S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

wheel/tire size options

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Apr 11, 2017 | 02:42 AM
  #1  
edison1314's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Bellevue
488,m3,cls,s550,gtr
wheel/tire size options

hey guys, just picked up a 13 black s550 with stock 19s, looking for something a bit bigger in black, flushed setting preferred. any recommendations on 20s or 21s? also in what tire spec? thank you!
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2017 | 12:26 PM
  #2  
Jason B's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,430
Likes: 187
From: USA
W140 Mercedes S350, W221 S550 sport


Reply
Old Apr 11, 2017 | 10:25 PM
  #3  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
Flush is a 24mm rear offset, 29mm front, if you're sticking with the staggered 8.5"/9.5" width. If you go up an inch in width increase the offset by 12mm. On OEM 20's a 15mm spacer front and 20mm rear puts you flush.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 01:48 AM
  #4  
edison1314's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Bellevue
488,m3,cls,s550,gtr
thank you guys!
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 10:22 AM
  #5  
superpop's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,685
Likes: 820
From: Newcastle, WA
2019 S63 4Matic+, 2018 E400 Cabrio, wardens car.
The problem with bringing your wheels and tires flush is that you end up with tires that throw a lot of crap at the lower sides of your car. I am in the PNW where we get a lot of rain and a fair amount of debris on the roads and it all ends up on the fenders including small rocks and anything else you may come across. I have 19" factory wheels with 43MM offset front and back with staggered width and 13MM spacers in the back. Nice stance but the car stays relatively clean. I have also heard that ride quality drops when you go above 19" wheels.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 03:24 PM
  #6  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
Can't speak to the dirt issue but going from 19" to 20" on my 221 didn't make an appreciable difference in ride quality. 19" look a little undersized on a 221. 20" seem to look right. I'd recommend Michelin Pilot Supersports. Great riding tire, even in a 20".
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 03:30 PM
  #7  
Jason B's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,430
Likes: 187
From: USA
W140 Mercedes S350, W221 S550 sport
Someone else just told me doing lowering links on 19's will actually really make them look like 20-21's? Interesting.

Mike, I PM'd you about the midcity thing.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 05:05 PM
  #8  
edison1314's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Bellevue
488,m3,cls,s550,gtr
i do admit the 19s look a bit small, so it looks like 20s will be the way to go for a daily w221? not recommending anything higher right? 21s/22s?
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 06:24 PM
  #9  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
21 is as far as I'd go but they're so rare and expensive vs the 20" I don't think they're worth the hassle. Tons of good 20" options in aftermarket and reps. 35mm offsets are common in those and work well on the 221, giving a slightly more aggressive stance. 45mm are also common and are essentially an OEM offset.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 08:40 PM
  #10  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
Originally Posted by Jason B
Someone else just told me doing lowering links on 19's will actually really make them look like 20-21's? Interesting.

Mike, I PM'd you about the midcity thing.
All the wheels are the same overall size, just trading sidewall for rim diameter. It's a question of how chunky you want the sidewall profile to look. The 20's give you a nice slim profile without significantly sacrificing ride quality. But you can drop on anything. The drop however will significantly degrade ride quality so going to 19" might help compensate. I dropped a 220 on links about 2" on 18's. Looked great, ride was terrible.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 10:48 PM
  #11  
Gramma_Benz's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 20
From: East Bay, Bay Area
2002 C32, 2012 S550
I'm riding on 20's with a 1.1" drop, no change in ride quality.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 11:14 PM
  #12  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
Yeah, there's a sweet spot on a drop where it's obvious but there's still enough air in the struts so the ride isn't affected, or is minimally affected. (Ride quality is directly related to the amount of air in the struts and the resulting ride height. That's why Comfort rides the highest and Sport rides the lowest)

My 205 has 3 AirMatic settings, Comfort, Sport and Sport +. Sport + is a decent drop.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2017 | 11:37 PM
  #13  
SIN3's Avatar
Member
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 169
Likes: 4
From: So Cal
Any V8 AMG
if you have the cash go with a custom 21 inch 3pc. for a w221 nothing more than inch maybe 1.5. its a big boy car. keep it classy.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2017 | 05:04 AM
  #14  
edison1314's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Bellevue
488,m3,cls,s550,gtr
what if i dont plan on dropping it, is 20 gonna look a bit small still? or 21 is gonna be enough to fill in the gaps ? any rubbing issue with 21s?
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2017 | 08:57 AM
  #15  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
The gap doesn't change. The 18" wheel, 19" wheel and 20" wheel all have the same overall diameter. The way to make the wheel appear to fill more of the wheel well is to install a wheel with a lower offset (which pushes the wheel outward) and/or close the gap at the top of the wheel by lowering the body of the car itself (drop).

wheel/tire size options-photo492.jpg
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2017 | 09:35 AM
  #16  
Manofsteelpt's Avatar
Super Member
Veteran: Army
 
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 579
Likes: 41
S63
Here is my S63 on 20" stock height...
Attached Thumbnails wheel/tire size options-img_0672.jpg  
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2017 | 09:35 AM
  #17  
Manofsteelpt's Avatar
Super Member
Veteran: Army
 
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 579
Likes: 41
S63
And here it is lowered...
Attached Thumbnails wheel/tire size options-img_0671.jpg  
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2017 | 11:28 AM
  #18  
DaveW68's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
Veteran: Army
10 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 4,242
Likes: 628
From: Chicago burbs
2015 S550
Originally Posted by edison1314
what if i dont plan on dropping it, is 20 gonna look a bit small still? or 21 is gonna be enough to fill in the gaps ? any rubbing issue with 21s?
Originally Posted by Mike5215
The gap doesn't change. The 18" wheel, 19" wheel and 20" wheel all have the same overall diameter. The way to make the wheel appear to fill more of the wheel well is to install a wheel with a lower offset (which pushes the wheel outward) and/or close the gap at the top of the wheel by lowering the body of the car itself (drop).

Attachment 352603
If he went with a taller tire on the bigger wheels, he could fill in the gap. But that would likely cause rubbing on the strut tower. It would also require recalibration of the speedometer and an alignment.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2017 | 02:11 PM
  #19  
Mike5215's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,653
Likes: 560
2016 C300
Sort of. Every extra inch of overall wheel size would close the fender gap by a half inch (the other half inch raises the entire car off the ground by that much).

A Plus 1 or Plus 2 presumes the same overall rolling diameter to avoid the alignment, speedo, and brake issues you can get when exceeding the OEM rolling diameter.

I see a lot of guys posting about getting larger rims to "close the gap" who clearly don't understand sizing.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2017 | 02:28 PM
  #20  
Jason B's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,430
Likes: 187
From: USA
W140 Mercedes S350, W221 S550 sport
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:23 PM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE