jwrichter

Hey Guys, this has been discussed somewhat but now that I'm really considering a change in wheel size I am looking for your input. I have a 2005 SL 55 with the factory 18" wheels and made the mistake of looking at the 65 19" split 5 spoke 2-piece wheels so now like a kid in a candy store I want them. My questions are what different characteristics does the 19" wheel have over the handling of the car over the factory 18" and does the 1 millimeter wider off set with the 19" really mean anything? Are their any downsides to going up to a 19" wheel? If not i will be looking for a recent purchaser of a sl 65 that wants to sell their wheels for a resonable price, if switching makes sense.
Thanks for the assistance, Jim

jmf003

The 19" Style IVs look sharp but weigh around 35 lbs per wheel if I recall correctly. You'd be picking up 3-4 lbs per wheel. Some folks don't notice the difference but others do.

If you bought them and hated the extra weight you could install Evosport lightweight rotors to offset the extra lbs.

Or you could look for lighter twin spoke wheels. I'm running HREs that I bought on this thread: https://mbworld.org/forums/wheels-ti...ild-cheap.html

Hope that helps.

B R

I didn't write this:

It is commonly recognized that eliminating weight from a vehicle will aid it's acceleration. Even greater gains in acceleration, or wheel horsepower, can be made by eliminating weight from rotating parts of the drivetrain and chassis. To even further complicate matters, there are more gains to be made in reducing certain areas of rotating mass than others.

For example: Reducing 10 lbs of weight from parts that rotate at engine speed (crankshaft, flywheel, etc.) will have more benefits than reducing 10 lbs of weight from parts that rotate at axle speed (hub, rotor, wheel/tire, etc.) This somewhat relates to drivetrain loss, which most people are familiar with.

However, even reducing the weight of parts that rotate at axle speed, still far outweighs the benefits of reducing weight from non-rotating parts.

My 2002 Kia Rio in stock form was rated at 96 HP at the crank, but dynoed at a mere 76 HP at the wheels. Though there are other factors involved in getting power to the ground, such as spring rates and aerodynamics, rotational mass is a major factor in the significant difference between crank horsepower and wheel horsepower.

Another real world example of rotational mass that I was not pleased to learn was that my new tires and wheels were 4 lbs heavier on each corner and I actually dynoed lower HP and torque numbers at the wheels. So, if you have bigger wheels than your factory set, you will most likely make your car more powerful by swapping in your old tires/wheels.

The only problem with smaller tires/wheels on a performance oriented car is there may be a sacrifice in handling. Indeed, my stock tires/wheels were completely inadequate at harnessing even the moderate power gains done to my Rio. So, although I am suffering some power loss due to increased rotational mass of my drive wheels/tires, the gains in handling are an acceptable compromise.

There are other benefits to reducing unsprung rotational mass (the part of the car not supported by the springs: tires/wheels). Reducing unsprung mass, specifically from rotating parts, will not only improve acceleration, but it can greatly improve handling and braking too.

Some examples of common aftermarket parts that are manufactured to be lighter than OEM parts to reduce the effects of rotational mass are: bearings, flywheels, drive shafts, crankshafts, rotors, hubs, tires, wheels, ring gears, differentials, clutches, transmission gears, and possibly the most common application, pulleys.

jwrichter

Thanks B R, I read that twice and am not sure what it all means. Where are all the guys who have went up to 19" wheels? Don't be shy here.

Gene Gorman

I went to 19" wheels on our SL55. First I went with BBS RSGT wheels very light and great looking wheels. Then I tried Zauber Gettins again a great looking wheel and light. Now I running the CLK63 Black Series wheels they are forged and very light. I did't notice a difference in the way that the car rides,but it sure does look better.

cal1

To me, the stock 18s are hard enough to keep true with all the rough roads in my part of the world and 19s can only be worse; however, if I could get my hands on those SL65 19s, I would do it in a heartbeat.

motorkas

Different platform but I run stock 18's in the winter and 19's in the summer. As a caveat, my winter tires have a softer sidewall than the high performance summer tires I run on the 19's. That being said, the 19's ride is harsher than the 18's but not a deal breaker. I personally noticed a difference when I ran Forgestars in 19 v stock 18's. Total weight reduction was around 30 pounds. WIth the lighter wheels - I noticed better acceleration, dramatic improvement in braking (not quantitatively as in less feet, but in "feel" as the car was working less hard to break) and sharper turning. I don't know if it was just me, but also with the lighter wheels, I felt like the suspension was working more (think fat kid v skinny kid on a pogo stick). I like the SL65's wheels also but coming from riding motorcycles, a cardinal sin is to make your wheels heavier rather than lighter.

Nstar

What you're saying makes sense, but remember an SL isn't close to a bike or even to something like an SLK or M3 for that matter. Unless jwrichter plans on gutting his SL then I wouldn't be concerned about adding a little unsprung weight on a car not known for it's handling and unless he's as committed to speed as you are 99% of people wouldn't notice the slightly bigger, slightly heavier wheel (respect on the E55 by the way).

In my opinion, the 19 inch SL65 wheels look absolutely perfect on the W230 and allow just enough sidewall to maintain practicality too.

Apifane

I'm with you Nstar. Love the look. That's why I just purchased some mint Style 4 2-piece 19"...arriving next week. Now I'm beating myself-up crunching all the data out there for new tires.

lkirchner

Before you jump do a search on this forum or Google the wheels. Many people have had problems with the wheels (barrels) cracking and the rivet/screws loosening. I had them on my SL55 and did not have any problems but again I had 12,000 miles on them.

jwrichter

Thanks to you all, I live in Florida so the weather is basically hot and hotter, I only put 3000 miles on a year and drive reasonably......for an SL 55 owner. After digesting these posts I'll continue my search for the SL 65 2 piece and keep reading this thread.
Jim

cal1

You live in the land of 19s and 20s. Go for it.

sprins

Do it!

503C43 ////AMG

I read an article that showed 18" rims were better in every way vs 19" rims, the only reason you go to 19" is because you like the look. The ride is really rough but there is 0 sidewall flex. I'm thinking about downsizing to 18"...

sprins

I read an article that showed that strawberry ice-cream is better than chocolate ice-cream in every way. ...

jwrichter

Good grief SPRINS that's even my color, GIMMIE those wheels!

sprins

Haha! I do have a spare set of these wheels. In wide offset for the best look. If you are located in Europe shipping is a piece of cake. Let me know if you are interested.

-edit: I just saw the Florida residence :-( -

cal1

Beautiful!!! just plain BEAUTIFUL

lkirchner

Whoever wrote that article didn't know what they were talking about!!

Havoc

I'm going to down size from my 20" HREs to these Sterling Silver AMG IV 2-piece split-spoke wheels, 19x8.5 ET25/Front, 19x10 ET28/Rear. They came off a 2008 CLS 63 AMG with Performance Package. My 20" HREs will be going into storage for a while.

I say go for it and keep an eye out for the Performance Package wheels from the CLS AMGs as these cars have aggressive offsets and 10" rears!

Viet_Amg408

FROM 18" TO 20" WHEEL..FEEL LIKE A 30% OF MY POWER LOST

jwrichter

Beautiful, just freakin beautiful!!

jwrichter

Beautiful, just freakin beautiful!!

sprins

+1 Get the agressive offset now that you still have a choice.

deliman

I went from the 18" Turbine wheels to the 2 Pc. Gunmetal SL65 Wheels anout 3 years ago on my 2005 SL55. They look so much better and easy to clean. The 19 inch do ride a little rougher. And yes they are a few pounds heavier. But its way worth the investment. Go For It.