deniska

I plan to drive my CL63 this winter, I purchased 19" AMG wheels from a CL550 sport package on ebay. I plan to mount winter tires on these rims. Can someone tell me if this rim will clear my breaks? and what's the recommended tire company and size I can run. Cant find 245-40-19,275-40-19 on tirerack anymore? I think they are all sold out. Please don't tell me that Im crazy for driving my car in the snow

grane

I would see if the Hancook (sp?) tires are available in your size. I use them in NH and ME and with suspension set up for winter driving ( vary per condition) they are unstoppable. I drove thru an icestorm on Valentines day last year at 45 mph on a major highway and all the SUVs and Accords were ending up in ditches. I didn't slip once. I love the fact that this 500 hp RWD just kept on going with no sweat and I saw the Range Rovers slipping and sliding.

Hankooks are a very popular tire in Europe as a winter tire. Snow is easy - ice is the real nemesis of most "winter" tires. I also like the Toyos.

ieb

CL63 has enormus grip that you can't believe. I live in the Boston area and I intend to drive mine on all days but storm days and maybe the day after. For that, I have a Saab 95 Aero wagon. You can rent an econo something for the winter months that would probably cost less that new wheels and tires and use that for bad weather days.

Last year I drove a CL550 with absolutely no problems and before that a 645 using the same approach.

Just don't turn off the ESP!

.

ieb

Also, the Saab Aero is an excellent car to use when visiting business accoicates. It shows that you have a sporty nature but not extravagant.

kimt

Hi Deniska,


My CL 63 AMG will be delivered very soon now with the 20" rims like the ones in the 030 package. However, for the winter season, I ordered 19" AMG wheels. From AMG I got the following answer:

QOUTE:
thank you for your inquiry and for being our customer. It is a marvellous car, the CL63 AMG you choose!
To your question:

The winter tires, which are recommended, are:
· Pirelli W240 Sottozero MO (255/40 R19 100V XL M+S)
V-max: 240km/h
DaimlerChrysler Part number: Q 440 0517 1030
The alloy wheel that you should have is: 8,5 X 19 ET 43 (AMG-wheel).
· "Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D" is in preparation.

UNQOUTE.


They recommend 4 identical tires for winter conditions as opposed to different sizes (255 front vs 275 rear) for the rest of the year.

WSH

Good to hear CL63 does well in winter driving, w/winter tires/wheels....

Earlier in career lived in Manhattan and would do my intra-Manhattan commutes via then-new CL55....and would use summer tires (would get new cars every 6mos, so presumed newish summer tires would work in winter on flat, slow Manhattan roads)....had no probs....but suspect today's perf tires offer poor trac at <<45F, even in dry conds....and new AMGs are much more tq-rich than early in decade....

IMO, would drive only new CL in winter use....crashes are often more likely in inclement weather...would rather have new CL as protection than any econobox/SUV/lesser/older vehicle w/dubious safety strucs/systems....cars are disposable/insured/leased anyway...one's health much less so.....

MBZFAN55

Recently installed 19" staggered 255 front and 275 rear Yoko Advan S4, more for the "cold weather compound" than the snow traction ability. OE Ultra Perf tires are too hard during winter months but these seem just fine with poor weather traction being nicely improved. I wouldn't take the CL63 out if it were snowing (or anticipated) but it's comforting to have these "all season" tires in the event I get caught, unexpectedly. Tire Rack while supplying the tires, seemed out of the loop with any 19" info either on tires or wheels. I "manually" matched a set of AMG wheels and the Yokos, added the TPMS sensors and everything fit well.

deniska

Does that mean I can use the 19" CL550 AMG Sport wheels on my 63? They are 8.5 front and 9.5 rear. Tirerack reps told me I should try to see if they clear my breaks. I assume they would since this wheels is an option in europe for our cars.

deniska

Do you know if I can run this tire on 8.5 front rim and 9.5 rear rim. Those are the specs for the wheels that I plan to use. From my understanding they should work.

MBZFAN55

Before mounting any tires on the wheels you bought on Ebay, you need to try the wheel on the CL and physically verify that the wheel will clear the brake caliper, etc., particularly the front. The wheels I used are 19 X 8.5 and 9.5 with an offset of 43 mm front and rear. This is not a matter for "assuming".

WSH

Wouldn't any competent MB dealer in regions needing winter wheels/tires be able to recommend what factory believes are most suitable choices vs brakes/ABC, etc????? Don't they allegedly drive these cars many K miles in Podunk EU tundra terrain to figure these basics out????

If not, pathetic R&D/customer svc on part of MB.....these are daily-useable cars....need easy access to replacement tires/wheels if have flat/damaged wheel.....and want to be able to drive CL63 safely w/approp winter tires/wheels 5mos/yr in much of ex-CA US.....w/o DIY guessing games w/"experts"@HomeDepot/TireRack/Amazon, etc.....

James Nevin

Greetings from the snowy north in Canada.

I have equippped my CL63 with 19" rims as recommended by Tire Rack as well as 255/40/19 -Blizzak LM22's-

These are the "european car" Blizzaks with sand in the tread instead of the micro bubbles--I have used them on BMW and Mercedes in various sizes over the last 5 years and they are a fantastic tire.

Tire Rack was unsure back when I ordered from them last August as to rim clearances as they had not had an opportunity to research the CL63 so I took the chance--and thankfully ,I won.

I purchased the Sport Edition ST4's(look like OEM on the SL65) -I also had them in silver on my 07 SL 55 and was pleased with the rims-changing this time to the graphite colour to emulate the color at least of my 030 forged.

