortunately I'm struggling to deal with HRE and their dealer network so I may be stuck with spending more on some BBS CH-Rs via TireRack.
I've gone down this same rabbit hole and have found several options. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet. Here's what I've found:
Image makes 3-piece wheels for less than the cost of a set of CH-Rs, including shipping from the UK. www.imagewheels.co.uk
SSR has a several options that fit our cars. The monoblock wheels are around $600/ea, and they have multipiece wheels that are a little more than CH-Rs.
Enkei makes a few nice 18" 5x112 wheels for the US market, and most of those are available in 19" sizes in Japan. There are a few ebay sellers who sell the 19" versions. Those will be around $2000/set.
Lastly, there is a company called Superspeed that makes both forged flow-formed knock-off versions of a few of the Titan-7 models. No idea how good they are, but they are available in specs that will fit these cars well. Unfortunately their forged wheels are only available in 18" sizes.
Budget? Every dollar less than the cost of the CH-Rs makes them more appealing to me. To put it another way, I really _need_ to source different wheels now as the OEM ones are starting to crack. The cost of CH-Rs, with Michelin PS4S, TPMS sensors after exchange, duties and taxes shipped to my door costs ~$8k CAD. That's a lot of money to spend on wheels. I have an S2000 as well and I could buy a whole crate engine for $8k CAD.
I'm also not too keen on navigating the selling processes of small retailers or private sellers, this may be a downfall if I want to save any money here. Some of the SSR wheels appears to be suitable, but sourcing them appears to be a problem. I'd be happy with Enkei wheels (RPF1s are probably the most common wheel for the S2000) but sourcing them for the size and offset needed for the C63 appears to be a problem? If I'm wrong there, let me know.
Superspeed might be a legit option, they're also Canadian which makes it much easier for me - thanks for pointing them out.
Budget? Every dollar less than the cost of the CH-Rs makes them more appealing to me. To put it another way, I really _need_ to source different wheels now as the OEM ones are starting to crack. The cost of CH-Rs, with Michelin PS4S, TPMS sensors after exchange, duties and taxes shipped to my door costs ~$8k CAD. That's a lot of money to spend on wheels. I have an S2000 as well and I could buy a whole crate engine for $8k CAD.
I'm also not too keen on navigating the selling processes of small retailers or private sellers, this may be a downfall if I want to save any money here. Some of the SSR wheels appears to be suitable, but sourcing them appears to be a problem. I'd be happy with Enkei wheels (RPF1s are probably the most common wheel for the S2000) but sourcing them for the size and offset needed for the C63 appears to be a problem? If I'm wrong there, let me know.
Superspeed might be a legit option, they're also Canadian which makes it much easier for me - thanks for pointing them out.
What size are you looking for? I've been looking for 19s, so all of those that I listed have 19" sizes available in widths and offsets that will fit our cars. All will be slightly wider than stock.
SSR wheels are sold by big retailers like www.customoffsets.com and www.fitmentindustries.com so you should have no issues sourcing them. Those sites and www.vividracing.com also sell HRE, and I doubt they require a wire transfer.
Image Wheels isn't well known outside the UK, but they have been in the business for a long time and their wheels are used on a lot of actual racecars. They are also custom built to spec, so fitment isn't an issue. They are on the short list for me.
Last edited by AMGSIXTHREE; 12-31-2022 at 01:34 AM.
19s as well. I'm presently looking at the Superspeed RF01s but it appears that for the rear they don't have an offset and bolt pattern that will work. The only one available is a 19x9.5 ET35 5x112. That for sure will hit the fender in the rear.
19s as well. I'm presently looking at the Superspeed RF01s but it appears that for the rear they don't have an offset and bolt pattern that will work. The only one available is a 19x9.5 ET35 5x112. That for sure will hit the fender in the rear.
Yeah that's too much sauce.
I have 12mm spacers on the car with the stock wheels. With what amounts to 42mm offset on the 9" wheel I have 5-7mm to spare at the top of the tire. You might get away with et35 on a 9" wheel, depending on the tire, but 9.5 is gonna rub.
The other models seem to be available in more sizes. I would look for a 9.5 et42 or et44.
