A tire and wheel expert I'm not, and couldn't find with a search. I have a new '08 S550 with stock 18" wheels. I'd like to buy a set of 19" S class AMG wheels/tires (see picture) for summer driving. Any spacers, etc needed? Will the wheel/fender well gap be unsightly?

 

Bump - anyone?

 

Also not a tire/wheel expert, but does anyone at a competent MB dealer have a view?

Would observe that had an '07 CL550 Sport w/the 19" AMG sport wheels you pictured....and had an '07 CL600 w/the 19" disc-like "luxury" wheels....and would argue that non-AMG cars look better w/18" wheels and wheels that hide the brakes and calipers....larger wheels accentuate how puny are the 550 (and 600 brakes)....and the 550/600 calipers are hard to distinguish from those of a $35K C-Class....so perhaps better hidden from an optics standpoint....

Also, I'd suspect factory prob calibrates chassis of luxury cars like S550/600 w/a luxury orientation and vs 18" wheels.....my sense is this US fascination w/optically larger wheels is driven by many who just want a "look" but don't notice any dynamic nuances/negatives anyway....but, ironically, "look" of larger, sport-style wheels vs puny brakes is rather mockable....

 

Should just bolt on. The offsets and front and rear dimensions are the same for the S550, S63 and S65, according to the manual.

 

V12: As you know, the 19" AMG wheels come with the optional AMG look on the S550 on the US market. So, even though they are staggered-width, they fit without any issues re: the back fenders. Since the 19" tires are 40 aspect ratios, the height of wheel/tire will be approx. the same as the stock 18" wheels with 45 aspect ratios. But here is one area where I strongly disagree with my friend WSH. Don't let anyone talk you out of improving the tires and wheels of your S550. He doesn't believe that non-AMG Mercedes should bother with these modifications. Perhaps many of those who have spent a hefty premium on a S63 or a CL63 do not want others to know that one of the greatest improvement AMG makes on their cars in with their use of better tires and wheels. Sure, you also get a mighty powerplant and improved brakes and ABC calibrations. But you will be SIMPLY AMAZED what improvement to handling and BRAKING is the result of just plus size wheels (e.g. 19" or 20") and performance rubber like the Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2™. This is absolutely the best 'investment' that you can make on your car and the most effective modification possible for performance & safety (braking/accident avoidance maneuvers). WSH kids me that my CL600 brakes are no better than those on a past generation C class, but I doubt he truly believes this. And yes, the S550 brakes are 'puny'...but only in comparison to the over-sized ones provided by AMG on their models. But believe you me, each of these brakes have been engineered to the needs of each car's engine & power. Our Silicon Valley friend thinks (and he has stated in this forum) that if we put larger wheels and tires on our Mercedes S/CL 550/600 even 'fat' chicks will laugh at us because of the puny size of the calipers. But how would he know? I am sure there are no fat chicks anywhere to be found in Silicon Valley. That is part of the allure of the place. They all get a one way ticket to the Mall of the Americas in Minnesota and are never seen again. Z356.

 

Hilarious Z356... Excellent comments... coming from an E55 I was/am really impressed by how taut the handling/grip is for my S600... A lot down to combination of 19" Y rated tires/ABC... definitely makes the car firmer/better handling at expense of minor cushy/floaty/barge ride qualities (Coming out of WSH mode now....)

The East Bay is not Silicon Valley... but there is just as much fun to be had in the Oakland hills! No one can see my puny calipers either... because I can hide in the trees...

Chris

 

Numerous acceptable alternative tire and wheel combinations are available for the Mercedes S-Class. A good starting point might be www.tirerack.com where you can actually see various wheels pictured on your specific vehicle. Even Mercedes dealers will be happy to help you with "upsizing" tires & wheels. By the way, spacers are typically NOT acceptable.

 

Thanks for all the comments. Yes, know Tire Rack well, they've shrank my wallet well. I just like the AMG wheels, as those exact wheels/Pilot Sports were on the CLS63 I traded in (CL65 before that ) Had to give up the 2 AMGs as they're pigs in the Ohio winter, and the S550 is 4matic. Had to sell the SUV for a garage space for my soon 16 year old. Plus you can find some good values on those wheels due to them being early pulls for custom sets.

