HONDO250

In reference to OFF Roading Videos found on YOUTUBE there are many.for Mercedes Benz 250 GLK Diesel also know as 4-MATIC Blu -Tec
The world market produces far more diesels then sourced to USA
A t the time of my purchase RUN-Flats Dunlops were Standard and expensive Garbage that the tread life was 10 K. and the availability of alternatives was lacking.
In 2019 ,the availability of manufacturers is grea,sadly MB GLK are no longer available as a new car.The dealers love to service them because most parts are not in stock and mark up profit margin is great and need to be ordered from Germany. Lessons learned but I enjoy my GLK 250 despite the costs to get parts and prior experience in making tire choices.
The fact be known diesels are very popular with High Cetane above 40.outside of the USA.
The specification for Tires (USA) 235-50-19 which can be gotten through a number of manufacturers,NOW.
As stated before, it is personal choice to go off-roading whether accidentally or purposely.I have never gotten stuck and I have Mud & Snow Pirelli Verde Plus 235-50-19.
If I lived in Canada or Colorado,USA my options would probably be different
The correct tire and rim is suggested for the electronically controlled AWD

almac04

I have a question and an interest... Has anyone successfully mounted the a spare (full size or not) on the outside of the GLK350? much like that of a jeep? I think itd be an awesome idea, although could cause strain on the tailgate motor... hadnt thought of that until just now. But ultimately, it'd be dope for an offroading setup or something of the sort. LMK!

chillysyrup

I think you'd be most successful buying some sort of spare tire mount that connects to the trailer hitch if you wanted to do that.

D14

My 2010 GLK 350 4matic came with 20" rims. I want to do light "off-roading", and have read the great posts for that on the forum. I see 17", 18" and even 19" rims with A/T tires. Would folks share issues and solutions with trying to A/T's on my existing 20" wheels?

FYI, Toyota commissioned Falken to purpose make tires for the RAV4 Adventure, https://www.falkentire.com/tires/lig...k/t-trail-tire. Less strain on the transmission and less impact of fuel efficiency, but true trail tires verus good all-season tires many folks use.

Silver Shadow

The biggest problem with off-roading on 20" rims is the lack of rubber between the rim and the rocks. To stay within usable limits of total diameter you need to go with a low profile tire like the stock size 235/45/20. The tire is only 45% as tall (sidewall) as it is wide. With a 17" rim a comparable tire would be 235/60/17. You end up with a lot more "cushion" between the rim and rocks.

D14

thanks

D14

Hey Silver Shadow, Have you made any changes to your GLK?

Silver Shadow

Not yet. I've only had it a couple of weeks and it's still winter here.

Cottageguy33

Morning, how did you decide on that tire size for your set up? I have seen GLKs with 17's on them for winter but usually with 235/60R17s. Does the 65R17, or even a 75R17, make much of a difference?

Thanks

Dan

D14

I plan to use the higerr sidewall to get a little grnd clnc, but will make sure to stay with the 29" total diameter, since that where the specs are. I do not have my 17s yet. I have a lead on a set of oem rims. I do know that Falken A/T are specifically designed for small sub and crossovers. I have read that 17s have more options and do provide more cushion. Plus you have more flexibility when air them down. I am also follow the "tribe" i.e.., other posters like Pawzitiv who went with 17s.

Cottageguy33

Yes, those Falken's do look great. My current 20" AMG rims and tires have a diameter of 27". Is that what you meant?

Dan

D14

Yes, I have read that the glk cam take up to a 29" diameter, BUT I have not confirmed that from MB or the owners manual. Some folks on this thread have talked about rotation rate affecting the tyranny. This is my 1st MB, only owned it for 2 months. A good friend who is a long time mb owner emphasized keeping with in spec since these cars are so precisely engineered.

Palom0

Is possible to increase the travel in the GLK front? Just an inch or two would suffice.
Where I live there are lots of potholes and speed-bumps and I end up bottoming out hard if I don't know the road or am not carefully monitoring the road for any surprises at all times. This is bad, especially at night.
I'd like to add a little more travel to the front so I don't feel like I am destroying the car every time I go through one of them. Even rolling through a speed-bump a little fast makes the front bump down hard.

andreigbs

You might need to look into shocks/springs upgrade. Some GLKs were notorious for broken springs.

At the very least I'd suggest spacers that add about 1-2 inches of lift. This will prevent bottoming out as well as scraping underneath.

Palom0

Thanks for the reply.
Question: adding spacers will increase clearance, but I guess won't change travel, isn't it? I think what I need is more travel.
Also, on the specs for my GLK, based on the VIN, is see that my car has: "STANDARD SUSPENSION LOWERED (Code: 491)".Not sure what that is, but it sure seems it is lower than normal. Maybe reduced travel. Any ideas?

mccormick009

You can search Amazon for the 30mm lift kit for the GLK. Mine arrives today and installing this week.
It lifts the body off the suspension by 30mm. This does NOT increase suspension travel at all. The shocks and springs are unchanged but you gain body ground clearance. I have search high and low for different suspension and have yet to find anything but Bilstein dampers and H&R lowering springs.

andreigbs

Instead of lowering springs, I would opt for regular/normal springs. These, matched with new dampers, a spacers lift kit, AND taller tires should get you all the clearance and travel you need to take your GLK comfortably off-road.

You may not win (or finish) the Dakar Rally or other serious off-road challenge, but you should definitely be able to easily navigate the trails less traveled.

mccormick009

I am NOT recommending lower springs at all. I was simply stating these are the only options I have found for aftermarket solutions.

If you need ground clearance look at the 30mm lift kit. Keep the OEM spring and damper (or Bilstein dampers).

The H&R option is only if you want to drop the car for a street look. You will definitely loose ground clearance with these.

Palom0

Maybe I was not clear. I am not looking for more ground clearance and obviously not lowering kits. What I want t find out is how to increase travel to be able to navigate potholes better without bottoming out like I do today unless I drive at 10 mph in some places. It seems to me the GLK front has too little travel compared to other SUVs.
I appreciate your suggestions

mccormick009

AAAAHHHH I see. To solve that issue I think we may be out of luck with off the shelf items. I have not seen anyone make longer stroke shocks or higher rated springs for the GLK. There are a number of companies who make custom solutions however not sure how much money you want to throw at this.

G Mac

I'm new to this forum and enjoying the read. I've only had my 2013 GLK250 for about 3 months but I'm loving it so far. I'm also very interested in making this a light duty overland style rig. I'm in Peterborough Ontario, and want to head out west at some point to do some exploring. Bringing my CRF300L with me on an MX ultralift rack. Has anyone done anything like this. I just got my cross bars for a rooftop tent too.

zrschmd

Hi All!

got mine setup for Overlanding:

- 2 Inch lift

- Kumho MT tires

- diy trunk build


to me the GLK is a very capable offroader, i think its very underestimated! The 4matic works like a dream and until yet i havent had lots of struggles while overlanding…

Palom0

Can you detail how you were able to lift it 2 in?

andreigbs

Lift kit, very nice. Pics don't do it justice, very well done.

How noisy is the tire/wheel setup at highway speeds?

Palom0

Can't find any lift kits. Care to share where you found it?
Also, does it increase travel as well?