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EDIT: I forgot to add, yes they are 20x10 both front end rear..
this is my 2011 E550 with airmatic on GL63 wheels which are 20x10 et50. I used 245/30r20 tires, tho in hindsight 255 would have been better to absorb potholes. The tires I used do run a bit more wide than normal, also next set of tire I am going 255 for added sidewall. I had to use a 5mm (maybe 7mm) spacer in front to clear the airmatic shock. Regular coil springs cars may not require a spacer, I don't know. I used the same 5/7mm spacer in the back just to even it out, tho not required.
images of my car:
and here is the different modes of airmatic (reprogrammed for a 40-50mm lowering for every setting), 85% of the time I drive in comfort mode
EDIT: I forgot to add, yes they are 20x10 both front end rear..
this is my 2011 E550 with airmatic on GL63 wheels which are 20x10 et50. I used 245/30r20 tires, tho in hindsight 255 would have been better to absorb potholes. The tires I used do run a bit more wide than normal, also next set of tire I am going 255 for added sidewall. I had to use a 5mm (maybe 7mm) spacer in front to clear the airmatic shock. Regular coil springs cars may not require a spacer, I don't know. I used the same 5/7mm spacer in the back just to even it out, tho not required.
images of my car:
and here is the different modes of airmatic (reprogrammed for a 40-50mm lowering for every setting), 85% of the time I drive in comfort mode
to my knowledge (and I could be wrong) only the ML63 versions were sold in the US, and those are 21x10 which for sure would not clear the shock perch. And I wasn't going to spend $7000 importing wheels for Germany.
These are exact casting replicas, meaning they are 100% identical to the OE's minus the amg badging. The ones you find on ebay are similar in look but more of a chinese knock offs than exact photocopies. You can tell the difference by looking closely at the twin spokes, the ebay ones are more parallel, while these have a taper to them, also the ebay ones are more flat on the face while these have a curvature in the x/y but also z dimensions. The biggest difference tho is that the ebay ones are 20x9 or 20x9.5 while mine are 20x10's like the OE's
It took me forever to find mine and I couldn't find them since, which means that if I crack just one then all 4 are going in the dumpster. They held up well for the last 8 months though...
Sorry, but that looks silly to me. wheels poking out and tires stretched. You will mess up at least one in a very short time. Even with a reasonable amount of tire, it's really easy to mess up 19 or 20". That's why I'm in the camp of who cares if they are replicas, they only cost $700 for the whole set, and cheap to replace. Even expensive wheels get cracked and bent, so what's the benefit? No one is perching down next to your wheels and going "yep... those are reps". Only a few select people very familiar with MB would ever even know the difference.
these are big cars with big wheel wells, you can easily fit 10 wheels underneath it. I agree that 245 was the wrong tire, now that I know that I have the clearance to go bigger I'm going with a 255, or if the shop has a 265 on hand I'll try that too.
The front are completely flush with the fender, at stock height they might look like the poke, but thats because you are used to the deeper offset on the stock height cars, in the lowered position they look proper IMO.
these are big cars with big wheel wells, you can easily fit 10 wheels underneath it. I agree that 245 was the wrong tire, now that I know that I have the clearance to go bigger I'm going with a 255, or if the shop has a 265 on hand I'll try that too.
The front are completely flush with the fender, at stock height they might look like the poke, but thats because you are used to the deeper offset on the stock height cars, in the lowered position they look proper IMO.
Good to know 20x10 with 43et will clear airmatic and lowered. I was always curious if we can fit 10inch wide up front for E550.
Your car looks great with the wheel specs. Would love to see more pics on the sport settings.
I'm not judging whatsoever on being replicas! They look incredible. I wish there were more available as a lower cost option, they look incredible without looking "cheap"
I'd been planning to go with the Velgen option on my car but caught wind they are unlikely to continue importing the 5x112 vmb5 any longer. That being the case, a replacement would be VERY difficult if/when I damaged one.
How is the turning performance up front running such a wide wheel? do you feel steering it noticeably more labored when turning? I'm curious how much added strain this will add to the front end components.
I think these is in the sport setting, I don't know honestly because I drive almost always in comfort. Sport stiffens up the dampers too much for my liking. The difference between sport and comfort is less than 3/8".
I guess you can call this the "super sport" setting
How is the turning performance up front running such a wide wheel? do you feel steering it noticeably more labored when turning? I'm curious how much added strain this will add to the front end components.
the tire is 245/30r20, exactly the same width and height (25.8") as stock so steering is just as stock. Also there is zero rub lock to lock. That being said, having a 245 on the rear of a RWD 550 is very "drifty" in the rain. I have about 40% left on these tire and next set will be a bit wider, still want to keep the same size front and back with asymmetrical thread for easy rotation. With my last car, (the W210 wagon in my sig) I had a staggered setup and I went through 2x rear tire per front which was annoying..
not a big fan of that wheel design on a sedan until i saw your car. (still not my cup of tea) but i say it looks great. well done mate especially on this shot.
last I was in Germany around 2 years ago, I saw a w221 with these wheels albeit the real 21" versions and absolutely fell in love with the look. At the time I had the W210 and the design really didn't suit that car well, so once I got my W212 I immediately bought the wheels. I think it looks good on angular/boxy Mercedes designs, not so much on the newer cars which are more rounded.
Looks sick. What spacers are you using? I tried some 5mm and got vibes no matter what.
Chris: Did you get vibes from running them front or rear? Hub centric or not? I'm really hoping I can find a way to run a set in the rear of mine despite it maybe not being the greatest idea. My new wheelset is a 20x10 rear et50 wrapped in 285/25r20 and I feel that the fitment isn't going to be aggressive enough.
OP: Any problems with this setup as you've had more wheel time? Any chance you could find out the exact spec of the lugs and spacers (brand/widths)
and here is the different modes of airmatic (reprogrammed for a 40-50mm lowering for every setting), 85% of the time I drive in comfort mode
Sorry if I’m reviving an old thread but can you please tell me how you reprogrammed the airmatic system to controls how much it lowers by at every setting? I have the same car and would love to do that.
03-16-2016, 06:04 PM