 

Agree with the above...many do not know that the S/CL 600 has Brembo brakes, they are just not labeled as such...put the car on a rack you will see the Brembo stamp on the inside. So, would agree the calipers are not as 'puny' as some would suggest.

 

They are strong. This is what happened to the truck behind me after I slammed on my brakes. I bet he won't tailgate anymore.

 

Trumpet: You would be talking to us from 'up above' if that's what happened between your S600 and this truck. Hope you stay around with us a bit longer...I am thinking of going down to Florida to get some of the 'free' dental care you are known to provide dead beats. Z356

 

abenner5: I didn't know about the Brembos on the S/CL600. I will have to check that out. Thanks for the info. Z356

 

That's funny. Please drop by and stay with us a night if it fits your schedule on the way down. PM me if you have to.
I'm near Birmingham, AL (along I-65) and I once had a dozen car fanatics at my house for a get-together. We all owned VW Phaetons at the time. We had a great time. They came in from all parts of the country and even Canada. We spent hours upon hours installing keyless start buttons on those cars. It was like doing brain surgery as each step had to be done exactly right or the car would be messed up electronically. One gave us a difficult time but we got it back in order the next day.
If anyone is interested in a get together in the southeast , I'm game. Purchase VIM modules and we'll put them in together.

 

Back to the original topic. I have looked and looked for aftermarket wheels and I just have a hard time finding anything that looks much better than OEM wheels offered by either MB or AMG. I didn't like my original OEM wheels but I did replace them with OEM AMG wheels (19"). I was lucky as TireRack was still offering them at the time.

 

Bill, one of our Forum members from Florida, is considering (or already has put) these wheels (see following link) on his '08 CL600: https://mbworld.org/forums/cl55-amg-cl65-amg-cl63-amg-c215-c216/230671-360-forged-cf5ive-carbon-fiber-wheel-close-up-pics.html. I am hoping he will post photos of his new wheels to check them out. I currently have the optional 19" 'gas cook-top burners style' wheels on my '07 CL600. I am less than thrilled with the look, but it does hide my 'puny' brakes quite well. But now that I have been informed that I have Brembos hiding somewhere in there, I am thinking of exposing them for all to see & admire. Maybe even powder coating them 'cognac' to match my interior (just kidding). But I am seriously considering (against WSH advice) to go to 20" AMG wheels/tires which come standard on the S/CL63 and S65, or the 20" AMG optional wheels/tires from the 030 package. The former I have seen sell often for about $2K a set (takeoffs with OEM tires) via Ebay, although current 'buy nows' are in the $3.5K range. The later 030 style, a rarer find, are around $4/4.5K (with tires) when they do come up. The other option is to keep the 19" tires and go with the newer optional 'spoke' design (#92), which are much better looking. I agree that there is not much 'after-market' wheels out there that are (I find) really attractive. At one point a few years ago I thought Brabus wheels looked great. Somehow I don't feel the same about them anymore. By the way, the 19" AMG set V12AMG is considering is commonly found in Ebay at between $1.5K to $2K (complete with its OEM tires) and that is also one of my options. Z356.

 

Hello, I got a few PM questions on this one.

To followup - at least for the 2003 model, here is an old website with specs listing the Brembos for the S600.

http://mladenb.dzaba.com/Merc/s/chasis.htm

 

I have an '08 S550 4-matic, that came with the standard 18" rims. Put winter tires on the standard rims, and purchased 19" AMG rims (same as your photo) on ebay for $1,200. Put summer tires, Goodyear Eagles, on the AMG rims. Of couse I bought non-staggered rims since I have a 4matic. I also picked up an extra set of TPMS sensors for the summer rims (tirerack, $300).

Everything works perfectly. No issues as the tire sizes are equivalent. Enjoy.

 

Do 20's. The 19's do not make a difference in look at all. 20's work great without sacrificing ride quality much. I will soon post pictures of my S550 with 20's.