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I don't any serious off-roading, but I have taken my glk on dirt roads and trails and have to deal with extreme potholes in Chicago in the winter. Could I run steel wheels year round instead of swapping in the winter months? I was looking at steel wheels for a 2016 Metris and wondering if they fit may car and could be used as daily drivers. Pros and cons and experienced comments please.
What size? Pretty sure you can't go smaller than 17" due to the brakes, but I could be wrong (and not all 17s may fit).
Look it up on TireRack by comparing the Metris wheel specs, then use a wheel calculator to see the difference.
the Metris wheels are 17 x 6.5 with the same lug pattern/spacing, I'm pretty sure they'll fit, but I was wondering about daily driving, handling and gas mileage, etc.
any ideas.
If the offset is the same too (or very close), then I don't see why you couldn't run them year-round. If you had a way to measure the wheel weight and compare to current, that would enable you to make educated guesses as to handling, fuel economy, etc.
In general, the lighter the wheel/tire combo, the better the handling, performance, and fuel economy. A difference of 4-5 lbs per wheel can mean 16-20 lbs total LESS rotational mass, which translates to lower energy needed to get moving (acceleration) and other good things.
the Metris wheels are 17 x 6.5 with the same lug pattern/spacing, I'm pretty sure they'll fit, but I was wondering about daily driving, handling and gas mileage, etc.
any ideas.
A smaller wheel using a tire with the same circumference means the tire will have a larger sidewall. The larger sidewall allows more flex so the ride would be smoother but the handling would be impacted. The small loss in handling would be a concern if you are racing the car but wouldn't be a problem for an average driver on average roads. I understand that a 17" wheel is standard on these cars in Europe and the larger wheels are mainly a North American preference.
I am mainly a commuter and would personally prefer the larger sidewall for ride comfort.
As long as you keep the tire circumference the same as stock (google the miata tire size calculator) then the milage should remain similar.
I know this is an older thread, but was wondering if you ever did install these 17" steel wheels from a Metris for a daily driver? I was thinking of doing the same on my 2013 GLK350, but with aluminum 17x7wheels. I currently have the 20" OEM wheels and worry every time I hit a pot hole. Based on my findings the bore size for the Metris is 66.6, 5x112, offset 51mm, and thread size M14x1.5.. Unless I am missing something, does anyone see any reason why these would not work?
01-09-2020, 02:17 PM
