Tbbt CLS

I have only used the standard sizes you mentioned above. On other cars I've used what's called +1 sizing without problems. Our roads here in CO are pretty good for the most part. Your profile doesn't say where you live. Do you have 4Matic? If so, the tires must be almost the same circumference to prevent damage to your AWD system. I use Discount Tire here and they will help you determine if you can go over the standard size to +1 sizing. 18" wheels definitely give you a higher profile tire than 19" wheels. When I need new tires, I will attempt to go to +1 sizing. Have you looked on TireRack.com, they have a lot of help in tire sizing. Good Luck, Marv

2014CL600

I just changed my OEM Michelin tires with OEM Michelin MO Pilot Sport from Tire Rack. The car is quiet, smooth and feels like new again. 42k miles now

FLW218

Fast forward 18 months and 22,000 miles. Front Pilot Sport AS 3+'s wearing well with 7/32 left. Rear tires are ready to replace within 3,000 miles. Not really happy with the tire handling but I am at a loss of which tire to try next.

Was told by the indy tire guy that Michelin replaced the model with the Pilot Sport AS4. Cost is $70 per tire more. Found the AS 3+'s online for $250 a piece but they are 94Y rated instead of the 98Y rated. Not sure if the difference in weight rating will affect the handling since I am only replacing the rears?

Tirerack suggested the new Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Plus. Had these tires on another car and they got real hard and noisy after 10,000 miles. He told me the Plus has a new compound that solved this issue. Not sure whether to believe it.

citizensane

I'm back! another 20K set of tires to replace--this time Bridgestones. These cars with their staggered wheel fitment are just murder on tires--I've had this car for 40K miles and this will be my THIRD set of tires. I now just accept it--bur the road noise I'm getting out of these Bridgestones is every bit as bad now as I got from my previous Conti--and Micheln pilot sport sets---
Rather than just put up with it--been on Tire Rack this morning doing some research--have decided to just go with the cheapest set I can find---looks like that is the Kuhmo-Majesty 9 Solus TA91

​​​​​​https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...RatingsReviews

with the master card paid card--looks like $590 for a 4 tire set. They get great buyer reviews (if those are legit)

Anyone have any negatives on these Kuhmo tires?
thanks!

shortspark

A week ago I installed a set of Yokohama Advan Sport A/S on my 2017 CLS 550. Too early to tell about wear and performance but although I have only had summer tires previously on this car, I have no problem with the way the Yokohamas' handle and ride and they are fairly quite. So far so good. It should be noted that these tires are known for outstanding wear characteristics but the 50,000 mile warranty does not apply to the CLS. Any car with staggered tires cuts the warranty in half. I keep the air pressure at 37lb.

citizensane

I just checked my records--I have 13K miles on these Bridgestones--unbelievable (terrible)---the only good news is I'm retired and don't drive nearly as much as I used to (or I'd have to get rid of this car).--put these on in Dec 2019 and here it is 18 months and 13.5K miles later and the road noise is terrible--I'm sure they're cupped.
So this means failures on Micheln Conti and now Bridgestone--with the Bridgestones being the worst yet
At the point of just buying the cheapest decent tires I can find and resolving to pay up every year and a half
This will be the last staggered wheel set up I'll ever buy for sure

citizensane

I got an education from my indy mechanic guy on this tire wear on.CLS 550--4 matics. I had him look at my tires and he declared that the fronts were good but it was the backs that were terribly cupped (and producing the horrendous road noise)!
He tells me that MB--specs the rear camber at a minus value and that this WILL CAUSE TIRE CUPPING (on the inside) and premature tire wear/road noise. My 13K miles on these appears to be just slightly below average
He told me to go to the stealer and ask for a new 4 wheel alignment and to adjust to a PLUS 2 degree value on that setting (rear camber)--he tells me this would have corrected most of the rear tire problems on this model--Easy--right?
WRONG!
I set up an apt for 7AM this morning at a local MB stealer shop--based on their promised "special" 4 wheel alignment at $119.00 (vs normal $199)--
NOPE
drive the 18 miles to get there and the svc mgr tells me that OOOPS--he has to charge me an extra $80 to align the car outside of MB specs (despite my explaining all of this to me in a phone call yesterday
So I got up at 6 to get there on time--and I want it done so I shrug and say okay
PROBLEM!
he comes to the wait room and tells me that his tech can't do it without I providing parts--he tells me about another customer who bought the parts from RennTech ($1200 worth!) and provided them to MB to get this done
BUT--it did solve this rear tire wear problem and that that customer now has over 30K mile on his rear tires
CAN ANYONE SHED ANY LIGHT ON THIS?????

