Opinion On These Rims
04-09-2005, 03:54 AM
#1
Opinion On These Rims
Still New To This Forum..just Brought My Cl500 Last Week And Wants To Know What You Guys Think About These Rims. I'm Planning To Get 20" Asanti Staggered Wheels Silver With Polished Lip. Remember I'm Going For Look Not Performance. I Photoshoped Those Wheels On To See If I Like Them. Also, I've Been Searching The Forum On How To Lower A Cl. From My Understanding Is The Only Way Is Some Source Of Module That Uses The Abc Button. How Does It Work Exactly, Can I Raise And Lower My Car Back And Forth Anytime...if So That Is So Awesome. And Do These Module Cost Around 1600, And Where Can Go To In Los Angeles Area To Get It Install. Any Feedback Will Be Very Helpful. Thanks Again.[IMG]CL500.gif[/IMG]
04-09-2005, 03:42 PM
#2
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A car usually says something about the taste of the owner. It is after all, why he is driving that particular vehicle. A car like the CL to me tells me the owner probably knows cars fairly well, and appreciates the quality and luxury but is not so interested in flash as there are many flashier cars in its price range.
When I see a CL changed from stock, it tells me one of two things. Either
A) the owner is an enthusiast and is interested in making the car faster by modifying it, or
B) the owner is interested in getting more looks from others by making his car "look" faster.
You say you are going for looks, not performance. The truth is that most of the items like big wheels, low profile tires, lowered suspensions, larger exhausts and aerodynamic parts come FROM performance. They come from the enthusiasts, the road racers, manufacturers like Ferrari or Porsche.
It is this image that others that do not know try to copy, and in their lack of knowledge they go overboard. They think if an 18" wheel is better than a 16", then a 21 must be better than an 18. They think that if a larger exhaust pipe outlet is better than a small one, then a 6" must be better than a 3". They think that if its better when a car is lowered an inch or two, then 3 to 4 is even better. They think if an HID headlight has a blue hue, then an even bluer blue is better.
There are the trend setters, and the pretenders.
Lets take two CL's. The first has lot of performance parts. Perhaps an AMG model. Large brakes, super light wheels and low profile tires sized correctly, a real performance exhaust system, and zero or conservative badging. A car like Adam Winer's for example.
The second is slammed, has big chrome wheels, perhaps a TV or two inside, a few heavy subwoofers, a few extra lights here and there, but no real performance parts.
Which "looks" good, depends on who you are asking. If you are asking P.Diddy, Tyra Banks, or a backstreet boy, they will probably say the second car looks the best.
If you ask someone like Hartmut Feyhl, or Csaba Csere, they will tell you the first looks great and the second looks.... horrific.
Nothing against either group, it is simply different tastes.
My personal tastes, run with the first car, not the second. To me if it does not enhance the performance of the car, it does not belong. When I see a car that has Renntech, Brabus, or Kleemann parts, but is conservative in its badging, it just tells me the owner is more interested in going fast than looking fast. When I see parts that detract from performance, it tells me that the owner really doesn't know what he is doing. If its on an expensive car, then it tells me he has lots of money but little knowledge.
To answer your questions, I like the wheel's design... it even reminds me a little of the Brabus wheels. If its chrome plated, I have written a few threads on the drawbacks of weight and chrome flashing applied to road wheels. But besides this, I do not think it is a good wheel. I do not think the quality is there, not for what it costs, and I think it will decrease the performance of your car.
As for lowering it, you can do it manualy, or electronicaly. They acheieve the same goal. One costs a lot less, but does not override the car's automatic lowering on speed. The electronic units will not allow it to go lower than low and cause possible damage. The kleemann is the best at $2100 now, the Carlsson and Brabus are about $1600, and the mechanical ones can be had for about $450. The stock dash button in your car can raise the car 1". So if you lower 1", you can go back to stock with the "high" setting. If you lower more, you will never get back to stock. With the mechanical units, or the "washer" system, be very careful of variances. Home Depot washers are not built to tight tolerances. Measure, make sure they are the same. Do not lower the cars front and rear varying amounts or you will have serious problems. Suspension geometry, alignment settings, weight distribution, will all be affected severely with the most minor changes.
When I see a CL changed from stock, it tells me one of two things. Either
A) the owner is an enthusiast and is interested in making the car faster by modifying it, or
B) the owner is interested in getting more looks from others by making his car "look" faster.
