Wheel Question
05-20-2006, 11:09 AM
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1997 E320
Wheel Question
I got my car with two sets of wheels the factory 15's and four 16's that look just like the factory wheels.
Here's what I found inside the 16's: Et 36 and 8J x 16H. so I think that means offset of 36 and 8 inches wide. correct me if I'm wrong.
The 16's have 225/50/ZR16 z rated tires on them and when I had them on the side of the tire that's kinda bulging out rubs the top of the fender in the back. So I've decided to go with 215/40/R16 Nexen N3000 wheels these are supposed to be excellent tires as far as traction and tread wear.
Also when I was taking off the 16's I noticed in the front that the rim was really close to the front strut maybe barely 1/2 inch of space between the rim and the strut. I never had rim rubbing the strut problem though.
I would greatly appreciate anyone that could shed some light on this for me as if the 16's will be fine on my car and also the tire size I'm going with for the 16's. Any input is appreciated.
When I had the 16's with z rated tires on the ride was so different. slightly more road noise but much better performance. the car felt faster. I'm thinking going with the tires mentioned above which are not z rated will quiet down the ride. going with factory 15's the ride simply feels like a mercedes again, but I really liked the look of the 16's on my car.
Here's what I found inside the 16's: Et 36 and 8J x 16H. so I think that means offset of 36 and 8 inches wide. correct me if I'm wrong.
The 16's have 225/50/ZR16 z rated tires on them and when I had them on the side of the tire that's kinda bulging out rubs the top of the fender in the back. So I've decided to go with 215/40/R16 Nexen N3000 wheels these are supposed to be excellent tires as far as traction and tread wear.
Also when I was taking off the 16's I noticed in the front that the rim was really close to the front strut maybe barely 1/2 inch of space between the rim and the strut. I never had rim rubbing the strut problem though.
I would greatly appreciate anyone that could shed some light on this for me as if the 16's will be fine on my car and also the tire size I'm going with for the 16's. Any input is appreciated.
When I had the 16's with z rated tires on the ride was so different. slightly more road noise but much better performance. the car felt faster. I'm thinking going with the tires mentioned above which are not z rated will quiet down the ride. going with factory 15's the ride simply feels like a mercedes again, but I really liked the look of the 16's on my car.
05-20-2006, 09:59 PM
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lots of cars
I've had 16s on my car and the handling was better than my 18s. 16x8 et36 sounds fine to me. I would go with a 215/50 tire because 40 is too low. You have to get a tire that is the same profile as the original wheels so you won't have problems with the speedometer. You will also run the risk of bending the wheels because they won't have the cushion a 50 series tire has. If they rub on the rear you can roll the fenders and that should be it. I have 18x8 et35 with 225/40 tires and i've done hard turns and no rubbing at all.