I ordered 8.5 for the front and 9.5 rear---offset 44 front 46 rear--clearances are more than enough-have been through 2 rough storms in Ontario and Quebec thus far and the car runs flawlessly in the white stuff.

I did not order the sensors and found it is easy to defeat the tire pressure sensors for the winter with your steering wheel controls if you do not want the extra expense--no warning bells going off all the time.

JP

08 CL63--Germanic Grey
07 ML63--Iridium Silver

deniska

Can you elaborate more on this. Can you disable and enable the TPS system via the on board system, without going to the dealer?

grane

My MB dealer refused to mount this tire due to the speed rating. Anyone else has this hassle?

James Nevin

I have had no difficulty in Canada either at BMW or Mercedes with Blizzak install by the dealer--a couple of times they tried to sell me their more pricey products -rims and wheels--

Last year when I supplied them with US purchased all season for my wife's ML63 , they put them on but warned me they weren't all season--I suggested they read the fine print on the sidewall(I was too late for winter tire availability but now have Dunlop winters on the ML)

I don't know where you do your driving especially with winter tires but IMHO high speed rating demands by the dealer when one should be driving sanely seems very self serving for their own products. This year I mounted the winter tires and rims myself.

Heck in Ontario ,Canada ,under our new speed/racing laws --they confiscate your car for 7 days and a minimum $2,000 fine if you are caught at speed more than 30 mph (50 kilometers) over the posted limit!

So much for needing high speed rated tires.

JP:

James Nevin

In answer to above query on the sensors--scroll with the left control on the wheel over to the reset section in--(if I remember -I am away from home ) the systems section which is far right after you pass Tel and AMG--it normally doesn't display unless you scroll to the right) didn't need the manual.

On the ML didn't need to do anything--Its a different system that monitors rotation dementions I believe--same up here for SL and CLS 07-06

JP

grane

have too much time on their hands protecting us from ourselves. We're paying our own jailers! Laws should have an expiration date!

Last year MBUSA refused to tell me or the service manager the correct offset for my car. They told me to purchase wheels from the dealer and I wouldn't have any problems. So I went in the sales room and found a wheel catalog that had the corrrect measurements and gave it to the service department.

I shopped for wheels and tires elsewhere, as you did.

Ad nauseum...

Grane

WSH

US has more affluent plaintiffs' lawyers than anywhere else on planet.....managing personal liability risks is part of why many CL63 drivers will always lease cars; trade-in cars at a dealer; and always assume, if any accident occurs, as driver of $150K+ car one will be target of litigation, no matter fault....so may want to carefully drive an appropriately equipped/maintained car; have ample liability insurance; and smart lawyers to defend as needed......

As much as one can ridicule US litigation environment, suspect that same legal environment also creates rather consumer-favorable lemon laws/warranties and forces mfrs to be more safety-conscious b/c of threat of litigation.....and given US mkt has world's cheapest cars/car leases, clearly our litig costs are trivialized by the competitive dynamics of being world's most powerful mkt for $150K+ cars.....

If lived in US region needing winter tires/wheels, would be cautious driving any $150K+ car w/"experimental" winter tires/wheels set-up.....not easily defendable in event of collision/litigation.....defenses of ignorance/too cheap to get factory-rec'd set-up/reckless behavior vs fellow motorists????....easy shake-down for any half-decent personal injury lawyer....and poss wiggle room for one's own insurance co......

Still curious if MB dealers/MBUSA actually have a winter tire/wheel set-up they recommend (at whatever cost)....or if they remain quiet on topic as they have no winter set-up which they feel comfortable recommending.....and/or want to avoid inevitable litigation risk if a CL63 is involved in wintertime collision while fitted w/their rec'd tires/wheels.....

grane

Which winter tires are "experimental?"

I like tort attorneys, they have their place.

Right now I am involved in a diminished value claim against a major insurance co. whose assurred rear ended me. The CL55 overall value was diminished at the time of the accident by $10k over comparable unrepaired vehicles, so under tort law I am looking to collect. (If you read your own policy your own co. will not pay a claim - it is excluded.)

We are also going for attorney's fees based on the frivolous and callous way the Ins co. dismissed my claims.

Grane

grane

My 265/40/18 Bstone 050 stock rears wore out after <10k miles so I'll probably go with the Advan S4s in the spring.

Grane

MBZFAN55

I am very friendly with several MB dealers and none were able to obtain any information concerning "all season" or ""winter" tires and wheel packages. This is despite the MB owners manual specifically warning against driving the OE tires at temperatures below 35f degrees. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, even Tire Rack is hesitant to offer any wheels or tires for the CL63 other than the "standard equipment" 20" UHP tires. I did try !

Regarding our litigious society, we are certainly all vulnerable, and as usual the suits will follow to the deepest pockets. Nonetheless, I am sure any "experimental' tire package would pale in comparison to the deposition regarding the 518 horsepower CL63, especially with a "jury of peers", comprised of Honda hybrid owners. As you said earlier, a S63 maybe a safer vehicle because of the added size (8"), but I don't think you are giving up your CL for that reason.

deniska

19" AMG Sport wheels from CL550/S550 - 255/40/19 Bridge Blizzak LM-22 Snow tires all around w/ tpm sensors.

grane

and safe!

Similar setup to what I have on my CL55. Just watch for the wackos in the Range Rovers passing you on icy roads and then swapping ends down the road.