You say you are going for looks, not performance. The truth is that most of the items like big wheels, low profile tires, lowered suspensions, larger exhausts and aerodynamic parts come FROM performance. They come from the enthusiasts, the road racers, manufacturers like Ferrari or Porsche.
It is this image that others that do not know try to copy, and in their lack of knowledge they go overboard. They think if an 18" wheel is better than a 16", then a 21 must be better than an 18. They think that if a larger exhaust pipe outlet is better than a small one, then a 6" must be better than a 3". They think that if its better when a car is lowered an inch or two, then 3 to 4 is even better. They think if an HID headlight has a blue hue, then an even bluer blue is better.
There are the trend setters, and the pretenders.
Lets take two CL's. The first has lot of performance parts. Perhaps an AMG model. Large brakes, super light wheels and low profile tires sized correctly, a real performance exhaust system, and zero or conservative badging. A car like Adam Winer's for example.
The second is slammed, has big chrome wheels, perhaps a TV or two inside, a few heavy subwoofers, a few extra lights here and there, but no real performance parts.
Which "looks" good, depends on who you are asking. If you are asking P.Diddy, Tyra Banks, or a backstreet boy, they will probably say the second car looks the best.
If you ask someone like Hartmut Feyhl, or Csaba Csere, they will tell you the first looks great and the second looks.... horrific.
Nothing against either group, it is simply different tastes.
My personal tastes, run with the first car, not the second. To me if it does not enhance the performance of the car, it does not belong. When I see a car that has Renntech, Brabus, or Kleemann parts, but is conservative in its badging, it just tells me the owner is more interested in going fast than looking fast. When I see parts that detract from performance, it tells me that the owner really doesn't know what he is doing. If its on an expensive car, then it tells me he has lots of money but little knowledge.
To answer your questions, I like the wheel's design... it even reminds me a little of the Brabus wheels. If its chrome plated, I have written a few threads on the drawbacks of weight and chrome flashing applied to road wheels. But besides this, I do not think it is a good wheel. I do not think the quality is there, not for what it costs, and I think it will decrease the performance of your car.
As for lowering it, you can do it manualy, or electronicaly. They acheieve the same goal. One costs a lot less, but does not override the car's automatic lowering on speed. The electronic units will not allow it to go lower than low and cause possible damage. The kleemann is the best at $2100 now, the Carlsson and Brabus are about $1600, and the mechanical ones can be had for about $450. The stock dash button in your car can raise the car 1". So if you lower 1", you can go back to stock with the "high" setting. If you lower more, you will never get back to stock. With the mechanical units, or the "washer" system, be very careful of variances. Home Depot washers are not built to tight tolerances. Measure, make sure they are the same. Do not lower the cars front and rear varying amounts or you will have serious problems. Suspension geometry, alignment settings, weight distribution, will all be affected severely with the most minor changes.
Last edited by AMG2GO; 04-09-2005 at 03:56 PM.
04-09-2005, 04:21 PM
#3
AMG2GO, First and foremost thanks for your input on the lower part. But bro..if I want a car to go fast I wouldn't be buying this CL. I have been through 9 cars already..and most of them I went for power and probably understand the concept more than you... and use them for racing. Bigger wheel, low profile, etc.. are not property of power and performance, if you want performance and power I suggest smaller wheel, or prehaps use habcaps. =) Luxury car like this CL to me is made for looks and luxury. Why waste all the money trying to make it fast where today import car comes with big horses (HP) stock that can outrun most of these expensive "luxury" car. Anyways...coming back to the rims, do you actually knows about Asanti from experience are they bad...I don't want to spend 4-5K on it if is bad..rather spend it on HRE then.
04-09-2005, 04:54 PM
#4
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05 g35 & 04 cl 500
Asanti is made by Lexani wheels. When I purchased the Asanti wheels they were the same price as a set of HRE 841, the guy at the wheel shop had them on his Porsche said the bent whenever he hit a bump. He also told me that HRE will not warranty the lip of the rim. I like HRE's and I like the Asanti wheels as well so I guess it is a matter of experience. For me when someone who sells wheels for a living tells me they do not warranty the lip of the wheels thta cost as much as they do I decided to go with Asanti.
