MPE430

I have the option to get a set of Blizzaks for next winter off my friend's car. The tire size is 234-45 17. Does anyone know if this tire size will fit on a 2006 E500?

paulv

On -03-05 E500's with 17" wheels, the tire size is 245/45 R 17 95 H (M+S, if needed). Don't know if that changed for '06.

Regards,
Paul..

lkchris

Yes, this is one size smaller than normal, but that's often a good thing as regards snow traction.

Owner's manual provides required specifications. Hard to see a good reason for ignoring them.

rrrruBENZ///E55

I am going to assume you meant 235/45/17. In which case, they will fit. What is most important here is to maintain a wheel diameter within +or- 3% of stock. In this case, a stock 245/45/17 produces a wheel diameter of 25.68. A 235/45/17 produces a diameter of 25.32. A bit short, but nonetheless, within the + or - 3% difference...- 1.41% to be exact or speedo reads 60.8 mph at actual 60 mph. One last note: dependant on the brand of tire, you may have a slightly protruding rim lip.

slee

if i am going onto 18" ... would 245/45/18 be ok ? Or I need to go 245/40/18 ?

Thanks in advance ...

khaug

MB recommends the 245/40 size. This maintains the standard tire/wheel diameter the car is calibrated to. A 245/45 tire would be "taller" (i.e., greater in diameter and circumference), which would slightly reduce performance and introduce some speedometer/odometer error.

Given all the functions that depend on wheel speed (ABS, traction and stability controls, etc.) I'd be very uneasy about deviating from the standard size.

slee

khaug, thanks for the advice. I thought the 245/50 would be a little firm esp on poor road surfaces and wonder if upping it to 45 will make a difference.



You reckon the brands of tires would make a difference ?

rrrruBENZ///E55

I agree with khaug. A 245/45/18 would be significantly taller. If your goal is to apply a taller section height (re:x/45/x), then I would recommend a 17 X8:245/45/17 . This would produce a wheel diameter near perfect to stock (- 0.11% difference).

slee

Guys, sorry i mean to say 245/40/18 wld be too hard and does not take poor road surface very well ...

Yeah wld have gone for 245/45/17 but a friend is passing on his 18" to me !

So it seems I need to stick to 245/40/18 tyres.

Thanks for the advice.

Richard / E320

Here's a link to a cool tire calculator; you can compare the stock/original size to whatever you want to change over to-


http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos

khaug

When I went from the 225/55x16 standard Michelin MXV4 "energy" tires to the 245/40x18s I was anticipating a harshening of the ride. Surprise - the ride is actually BETTER under most conditions!!! So yes, I believe the individual tire you fit will have a major effect on ride quality.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires I've gone to have a major reputation for having soft sidewalls, and I think that's probably correct. The flip side of that is apparently that the OE Michelins had a VERY stiff sidewall for reduced rolling resistance. Unfortunately, I've seen a ~ 6% drop in miles per gallon since changing to the 18" tires, which isn't due to difference in circumference, which I measured as ony 1/4" difference between the OE Michelins and the Goodyears.

If you haven't done so already, I'd suggest you go to www.tirerack.com There's a wealth of information there, from many user reviews to all kinds of tech info about tires & cars.

Good luck.

rrrruBENZ///E55

Just a thought. But, could the drop in MPG be due to additional wheel weight?

khaug

Good thought, but the new wheel/tire combination weighs 47 lbs as opposed to 49 lbs for the oems. The forged BBS wheels are pretty light.

slee

Khaug, thanks for update.

Yup heard alot of the F1-GSD3 tires and would be trying that out. Another friend who is on Falken St-115 18" has good reviews abt the Falkens.

Anyway, will fit those 18" and see what happens ...

rrrruBENZ///E55

I had F1-GSD3 on my '03 Mustang Mach 1 which I recently sold. The absolute best tire for a high performance Mustang. Coincidentally, I currently have Falken St-115 on my '97 Towncar daily driver. Again, a great choice for a 4,000+ lb cruiser. For my E55, once the Pirelli's wear down, I am going with Goodyear F1-GSD3.

slee

rrrruBENZ, thanks for the tip .... hmmm, at least now there's a choice.

Initially a little hesitant abt the ST-115 as I heard they are fairly soft sidewalls and tend not to suit the heavier Conti cars. Wear out pretty fast too.

Any experience of that ?

I used to have the CSC2 and Falkens-512 on 17" ris for my Volvo S60T5 ... they were pretty good.

rrrruBENZ///E55

My SST-115's currently have just a little over 10K miles on them, and are at about 85+%. Satisfactory thus far. They a handle beautifully in the corners, and I always look forward to big puddles. They cut right through them. Absolutely no hydroplaning.

Bob C.

Dear W211 Friends,

MBZ recommends only 245/45-17 for winter tires for our E500 4M wagon. I'd like to use a narrower, taller tire mounted on a separate set of OEM 17 inch rims (8 inch wheels).

The best tire for my winter application is Nokian WR (or WRg2), which does not come in 245/45-17, but is available in 225/50-17. The load factor for this size is 98 (1,653 lbs per tire). This size is speced for wheels between 6.5" and 8", so they appear to fit the top range for the OEM wheel.

The tire calculator shows this size to be quite close to MBZ recommended size(overall diameter only 0.18 inches larger).

Should the 225/50-17 be okay? Why do you think MBZ does not specify a narrower, taller tire for winter?

Thanks for your insight.

Regards,
Bob

Bob C.

Bump...

Dear W211 Friends,

MBZ recommends only 245/45-17 for winter tires for our E500 4M wagon. I'd like to use a narrower, taller tire mounted on a separate set of OEM 17 inch rims (8 inch wheels).

The best tire for my winter application is Nokian WR (or WRg2), which does not come in 245/45-17, but is available in 225/50-17. The load factor for this size is 98 (1,653 lbs per tire). This size is speced for wheels between 6.5" and 8", so they appear to fit the top range for the OEM wheel.

The tire calculator shows this size to be quite close to MBZ recommended size(overall diameter only 0.18 inches larger).

Should the 225/50-17 be okay? Why do you think MBZ does not specify a narrower, taller tire for winter?

Thanks for your insight.

Regards,
Bob