seamus2154

Sorry I know this has been a topic in several ways and didn't want to hijack anyones thread. Specifically -opinions on going to non runflats and staying on the 20" rim. Did you see enough of an improvement that you have no regrets?? This is my concern. My W221 had 19" rims with the sport package and Michelin pilot sports. It had an excellent ride and I had not one complaint as far as ride.
My current W222 is a 2016 w/ the sport package and 20" rims, airmatic shocks. I bought the spare and getting ready to buy Michelins...........but am a little concerned it will just be an improvement but not great??? I am considering going to a 19" and Michelins as extra insurance....but that involves the expense of new rims. The ride on the RF's is horrible and very hard banging over bumps and even just going into my garage. I know the solution is non RF's but if you made this switch on 20" rims was it a BIG difference?? Because I am shocked everyday that Mercedes Benz allowed this ride to be released on an S class. I live in Florida where its pretty flat and I get banged everyday....I couldn't imagine having this up north with crappy roads. Your observations from this switch please.

Thanks

tkelley.EClass

In my experience, going from RF's to non RF's is like adding one inch of rubber. IE: 19" RF's vs 20" non RF's will feel the same.

UrBusted

I changed to non runflats in the UK. The roads are not the greatest here. I've had no issue, except from 2 times where I've had a puncture, both in the middle of nowhere so had to pay for tow truck.

aypues

Apart from the ride quality issue with the 20’s is the greater potential for wheel damage if you hit a bad pothole.
You might think about going to 19’s to be safe(r). I think even 19’s can have this issue but you don’t hear about it as much as the owners with 20’s.

seamus2154

I am in south Florida and we have very good roads, no potholes. Just some bumps here and there. I used to live up north and am fully aware of potholes and bad roads. I live in the polar opposite of that now. Not worried about pothole protection just ride quality. I am just used to the fantastic ride of the w221. I am so happy with my car except for the ride quality. I am pretty sure the tires have NO give at all and just aren't compliant. Just want to get to the S class ride this car should have. No doubt 19's will be better than 20's just don't want to overkill a problem that may not exist if I go to Michelins on 20's??

seamus2154

Were you on 20"? How is the difference in ride quality RF to non RF ? What tire are you running? PSI?

Mitch Alsup

I got rid of my run craps a bit over a year ago.
Night and day difference.
I run 39 PSI in all 4 corners.

seamus2154

What tire? What diameter ? From what to what to explain your opinion?

Bluemax

I have a 2015 S550 that came with 20" run craps. When they wore out I bought Michelin sport 4S and they made a big difference much smother and quieter. The reason I went with that tire there weren't many choices and I have used the same tire on several vehicles.
I have about 10K on them and they still have 50% of life left in them. Remember this is a high performance tire on a 6k boat. To me it's worth it.

seamus2154

Thanks for being specific. I have 4s on a sports car and they are a fantastic tire, but I wasn't considering them due to lower tread wear rating...as you said it's a heavy car. I am considering the PSS AS3+ which I have used before and last a bit. But today I didn't see them as available on tirerack?? So when you hit road joints and bumps its a big difference also? Thanks again

Bluemax

Definitely. The wear on the 4s are much better that the super sports I had on my 2013 S550. When I was looking for tires the PSS AS3+ wasn't available in our sizes. Not sure if that has changed. One of the reasons I went for the 4S's

Quadrobenz

I have an S65 with 20" wheels, no run flats and the ride quality is fine.It has the MBC suspension. It has Conti 5P's on it. I frequently use a limo service for the 65 mile trip to LAX. The drivers have either W222's with Airmatic or BMW 740's. They all have run flats and seem to be either 18" or 19" wheels. Who knows what the tire pressure is! The BMW's are all worse riding comfort than the W222's. None of these cars with run flats ride better than my S65 with the non run flats. The first set of tires on the S65 lasted over 20K miles, I drive it hard but mostly freeway. The second set has about 11k miles, they are about 1/2 gone.
Five factors affect the S class ride quality, these are the wheel/tire size and profile, the speed rating of the tire, the inflation pressure, the suspension type and lastly EMT vs non EMT construction. EMT (extended mobility tire) is what MB calls "run flats." 20" non-EMT on an S class with MBC suspension ride fine in my experience, with Airmatic there is a clear decline in ride quality. Did your previous W221 have ABC or Airmatic?
I feel changing to 19" wheels is a waste of money because the available tires are all Y rated with their stiff sidewalls. If you really want comfort go to 18" wheels and buy V rated tires. The S550 is limited below 186mph so there is no need for Y or (Y) rated tires.
Tire pressures with EMT or Y or (Y) rated tires need to be high enough so the car is not supported on the stiff sidewalls but more on the center of the tires. Lower speed rated tires can be run with less air pressure. With just 2 passengers and no luggage I use 44F/36R in the S65 to get the best combination of ride and responsive handling. The best ride is at 42 front, below 42F the ride does not improve further and the steering response turns to mush. The S65 has 10mm wider tires than the S550 and the front is heavier so I expect the optimum pressures for the S550 would be different.
This may not help your decision but it is just more information.

seamus2154

Thanks very much Tom, great info! My W222 is Airmatic. I really don't like the look of 18" rims. 19" would be a compromise but acceptable to me. Great point about the Y rating and the sidewall with 19". Great points, thank you

Donnymac

Thanks for the info.

Did you stay with 20s and what size 4S did you go with?

Bluemax

I did stay with the factory AMG 20" wheels. I went with the stock sizes P245/40 in the front and P275/35 in the rear. This particular S550 does have the Magic carpet ride / ABC suspension

flint350

My 2018 S560 4Matic had the Goodyear 20" run-flats and they rode fine. However, they are summer tires and would not work here in the Baltimore area in winter conditions. I debated doing the annual switch over which would require buying new rims as well as new tires, but eventually decided on dropping them for a permanent set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. These are good riding, all season tires. Seems to me that the local dealers should not sell the cars with tires that are unusable for 1/3 of the year and are actually a violation to use for much of that time. I get the inventory issues involved in that, but that's their problem, not mine.

Detailingdoc

I swapped my Goodyear 20" runflats for Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ 20" last fall. The ride is definitely improved but can still be somewhat harsh over less than ideal roads. I also got these because they are all seasons rather than just summer tires.

Tirerack may not have them listed bc they are out of stock i know they were there last fall.

I got mine from my dealer since the price diff wasnt much.

seamus2154

Yep, I agree. They were on there last night though. Did you get the W or the Y speed rating? Y would be harsher.

Sal Collaziano

THIS is probably what I'm going to do with my S550 with Sport Package and Airmatic... Any suggestions on proper tire size, offset to avoid complicating anything with the speed and mileage?

1bad540

18" wont fit on a sport package, the caliper is bigger.

seamus2154

Great info, thanks for posting!

Donnymac

That eliminates that option. Thanks.

Streamliner

I do not believe that is correct. I believe the brakes are the same. The last I knew, the “AMG Line” option did not include upgraded brakes. If you or someone else knows differently, please post documentation.

I have always felt that the AMG Line or “Sports Package” on the W222 is a rip off. It costs like $5,900.00 and is only cosmetic. The option on the E Class costs $650.00 and comes with upgraded brakes. There is virtually ZERO additional cost for MB to produce an S Class with or without the AMG Line option, yet they charge dearly for it. Why? Because they can.

seamus2154

https://mbworld.org/forums/new-s-cla...-thing-up.html

go to post #21

Streamliner

Yes, I've seen that, but if that is the case, then how come MB never advertises the upgraded brakes as part of the AMG Line option? I still don't believe it and won't until I see it from an official MB source.