04-09-2005, 05:22 PM
#5
LEGGS, SO SHOULD I GO WITH 19'S THEN..HAVE YOU HAD PROBLEM WITH YOURS YET..THAT SOUND PRETTY SCARY IF IT BENDS EVERYTIME HE HIT BUMP. I want 4" lip on the back and 2" in the front...is that possible combination if I go with 20". Is your ride lowered as well. Thanks
04-09-2005, 06:15 PM
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Things to consider when buying aftermarket wheels (in proper order):
1) The company/manufacturer's experience in determining proper offset and correct load rating for the vehicle. But off-brand (non-Mercedes specific) wheel companies will ultimately have the correct fitment numbers - at the expense and headaches of its first few customers.
PM me and I can refer contact numbers of one person for GFG and another for Asanti that can tell you (through their actual experience from buying these wheel brands) what I mean.
2) The tire's proper load rating.
LOWERING THE ABC
No experience with Kleemann or Brabus but had experience and great results with Carlsson in my old CL500.
1) The company/manufacturer's experience in determining proper offset and correct load rating for the vehicle. But off-brand (non-Mercedes specific) wheel companies will ultimately have the correct fitment numbers - at the expense and headaches of its first few customers.
PM me and I can refer contact numbers of one person for GFG and another for Asanti that can tell you (through their actual experience from buying these wheel brands) what I mean.
2) The tire's proper load rating.
LOWERING THE ABC
No experience with Kleemann or Brabus but had experience and great results with Carlsson in my old CL500.
04-09-2005, 08:38 PM
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I think you misunderstood my point, I am not saying go make it fast.
My point is, that what actually LOOKS GOOD, as a trend, originaly has its roots in motorsport. That's where these fashion trends evolve from. If the trend is to have wheels with rivets, it originated because of the need for multi-piece wheels (just as an example). If the trend is to have a large wheel, it originated because of the need for large brake calipers and lower profile tires.
If you put something on your car that makes it perform worse, to anyone knowledgable it just looks silly.
You will have bent rims often in a 20". You will have almost no sidewall on the tire. The ride will be horrible. The car will go out of alignment often. The shock of the entire bump will be transmitted directly to the car. More significant structural damage will happen to your car and its suspension over time. I can almost guarantee that. 19" is the limit of what I would go for on a CL. And it needs to be a light strong wheel in that size.
As for Asanti and Lexani, they are a relatively new company. They provide almost nothing as far as detailed wheel specifications (probably for a reason), and from what I know, there is not much that is forged, the wheels are not tempered, or x-rayed. Their wheels are heavy. I don't know what part of the wheel is quality....
Please understand I just try to provide facts. Thats all. Its your car and your style. I am not trying to be negative about your choice.
My point is, that what actually LOOKS GOOD, as a trend, originaly has its roots in motorsport. That's where these fashion trends evolve from. If the trend is to have wheels with rivets, it originated because of the need for multi-piece wheels (just as an example). If the trend is to have a large wheel, it originated because of the need for large brake calipers and lower profile tires.
If you put something on your car that makes it perform worse, to anyone knowledgable it just looks silly.
You will have bent rims often in a 20". You will have almost no sidewall on the tire. The ride will be horrible. The car will go out of alignment often. The shock of the entire bump will be transmitted directly to the car. More significant structural damage will happen to your car and its suspension over time. I can almost guarantee that. 19" is the limit of what I would go for on a CL. And it needs to be a light strong wheel in that size.
As for Asanti and Lexani, they are a relatively new company. They provide almost nothing as far as detailed wheel specifications (probably for a reason), and from what I know, there is not much that is forged, the wheels are not tempered, or x-rayed. Their wheels are heavy. I don't know what part of the wheel is quality....
Please understand I just try to provide facts. Thats all. Its your car and your style. I am not trying to be negative about your choice.
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04-10-2005, 01:00 AM
#8
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Whatever keys I grab first...
My Lexanis are good. Never bent, had them for almost a year now. I think there pretty good. Just backing Lexani here. My opinion.
04-15-2005, 02:34 PM
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apdesign, try Lucent near Santa Monica. Olympic and Sepulveda to be exact. They are good for what they do and co-owner was CEC head-mechanic. Nice ppl IMO. I went with them with my Porsche stuff.
Good looking car by the way and I totally agree with you. CL is a good-looking car...but not a sport car by any means.
Good looking car by the way and I totally agree with you. CL is a good-looking car...but not a sport car by any means.
04-15-2005, 02:59 PM
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AMG GTS
I just took off 20's because of them getting bent..Not enough tire for a 4700lb car..I went back with the 10 spoke AMG factory wheel..Rides WAY better,but damn it doesn't look as good..Would not go back to 20's though..
