diffuzi0n

I was thinking getting some better rims than the ones that come on E320 99. However, I went to my friends 330 bmw before he put his 19" rims and after wards, and the quality of the ride has reduced drastically because of his low profile tires. I felt as if I were riding in an expensive civic. I don't want the same effect on my benz. What is the size of the rim that i should be looking at so that luxury of my ride isn't lost?

E43

Although a 19in wheel will look really good, it will adversely affect your ride because there is much less sidewall on the tire to absorb bumps. A better compromise between looks and ride would be 18in. You could further enhance the looks of the car by lowering it on top of the 18s.

diffuzi0n

However, if i do lower my ride then it is same as having 19" rims because as soon as the ride is lowered the car is more bumpy. So is it same as having 18" lowered as 19" without lowering?

ruffrob

I guess it's up to the individual,I have 18's on my car,and the guy above is right ,the ride has changed dramatically. Now I would go as far as saying I'm riding in an expensive Civic,but suffice to say, Watch Those Craters.....

Whitey

18" or 19", if its not lowered, it'll still look a bit weird. No, the ride quality will vary with different lowering springs - my lowered E with 19" wheels still feel more comfortable yet out handles most stock cars. I used to think like the above posts which may be considered generalizations but I've since proven to myself that there can be exceptions.

stemags

You can get a low look with 17's and still have a decent amount of comfort.As far as handling,thats when the tires come into play,E43 .Rob is rite about them potholes,and Dave is as usual on the money too,and it is individualized to the user.

Whitey

Agreed, to each their own and there is a price to pay with big rims....gotto watch those potholes (more in terms of damage prevention). Hey Steve I haven't said anything about your 17" (for a long time) and they look fine on stock height, any bigger needs to be complimented with lowering IMO

michakaveli

I love the ride after I got my 18's. Perfect compromise of ride quality and appearance.

It's all about the amount of sidewall available to let the tire flex and absorb road imperfections.

stemags

Your right Dave,,18's need lowering,,the space would look weird between tire and well. What do you do when you have a staggered set-up,when your using directional tires and its time to rotate them???

Whitey

Replace your tires To each their own as I said. It also depends on the wheel IMO. Some 18s look "ok" without lowering but obviously would look much better with some lowering.

Lowering does remove the wobbles at high speeds (inherent in our cars) - the performance/safety factor sure is worthwhile. Eibach springs preserves a lot of the comfort yet improves performance significantly with their design.....I definitely felt no comfort compromise going from stock rims to 18" on my Eibachs and yes, the tire design also has a lot to do with it. On my 19's, handling improved further but the ride remains very comfortable, but obviously you'll feel more of the changes in the road surface.

E55 KEV

If comfort is your number one priority don't go bigger than 17" with a 235/45/17 tire.

stemags

Doesnt that sound a little wasteful,,$$ wise Dave?We're not talking just the big ones in the rear afterall,,all 4 have to go.I guess you would have to compromise the performance of the directionals,,for something that could be switched to either side.

diffuzi0n

what kind of shocks do you have to go along with the springs? how much did the whole recongifugration cost you?

Whitey

Price of vanity.....

Whitey

I had my stock Advantgarde shocks (harder than the usual stock shocks available in the US) with the Eibachs for about a 1 1/2 years. Currently Bilstein "Sprint" with a longer travel especially for lowering springs ("Sport" I think they're called in the US) - not much difference between the two shocks. Sorry, as you would have noticed, I am not in the US so can't really give you a reference on the cost. I believe a number of other members have the same setup as me, so maybe they'll respond.

If you want a really slammed look, the H&R cupkit is apparently the way to go but I'm not sure about comfort on those as some say harsh, some say they're OK - I guess its what they're used to. As I said, all Eibach springs are especially designed with a balance of comfort & performance in mind but with less drop.

Air Marshall Eldritch

I was going to hold off commenting until the pics are ready, but that might be awhile. My taxi driver here in Greece lowered his W210 CDI and has 18" rims. It looks really nice, but more importantly, the ride is very very nice. I had thought this size would be punishing on less than smooth roads, but that isn't the case at all. And the 180km/hr bends feel like the car is on rails.
I cant imagine what he spends on tire replacement though.

E43

The price of a suspension setup:
H&R/Eibach Springs = around $250
Bilstein Sport Shocks = about $425
Spring Pads = $30 (this might be a little high)
Installation = a few hundred depending on where you go and if you do it all at the same time

The comfort issue also has a lot to do with the roads you are driving on. The roads here in Sarasota are mostly very smooth, and so I find my ride to be excellent except for large bumps or potholes. But then again, I appreciate a sporty ride over a cushy one.

diffuzi0n

Thanks guys. there is some really good info here. However, I am still a little uncertain since I live in the New York city which has potholes, bums, and uneven surfaces everywhere. I am also affraid that I will be scraping up the floor too. Do you guys think that it is not worth to upgrade my car into a sexy car?

BT320

If the roads are really that bad in NY, then I wouldn't recommend lowering the car and getting 19" rims. You might be able to get away with 18s and not lowering the car, but it's tough to say until you actually do it because there's no way to feel what the ride is going to be like until it's done. Kinda sucks but that's the way it plays out.

The roads in San Diego are fairly smooth so my ride is very comfortable (19s, lowered with Bilstein shocks and H&R springs), but to drive my car on pot-holed streets would probably jar the fillings out of my teeth. :P

E55 KEV

I found this quote from Rapper 'Method Man' in GQ mag June 2004 about his personalized 2003 Mercedes SL55 AMG:

"THE WHEELS - It's the first thing I got done. They're twenty-inch Lowenharts - but they're too big. You can't have twenty-inch rims in New York because of the potholes. That's why I always have a flat"

diffuzi0n

I am very impressed with this quote!! I like that the fact that you chose a rapper since, they love hooking up their cars. gooood job!!!

E55 KEV

I think the quote makes a big impact especially coming form a Rap Artist. It is a true testiment to the fact that there are many negative drawbacks to dubs, etc. and I bet that car is not even his daily driver. Oversized wheels are mainly for looks and show cars that are never driven unless you have the chedder to keep replacing them at a moments notice without cost being an object.

Also check this out: