Well I've owned an E55 for 2 years now. I've loved it with a few exceptions, some which are very long stories. Anyways, my two main ones would be the constant replacements of tires and/or wheels. The AMG wheels and tire sidewall seem to be a combination from hell, as I've replaced several. I've also lost at last part of my front bumper at least twice. This is at stock ride height and stock wheels/tires. I have another problem with the car (very long story, another time) and have the option to get a 2005 black E55. Anyways, I'm now looking at this option, along with adding on BBS LMs in 19" and fitting the biggest sidewall I can. (285?) I want the car to sit a little higher than normal, and definitely want stronger, lighter wheels, as well as taller sidewall. Not neccessarily 295 due to the dreaded sidewall shake, but 285 would be better than the current 265/245. I'm thinking 285/265 on 19s. Any input on ride height, bumper clearance, ride quality with lighter/stronger wheels would be great! I have searched and read through a lot, which has helped some, but I'd like answers to my specific questions. Again, not lowering the car, in fact wouldnt mind if the front spoiler were higher than stock. Thicker sidewalls would be nice too.

Also, the beast sure is fast, but I could go for a few go-fast goodies, as long as they wouldnt involve any major engine work.. Also, since the apparent lack of efficiency is on the cooling/intake side, wouldnt a new intercooler, intake, ECU, and maybe headers yield better mileage and performance? Since they are, for the most part efficiency related. Maybe the ECU would boost up/mileage down, but not too badly. What about a pulley? Any of these (headers excluded) cause any major installation problems or headaches?
I'm looking at solutions from Kleeman and EVO at the moment, but any opinions help.

Thanks for the input

 

deleted

 

2 years for me, at least 6 blown tires, 4 bent or ruined rims, and 2 lots front bumpers. Time for a change!

 

You guys need to talk to Luke@TireRack

 

Not sure you are going to make a 285w fit on a 19" BBS LM. Remember for an E55 the LMs are 8 1/2f and 9 1/2 rear. A 275/30-19 will work but it will not give you the taller sidewall that you want.

As far as mods go, this is a great car to transform. I am kind of bias when it comes to the best place to go. Do a search and you will receive a wealth of information.

 

I had the RennTech larger pulley, re-flashed ECU and carbon fiber air box put on my SL55 and the difference was phenominal. For the hell of it this past weekend I took the carbon fiber air box off of the SL and put it on my wife's 2006 E55 to see if there was any difference. I was amazed at how much more responsive the car was at mid range RPM's and how much better the engine sounded.

The reason I did this was to see if the price of the airbox by itself was worth the price I paid ; it was. Take a look at Renntech as well when you are considering modifications.

 

Could you possibly post a picture of what this airbox looks like? I have yet to see it anywhere.

 

Renntech’s latest performance enhancer for your SL55, CL55, E55, S55, G55, or CLS55. The airbox is available in either, black carbon fiber and silver carbon fiber. The airbox is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also allows for improved engine breathing and thus greater power output. The airbox was designed to create larger, and thus freer flowing, air passages to the engine’s throttle body. This allows the engine to ingest more air and in return, produce more power. High flow air filter elements also aid to reduce air intake restriction. The result is an average of 15hp increase on a Kompressor V8.
$3795.00

 

Better Picture. You can see how smooth the 2 sides are where they meet on the carbon fiber box versus the hoses and "Y" connector on the stock setup. The size of the airbox is also much larger in this area versus stock.

 

Thanks for the pictures guys!!

Lou: Any chance you can show a picture of it from the back-side so we can see what the connection looks like that goes to the TB? I am really interested to see how much work went into this and if it is worth the purchase.

 

I'll try this weekend but the air box is almost touching the firewall so to get a picture of it on may be difficult.
The unit attaches to the TB directly from the carbon fiber unit and does not use any hoses like the stock unit. If you look real close at the picture that I attached you can make out the carbon fiber overlapping the TB. There is a gasket on the inside that acts as a seal. The shape/bends of the carbon fiber unit are very smooth and you can see where the air flow would be improved. The air boxes are also larger than the stock unit as are the bends that lead into the TB.

In any event I'll give it a try short of removing the box.

 

Are there any good 19 inch wheels I could fit on the car that would fulfill everything I need and allow 285s?

I was actually looking for an article I had read about that RennTech airbox last night, I might go that route instead.

 

What part of Texas are you from?

BTW, you can get RENNtech parts through one of our sponsors by emailing info@euroteckmotorsports.com

 

I'm in Fort Worth. I really need to get this sorted out soon. Maybe I could go the HRE route, what width would be suitable to fit 285s?