If you're rubbing in front it's probably the huge 40-series sidewall on the stock front tires.
He went from an 8" wheel @ ET45 to a 9" wheel @ ET40 + 12mm spacer. That, plus mounting the tire on a 1" wider rim brings it too close to the fender. These cars have laughably small wheel wells. It appears he has the same cars as me (He has an AP2 S2000, mine's an AP1), you can fit far wider tires under the small S2000 with 240HP than you can on these with double the power and triple the torque... German Engineering something, something...
He went from an 8" wheel @ ET45 to a 9" wheel @ ET40 + 12mm spacer. That, plus mounting the tire on a 1" wider rim brings it too close to the fender. These cars have laughably small wheel wells. It appears he has the same cars as me (He has an AP2 S2000, mine's an AP1), you can fit far wider tires under the small S2000 with 240HP than you can on these with double the power and triple the torque... German Engineering something, something...
Oh I know the tire struggle.
It's not the engineers, it's the accountants. The AMG front fenders make plenty of room. The rears are the same as a basic C-Class. Because it was cheaper.
But with the right wheel specs you can fit a 275 under the rear. That should handle plenty of power with the right tire.
When I was debating whether to spend $3k or $10k on a wheel setup it really came down to us not being able to run the offsets that makes most expensive wheels look good. (Personal Opinion)
In my subjective opinion, why spend **** ton of money on wheels if you have to run a high offset. Unless it’s for track. It makes most of those wheels look flat and ugly on our cars versus seeing them on other cars with low offsets.
I ended up with forgestars that were custom made to fit w204 c63 offset. I’d rate them 7/10. Not the biggest fan but I also didnt spend much either.
When I was debating whether to spend $3k or $10k on a wheel setup it really came down to us not being able to run the offsets that makes most expensive wheels look good. (Personal Opinion)
In my subjective opinion, why spend **** ton of money on wheels if you have to run a high offset. Unless it’s for track. It makes most of those wheels look flat and ugly on our cars versus seeing them on other cars with low offsets.
I ended up with forgestars that were custom made to fit w204 c63 offset. I’d rate them 7/10. Not the biggest fan but I also didnt spend much either.
I don't disagree with the lower offsets and more concavity making the wheels look better, but the problem is more so the availability of any wheels that actually fit at the widths and offsets we need. It's a rare combination and the wrong offsets have a high probability of rubbing/not fitting because the wheel wells are so narrow.
What size and offsets are your Forgestars? Looks like you picked the CF5V? I have considered the F14 in the past. That's their Gloss Anthracite color? We have the same car save for mine has the PP, I can't recall if the calipers are different other than the paint - no issues fitting the wheel over the brakes?
I ended up going with a set of Superspeed RF05RR. For $1800 CAD shipped to my door, that's really difficult/impossible to beat. I don't expect to be driving the car too much anymore so hopefully they'll last a while.
$1800 for a set of replica wheels is alot. Would have stuck with a more known brand. Not saying they will do you bad. But these are generic wheels sourced in Asia re-sold by "superspeed"
Originally Posted by Falker
I ended up going with a set of Superspeed RF05RR. For $1800 CAD shipped to my door, that's really difficult/impossible to beat. I don't expect to be driving the car too much anymore so hopefully they'll last a while.
$1800 for a set of replica wheels is alot. Would have stuck with a more known brand. Not saying they will do you bad. But these are generic wheels sourced in Asia re-sold by "superspeed"
That's fine, but by no means is CA$1800 for the set a lot. That's the equivalent of about $800-1000 USD, so... really cheap. For example, TireRack sells the BBS CH-R for US$750 per wheel. Delivered to my door after taxes, duties, shipped, and currency conversion comes to CA$5200. So these are CA$3400 cheaper.
I ended up going with a set of Superspeed RF05RR. For $1800 CAD shipped to my door, that's really difficult/impossible to beat. I don't expect to be driving the car too much anymore so hopefully they'll last a while.
They don't have any good rear sizes... I'm guessing you went with 19x9.5 +42 on the rear? Thats really going to limit tire size
12-27-2022, 02:36 AM
