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We just changed our MDX for an ML & I too have been looking, more for the offses, probably would go 20" staggered, I did it on the MDX & it looked great, as long as the overall heights are within .1 or so.
I sense that I'm in the presence of another tire junkie....
Definitely going with wider rims in the 20" diameter. I'm hoping I can squeeze a 20" x 10" with a stock slight negative offset (I so, so miss deep dish wheels sniff sniff).
Do you know what the offset is on the 19" OEM's? I figure if I keep the same offset on a wider rim, I can maximize the +/- 2" clearance that I seem to have out back between the tire and wheel-well.
In front, I seem to have about 1.2" clearance. Now I understand why you're leaning towards staggered wheels, and you know what? I think it'd look awesome. I hate the inflexibility of different-sized tires/wheels, but if I went with one size fits all, I'd definitely be limiting my choices in rim/tire width.
BTW, definitely dropping the rear about an inch. She looks like my GC SRT was stock, the rear's in the air so high, reminds me of a gorilla in heat waiting to be mounted...
Let me know what you decide to drop the hammer on; you can be sure I'm spending my afternoon researching wheel/tire combos. This is Christmas all over again LOL
Last edited by peter2772000; 05-06-2017 at 12:12 PM.
Pirelli P Zero Rosso in 295/40R20. On a 20" x 10.5" rim the tire specs are as follows.
- Section width, 12"
- Tread width, 10.6"
- Height, 29.3" measured on a 10.5", so in my case I'm guessing about 29.6" which I can live with.
Still haven't found a rim in a 20" x 10" size with an offset around 56mm. Life would be perfect if I found such a rim with a 66.6mm bore to boot, though I have run hub-centric rings before with no issues. I don't think I'll have to do the staggered deal.
Consider MB tuners like Brabus, Renntech, or Carlsson for real world applications of wheel/tire upgrades. The prices are out of sight but the information may keep you from "experimenting". Also should be good resources for suspension upgrades for lowering. My .02
We just changed our MDX for an ML & I too have been looking, more for the offses, probably would go 20" staggered, I did it on the MDX & it looked great, as long as the overall heights are within .1 or so.
I have 22x10's on mine. I'll have to double check the tire, but it's wide. I'm at factory height and no rubbing or issues.
Edit: I have 285/35/22 on mine. Looks nice. Would look better under a 550 or 63 model, but I suffer through it. I don't have a rear pic or better pic of the tires, I'll try to remember to get one.
I like the wider tyres look as well, that's why I think of chnaging the 265/45/20 stock to 275/45/20, wheel diameter diference is negligable. My GLE came stock with 265 wide pirelli scropion verde. I'm overall satisfied with the tyres except for their look, if I compare my vehicle to another one next to it, my tyres seem narrower. There is a ML in my parking lot with 255 Michelins and they look wider from behind. I wonder if this is due to the pirelli's thread design or to the fact that my rims are 9'' wide. I read an article in the internet according to which the tyre looks differently wide depending if it is "compressed" or "expanded" on a narrow or wide rim. If this is the issue, I'm afraid that even if I go to 275/45/20 from a different brand I will not get the look I like.
Your article is correct; a wider rim will make a tire look wider.
I did some checking for you and the best thing is for you to go with a 285/40 tire. Problem is that most tires in this size ask for a minimum rim width of 9.5", whereas your OEM rim is 9". That's why I was looking for aftermarket rims in the 9.5" - 10" width range.
If you go to the Tire Rack website, you can play with different sizes 'till you come up with a tire that turns your crank. The site shows overall diameter as well as section width and tread width, which make or break a tires' look.
I have 22x10's on mine. I'll have to double check the tire, but it's wide. I'm at factory height and no rubbing or issues.
Edit: I have 285/35/22 on mine. Looks nice. Would look better under a 550 or 63 model, but I suffer through it. I don't have a rear pic or better pic of the tires, I'll try to remember to get one.
That is a beauty! I'm assuming the wheels are replicas? where did you get them from and what is the offset please?