FLW218

My mechanic, a good friend and former service manager for one of the top MB dealerships in the US told me that my 2014 CLS is not adjustable for camber. He said that MB value engineered the rear suspension and that if you want to adjust the camber to "stand up the rear wheels" to reduce inside tire wear, you need an aftermarket camber kit. As I understand it and I could be off, all that can be currently adjusted on the stock suspension is front and rear toe adjustment but no tire contact angle. As I stated in my previous post, I am looking at KMAC based on a recommendation. I like Renntech too. Good company. Can't comment on pricing yet though.

FLW218

My son used to work for Bridgestone/Firestone up until 3 months ago as a technician. He saw every conceivable tire brand/car combination. When I was looking at Kuhmo's for my Nissan SUV, he advised me strongly against them. Said he saw lots of them come in on BMWs and MBs (xtra load vehicles) with sidewall failures which destroyed the rims.

K-Mac

Yes certainly can !

It is new car industry’s best kept secret....

The often quoted, re assuring “Full Front & Rear 4 Wheel Alignment” is in fact only “Toe” - directional adjustment.

No “Camber” or “Caster” OEM necessary to resolve once and for all costly, premature, edge tire wear.


“Camber” allows to spread load more evenly by ability to adjust tire contact angles / wheel squat.


Excessive edge load can also lead to ruptured side walls and rim damage.


“Caster” compensates for Camber change and correctly resolves steering pull.


Fixing it right the 1st. Time. No more ongoing trips to dealers or alignment shops or constantly changing tire brands.


Lack of adjustment is all to do with cost savings and the ever increasing speed of auto assembly lines.

FRONT Camber & Caster kit #502916K $480 BOTH SIDES
FRONT “Camber only kit” #502916-1G $295 BOTH SIDES
(less then cost of 1 hi performance tire)
REAR Camber (& Extra Toe) kit #502226K $480 BOTH SIDES

Providing the biggest, quickest and strongest adjustment systems. Unique patented design also allows precise, single wrench adjustment. Accurately (under load) direct on alignment rack.

All kits come with bush extraction tools.

Worldwide delivery $40 one kit, $60 Front and Rear.
See Web / Catalog re complete Mercedes range.

citizensane

This is exactly what I learned today from an alignment tech that I was referred to just down the street from my Indy guru guy. He did say that looking at my rear end--the tow was seriously off and that he thought that was a major part of my problem/s--so I'm taking it in to him next week for the 4 wheel alignment and then I'll just replace the rears only with the same Bridgestone Potenza'-s. I intend to be out of this car next year anyway--once the used car markets calm down---not into any serious investments on this one as it has 72K miles and I've driven it since 2017 plus its 7 years old now

TechSuperstar

Just bought another set of rear ContiExtreme's because of excessive rear cupping. Here is a couple of my own thoughts:

1: In every thread I look this is mainly due to the amount of positive toe in the rear. I asked my dealership to reduce it but they wouldn't and told me the cupping was from a bent rim.. bull! My rims are fine and balanced with very little weight on them. I may also try to get an indy shop to do it.
2: Seems to me many of the complains of rear cupping is coming from folks with AirMatic. Since bad shocks can cause cupping, I wonder if driving in the spongy comfort mode or raised mode would contribute to cupping more than driving in sport mode (more dampening)
3: Finally, I happened to notice the dealership raised the suspension to the raised mode for the alignment.. Would the alignment numbers differ if it was done with it lowered into sport mode (something like a 1.5" difference)?

citizensane

It's just part of this model. The car is engineered this way and it's expensive to change it. A big factor I learned is the staggered wheel set up as well. Apparently rear wheel cupping is inherent with that set up--maybe the 4 wheel drive is the culprit--not sure--but how many of these cars aren't 4-Matics?

Toxicant

I have a 2014 that now has 22k miles on it. The insides of the rears are cupped and noisy, it has 18's on it.

I want to go to a square setup using 19"s

Does anyone have some advice or first hand knowledge on offsets? I would like to keep somewhat close to the 34.5 all around but that is impossible to find.

Anyone out there have some advice on what's working for offset for the front other than 34.5.

Thanks.