CLS550 2WD or AWD tuned
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
CLS 550
CLS550 2WD or AWD tuned
Hello,
I'm in the market for a CLS550 and I'm torn between the drivetrain options. I prefer the RWD drivetrain today; however, I am concerned about traction and drivetrain power loss when I begin to tune the car. Rule of thumb is 15% drivetrain loss on RWD and 20-25% on AWD. I came across RENNtech that'll push 540HP & 705ft/lbs of torque. When pushing that much power on a 4,300lb CLS am I going to break the tires loose constantly with RWD? Any insight is appreciated.
I'm in the market for a CLS550 and I'm torn between the drivetrain options. I prefer the RWD drivetrain today; however, I am concerned about traction and drivetrain power loss when I begin to tune the car. Rule of thumb is 15% drivetrain loss on RWD and 20-25% on AWD. I came across RENNtech that'll push 540HP & 705ft/lbs of torque. When pushing that much power on a 4,300lb CLS am I going to break the tires loose constantly with RWD? Any insight is appreciated.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 369
Likes: 61
CLS63, S55
Yes traction is an issue on a tuned rwd biturbo but only with traction control off and stock tires. The nice thing about the cls is you can put really wide tires without any rubbing and that would help a lot. The real question is do you need awd for other tasks besides straight line, if not then you can probably get a much better price on a rwd version.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
CLS 550
Yes traction is an issue on a tuned rwd biturbo but only with traction control off and stock tires. The nice thing about the cls is you can put really wide tires without any rubbing and that would help a lot. The real question is do you need awd for other tasks besides straight line, if not then you can probably get a much better price on a rwd version.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 369
Likes: 61
CLS63, S55
I'm not sure about the non amg rwd, but on the cls63 tuned, you can easily spin through the first 2 gears on stock tires which are 285. One would think the wheel well is the same between amg and non amg but I could be wrong. Here is a great thread that will help you gauge some possible tire sizes that would work, goes all the way up too 335 which would completely solve any traction issues.
