Mowateriology

just found AMG 19"s
i checked on the inside and they were 8.5 and 9.5

the tires were: 245/40 all around (ZR19, uniroyal brand)

will they fit the SL? i have no idea what car they have come off of

if the tire sizes itself need changing, how do i know if they would fit on the wheel?
i.e. i have no problem in changing all four tires (i want new tires anyway) to whatever MB recommends for running 19s on the R129, but how do i know if they will fit the wheels?

i know there is also the question of the offset, so is there a way i can check if they wheels will fit without fitting them/asking the seller? (the seller won't know)

edit: i have never changed wheels on any of the cars before, so please excuse the recurrent silly questions
the car is a 500SL 1993 model

HLG600

245mm tires are pretty narrow for a 9.5 inch wheel. Most AMG wheels will fit the R129 without complications, however, one thing needed are shorter bolts. Don't go to Mercedes dealer for the bolts, they overcharge to a ridiculous extent. A German company called Doorman makes excellent bolts at a great price. I'll post up the exact size later tonight when I get a chance to look at the box.

jjay911

Post some pics of these wheels..

Mowateriology

so 245/40 for a 9.5 is narrow, but i can run 245/40/19 up front (8.5 wheel)?
what would be the right size for the 9.5 rears; is it 285/35?
of course, i am worried about the odo/speedo readings as well as the ASR and other electronics when it comes to this matter

while you do mention the bolts, you do not mention the offset .. am i to understand that these wheels will fit a 1993 R129 (just in case there was a diff in any of the years later) without need for spacers or anything?

i guess this is what i am asking: since the AMG wheels are 8.5F and 9.5R and 19", should i be able to be absolutely confident in buying them and only THEN doing the right thing with the tire sizes and bolts?
i.e. the wheels THEMSELVES will not need anything added to them/welded off for them to fit if they are 8.5F and 9.5R?

once again HLG600, you prove you are a lifesaver

(Edit: sorry jjay911, i only took a pic of the sidewalls .. but if you were wondering about their shape, they are like HLG600's)

Edit v2: just did a quick search on ebay, found those which are the same -but not chrome finish- and from the auction, it reads: FRONT WHEEL: 19 X 8.5". OFFSET 44MM.
REAR WHEEL: 19 X 9.5". OFFSET 46MM

i tried searching if they were made in 19" for the SL, but couldn't find AMG 19's except the twin-spoke style -for the SL65- .. those ones' offsets read 25MM 32MM F/25MM 38MM R

i feel like an idiot i was never a fan of changing wheels on any car before, but i just CANNOT settle for the 16s on the SL

HLG600

245mm tires up front on an 18/8.5 inch wheel are fine. However, 285mm tires are a bit wide for an 18/9.5 inch wheel. 275mm is the largest recommended size. If the wheels can fit my '97, I don't see why they shouldn't fit your '93 as well. Still, a test fit would be a good idea, if possible. As for the bolts, these are are the measurements on the box.

Dorman Wheel Bolts
610-317
M12-.15 x 29mm

The final sizes for the tires are:
Front - 245/40/ZR18
Rear - 275/35/ZR18
Dunlop Sport 9000 Tires

With this setup, I have not had any issues with the vehicle's electronics. Only more grip and ample roadholding capability.

The wheels in the auction you linked are the same style and size as mine, albeit mine are without chrome. What's interesting is that the bolt pattern they listed and the ones I use are different sizes...

Anyway, hope this answered your questions.

Mowateriology

this is EXCELLENT information for when i find a set of 18s, but the set i am referring to are 19's - and hence, my question about the offset and all that

this is enough reason for me to not stop searching for 18s even if the 19s work

this one?
those were 19s .. probably explains the bolt sizes now?

HLG600

Oh, the link had 19s...my bad...now it makes sense.

Mowateriology

you don't think those 19s will fit on an R129 given the different offset and bolts?

don't get me wrong, right now after your last post, i am even more convinced that 18s are the size for me!

HLG600

I am pretty sure the 19's will fit. However, I can personally say that the 18" AMG's bolt right on without issues.

SL BRABUS

HLG600 wheel came off an SL R230........ the one you buying is came off S or CL class with 44 & 46 offset....... those wheels will not fit your car...... you could make them fit by buying a spacer........ the offset for the R129 SL should be 25ET for the front and 19ET for the rear......good luck......

Mowateriology

HLG600, thanks .. i will continue to look for 18s off of a new SL55 and will most assuredly go with the exact same setup you have provided information about to me with since i PM'ed you!

SL BRABUS, that was what i feared (spacers) .. but thanks for the info!
if however i decide that i WOULD go with the 19s, i will know whose time to waste by harassing them with questions


now since i have actually learned a few things about fitting the wheels, how do i go about checking if a wheel is original or a replica on the 18s?
i have found THIS EXAMPLE of the 18s on ebay (full auction here just in case someone in the states is interested) which shows the wheel from on the inside

is this how all original AMG 18s that have come off, say, the SL55 look like? am i looking for five 'tags' on each and every spoke on the back? any other pointers?

SL BRABUS

The real AMG wheel will have an AMG logo stamp on the wheels inside and outside...... and say Made in Germany...... like the example you show on ebay......

aussiesl

I am anything but an expert but...........

