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I get the sidewall issue but it already has 20s. And they look nice IMO and the car rides firm but not harsh. Has anybody actually bent or damaged a 20" wheel on these cars ? I need to get tires......so now would be the time to know. The rears are 12" wide, I's like to go 305/30/20
Last edited by RichInCanada; Jul 2, 2022 at 01:35 PM.
I have a 2009 SL600 that still has the factory 5 spoke 19" wheels on it. My 2017 SL65 came stock with 20" wheels on the rear, 19's on the front. MB did not offer front 20"wheels on the SL.I just put new tires on the SL65 because I was tired of constantly engagiing traction control beyond 1/2 throttle. I looked at 305-30-20's but the dealer was concerned the rev/mile difference would be too great with the stock front tires. They said I would have to use 305-25-20's which I did not want to do. I put Michelin PS 4S tires on, stock 255-35-19 on the front, 295-30-20 in the rear. They hook up perfect, The car will take full throttle from a 25mph roll with no traction control engagement. So those new rear tires get 738ft/lb of torque to the road.
All, that is just background. With the right tires and inflation pressures you will not notice any difference with the 20" wheels. Not sure what size tire you have on the front with 20's. A 255-35-20 should work, never tried it on an R230. The E63S uses 265-35-20 fronts with 295-30-20 rears and the car is well balanced. Again, not sure if a 265-35-20 will fit on the front of an R230. The tires you are looking at are not MB spec tires, but they are XL rated. The speed rating is not (Y) but it is more than adequate. Two reasons I did not use the similar (to the Nitto) Michelin Cup 2 tires from the AMG GT-R. First they need to be hot to work best, they never get hot enough in casual street driving. Second, they have low resistance to hydroplaning. I did 10 laps of Laguna Seca in a GT-R with Cup 2's. On a dry track they sure are great tires, never tried them on the street.The GT-R is also a great car, even I could do fast laps in it, but nowhere near a professional's time.
As far a damaging 20" wheels, I have them on the S65, the E63S and the SL65. No issues with the AMG factory wheels, cannot speak to aftermarket wheels. In the SL65 I run 38F, 36R.
Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
you will notice that MB only used 19 on the front. They cause too many problems. if you use them on the rear you still get rubbing, if its a lowered car.
So why not stay with all 19s and lower the car, you get the same visual effect
I neglected to add a few items. The 305 Nitto tires are rated for 10" to 11.5" wheels. 305mm is 12", I would not mount a tire on a wheel that is the same or greater width as the tire. With 12" wheels you need at least a 315 section tire. Not sure a 315 will work on an R230. There is no issue with 20" wheels on the rear with 285-30 or 295-30 tires. The car can be lowered if desired with no rubbing. The problem is definitely the front, which is likely why AMG used 19's on the front even with the 20" rear wheels.
Please keep in mind that you live in California, those roads aren’t subject to freeze thaw and deicer. It’s a different story in Canada and northern states where road surfaces are really bad.
I bent 3 19" fronts on my SL55 in less than a year and went back to 18s (have owned the car for 10+ years and NEVER bent an 18). Your road conditions and how fast you regularly drive will be important factors. I drive on northern California freeways mostly (poorly maintained, it would seem) and regularly drive 100 (normally 80+). If you like the look of 20s, get a spare front wheel (or 2) is my advice.
Cheers,
Chris
Last edited by latemodel21; Jul 5, 2022 at 03:40 PM.
Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
I had 19s and 20s.
I had to go back to 19 front and 20 rear. Because of the clearance on the front. So its just easier to use 19s all around, as far as Im concerned.
I've run 20's on both my sl55 and sl65 and I ran 305/25 out back on 11.5" wheels while lowered with no issues. I swapped to 305/30's out back trying to gain some comfort back and rubbed while lowered but lifted the rear back to stock and no longer rub.
I've run 20's on both my sl55 and sl65 and I ran 305/25 out back on 11.5" wheels while lowered with no issues. I swapped to 305/30's out back trying to gain some comfort back and rubbed while lowered but lifted the rear back to stock and no longer rub.
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