Thank you. Yep, they are reps. I bought them last year from wheeltechtuning. I think I paid 850ish shipped. This included lug nuts and center caps. I would venture to say that at this price, they are not OEM quality, but they are also not OEM price. I almost bought a set of 21" ML63 wheens locally for $1200, but tires for a 21" wheel is really expensive compared to a 20" or 22". Not sure on the offset, but I'm bleeding my brakes today and rotating tires so I will try to remember to check!
Hopefully these are good enough. I can take a few more if you need, I was just rushing and snapped these while walking out. The front wheels are slightly turned to the left in these pics fyi.
edit: Front pics suck. I'll try to add a few more today to this post.
Last edited by NickW; 06-21-2017 at 05:31 PM.
Reason: added pic
Thx bud, I was surprised at how much the tires came close to flush on your fenders. I was hoping to go with a 56mm offset, but realize now that I should stick to 50.
I have a 2015 ML with the standard 19 inch 8 inch wheels which has a ET of 56 and just purchased a used set off a GL that are 19 inch but 8.5 wide with an ET of 62. My plan is to upsize and go from the standard 255/50-19 to a 265/50-19. I am not worried about wheel rub but have no idea how much the tire will set inside/outside the wheel well. Beside knowing everyone will say go to a wider tire (245), which in my option would make it ride rougher. What are you comments? ALL this is from an old guy who wants to look cool but ride smooth.
2018 E300 Sport:Current 2015 Mercedes Benz C300 Sport- Gone.
I have experience with fitting the 20x9.5 Tuner applications as mentioned above using Brabus and Carlsson, and both go up to 22x10.0...as the application is taller the rim is a bit wider.
Many of the wheel manufactures have wheel widths that vary in sizes, this also applies to wheels that may have been manufactured during different model generations...some have used 22x9.5 and some 22x10.0. As far as 20 inch wheels go, the 9.5 has always been the most common. What you really need to be careful of is the wheel load rating...the SUV application does in fact require a certain load rating, so some companies might be keen to sell you a 20x10.0 rim that might be typically a rear wheel for an S class or E class application, but that rim I am sure is not properly load rated for the ML platform. Years ago I would see people sometimes do this with the 18" wheels from some select tuners and within a few weeks the wheels would crack.
Brabus and Carlsson both sell 20 inch applications that are 20x9.5, but they also are the SUV specific wheels, and that is basically usually based on the offset...they are typically a ET55 and depending if they are fit with a body package, they utilize a spacer system.
Attached are some pictures for reference.
Hope this info helps.
I have a 2015 ML with the standard 19 inch 8 inch wheels which has a ET of 56 and just purchased a used set off a GL that are 19 inch but 8.5 wide with an ET of 62. My plan is to upsize and go from the standard 255/50-19 to a 265/50-19. I am not worried about wheel rub but have no idea how much the tire will set inside/outside the wheel well. Beside knowing everyone will say go to a wider tire (245), which in my option would make it ride rougher. What are you comments? ALL this is from an old guy who wants to look cool but ride smooth.
Only just saw this post Isawelvis, sorry....
You have nothing to worry about. Your wheel/tire combo won't pose any issues/problems. The rim width/offset is nothing extraordinary and you're only going up in tire height/width by one size. Easy peasy
Last edited by peter2772000; 07-15-2017 at 05:49 AM.
I finally got a set of Niche Misano's, 20x9 et42 all around, no staggered as I initially wanted to do, with the stock size 265/45R20. With that width & offset, the rears are flush & the fronts are almost...
Stop right there. From what I've read on this site, personalizing your MB with something as "radical" as black rims detracts from its resale value.
Slap the OEM's back on and join the ranks with the thousands of other stock MB's out there......
Well, it's that time of year again. Winter is over, time to spend on wheels/tires. Pirelli P-Zero Max Performance Summer in 295/40R20. Waiting for the ball'n chain to decide on wheels, hopefully I can place the order this week.
05-03-2017, 07:15 PM