One site I was looking at said to be wary of rims from newer E, S and Sl models, as although they have the same centre bore and bolt pattern, they are made for a lug size of 14mm and the r129 uses only 12mm, ie lug hole in the rim is slightly larger and the lug does not seat as well.

They discourage you from being creative with rims in Australia by making the use of spacers illegal.

Pete

Mowateriology

SL BRABUS, i will be looking for that .. i don't see the AMG badge on the INSIDE of the wheel you mention from the pic i linked to from eBay, but i will look for the 5 "tags" one on each spoke from the inside


let's just hope that the 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 set of wheels i find will have the offsets of 30mm and 33mm respectively (i.e. fitting the SL), and NOT 44mm/46mm and thus i will have the same problem all over again but with an 18" set of wheels!

i envy you guys for having eBay

Mowateriology

thanks Pete, very interesting fact about the spacers in Australia!

i was under the impression all MBs use the same bolt size and pattern, but perhaps you are talking about the length of the bolt (as opposed to the width difference of 2mm)? as HLG600 has provided, i think if that is what you meant then it can be solved with the shorter bolts

also, i couldn't help but notice you have written:

did you mean CL instead of SL at the end?

aussiesl

By the later SL, I meant the R230, which I am fairly sure uses 14mm. You can get a "conversion bolt" that has a 12mm shaft (so it screws into the R129 hub), but 14mm radius ball so it maintains full contact in a the rim seat.

For example, have a look at http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/option/bolt_packs and look at the 'Bolt Pack 4' and 'Bolt Pack 4L'. These are conversion bolts, and it shows all the newer models with 14mm and the older models with 12mm.

If this is indeed the case, then there could be a few people out there with R230 or newer E class rims using their old incorrectly seated bolts..............

Pete

Mowateriology

Pete,
i have just come back from the dealer and you are absolutely correct

the R230 uses a 14mm shaft as opposed to the 12mm the R129 uses .. and thus the conversion bolts will be necessary

the wheels i have decided to get from the dealer are the ones that come on the R230 500 model, and not the SL55 (still 18" though)
i took this pic from an auction on ebay to show which wheels i am talking about now



and also i have taken the liberty to ask a friend to photoshop the wheels on HLG600's car (i hope that is okay) since it is black - forgive the tampering with the colors



they are available at the dealer for immediate pick-up, and i don't have to wait for them to be ordered as is the case with the AMGs. i personally like their look better on the 129

after speaking with the guy at the dealership and telling him about the bolts you mentioned (Pete), he said that i should get them and go back and we will try to see if they fit along with the wheels perfectly on the car.
i think that is the most reasonable thing to do

here are a few questions so bare with me guys, i hope this is educational and not annoying

1. are those wheels a perfect fit from the 230 to the 129 once the bolts used are the correct size? (Bolt pack 4 on this url)

2. as with the AMGs, these wheels are 8.5F and 9.5R, and thus i am guessing that i should use the exact sizes HLG600 has kindly offered from his car although the wheels are different
i.e. tires would be 245/40F and 275/35R for my R129 - thing is, i have checked those wheels on a R230 parked at the dealer, and they were fitted 255/40 and 285/35 .. am i being too picky?

- Ali

SL BRABUS

Mowateriology...... my advice to you get the rims that you want....... "The AMG"...... I have a feeling you are rushing to get any kind of rims to put on your car... ... just wait for the AMG...... the old say "good thing come those who wait"... .... trust me on this one.... .. I don't want to see you make a mistake....... good luck......

Mowateriology

thank you so much for the honesty, and i totally understand how it would seem like i jumped on the R230 500 wheels instead of the 55 because of their immediate availability because i did not update on this thread for days.
but i assure you that is not the case. i have contacted HLG600 a few days ago asking for permission to use his car's picture on another forum to be photoshopped with the R230 500 wheels .. and i honestly like them better on the R129. so this has been in the works for 5 days now and i'm definitely sold on the R230 500 wheels.
i was just making a statement regarding the availability since the dealer has them in stock, but not the AMGs (they do have Brabus' wheels in stock which i found a bit peculiar!)

at any rate, i have contacted Alloy Wheels Direct (the site aussiesl has referred me to about the bolts), and they responded immediately .. after a few emails of questions and answers, i put in an order for online payment with my UK bank account which i did not use for a while, so i am only hoping the transaction would go swiftly so i can have the bolts in Kuwait as soon as possible!

the gent i corresponded with mentioned that the correct size for the R129 is the 245F 275R (as opposed to 255/285 for the R230), so i'll end up with HLG600's sizes which is a relief because i know his impressions about the setup

Mowateriology

finally, the bolts arrived

and to be honest i am shocked at how short they are
just checked again on the website and it reads that the shaft is 24mm long

i'm guessing the R230 (Avoir/Launch Edition) wheels must really be caved in

HLG's are 29mm
and from what i understand, the stock R230 bolts are 27mm?

anyway, i hope i can find the time this week to drop by the dealer and cash in on their offer to test-fit the wheels

i want to thank all you guys for the feedback and help regardless of the consequence of the fitting trial