EuroDriverSD

Looking for some quick advice here before I order a new set of tires, as I want to go with a different size than the stock specs.


I have an '08 E350 Sport. It comes with the staggered set of the split 10-spoke wheels (I believe they are 18X8.5 front & 18X9 rear). Stock sizes are 245/40/18 front & 265/35/18 rear.


I want to go with 245/45/18 front and either 275/40/18 or 265/40/18 rear.


The 245/45/18 front & 275/40/18 rear makes the fronts and rears identical in size. However, all but a couple of my local tire shops are willing to install anything but the original size. The couple shops that are willing to let me try have warned me that there's a high probability that the 245/45/18 fronts will hit the struts, and that the rears will rub with weight in the back.


Is this true? Has anyone run any of these sizes? If they do rub/hit, how bad is it - can you live with it?


I'm sure someone will ask the question - why? So I'll just get that out of the way. First, as many of you may or may not know, there have been a lot of issues with the wheels my car is equipped with. They are prone to bending/cracking and because of the combination of vehicle weight and short tire height, they also cause issues with tire bulge/bubbling and unexpected blowouts. (several online forum posts/articles on this, and I'm nervous because I have developed vibration at highway speed). Second, the design of the wheel makes the spokes stick out farther that the sidewalls, making curb rash a high probability (I'll blame it on the wife and teenager, lol). Since I will also be installing a brand new set of wheels, I want to minimize this risk as much as possible.


Any info is greatly appreciated. I have a long trip at the end of the month so I need to make my move this weekend. TIA

EuroDriverSD

Really??? No one has tried different size tires on an E350?

sskamboj

You'll be fine on those tire sizes. On my stock wheels I ran 245/40/18 all around with 15 and 20mm spacers and still never rubbed even when lowered on H&R springs. I recently upsized to 19" wheels and run 245/35/19 front and 275/30/19 rear and there's plenty of room for more sidewall and to go wider.

EuroDriverSD

Thanks for letting me know. Unfortunately, I read this too late, as I just got back from having the new tires installed (I had to order them and they came in today, so I went for it).


I kept the 245/40/18 in the front, but went with 275/35/18 in the rear. Actually, they fill in much nicer, as they don't look stretched anymore, are much closer in diameter to the fronts than the stock size, and fill in the wheel well better.


With the stock setup, the rears were .4" smaller than the fronts and with the 275/25's that difference is reduced to .1". Next tire change I'll spring for the 245/245/18 fronts and 275/40/18 rears.


Here's how it turned out (I also upgraded from the silver wheels to the aluminum finish):

luni

Looks good!
Nothing wipes ?
Thx

EuroDriverSD

Thanks. By wipes, do you mean whether the tires rub? Yesterday I loaded about 380 pounds of water in the trunk, drove through some pretty rough roads and no rubbing whatsoever.

2MERKS

Nice looking ride...!

pinebaron

Now you need to lower the car

bernard farquar

For what it's worth, and for future reference if anyone is searching later, P265/40R18 tires fit just fine on the rear of my 2003 e320. I have aftermarket staggered AMG knockoffs.

EuroDriverSD

Thanks guys & no lowering for me. Been there, done that & I'm getting a bit old for that. I have the sport version which is just about right - I wouldn't mind maybe another 3/4" but not worth the hassle.


Now that we've settled that the rear will fit 265/40 and 275/35's - can anyone else confirm that the front will fit 245/45/18 and the rear will fit 275/40/18's for sure?

sskamboj

with your ride height you should have enough room for the sidewall. I can't imagine it would be a problem

brucebanna

I own a 2008 e350 4matic with the sport package can i fit 245/35 r18 with no problems?

Andre91

245/35/18 is smaller than stock, which is 245/40/18. They'll fit but ride quality will suffer and you're increasing the likelihood of rim damage. Your speedometer and odometer will also be slightly off. Why not go with the stock size?

brucebanna

brucebanna

Bahnstormer

Very nice.
Clear sidemarkers with chrome amber bulbs would look great on your white car.
eBay has them.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clear-Bumpe...ss!33066!US!-1

brucebanna

azpaquin

I know this is an old thread, but need some help, will 265/40/17 tires fit on the stock rims and not rub? They are 1/2 wider on either side. I am a 4 Matic and want to keep them the same all around.

Barry Ratliff

I WOULD LIKE TO BUY THE RIMS FOR A CLS 550 to go on the e350 I have but I am concerned. The cls runs 255-40-18 in front and 285-35-18 in rear can I do this safely

tjts1

Yes.