Dean62

OK so I have been contemplating the upgrade to my wheels. The wheels that I have been thinking about are either the HRE 547R or the Competition series or the BBS LM's. My car is on stock 18 right now. Will I notice a more bone jarring ride if I move to a larger wheel? I like the looks of the wheels I am thinking about but don't want an uncomfortable ride either. Any experience will be appreciated.

AKxSpyO

I just switched from stock 18's to 19's and in my opinion i can't tell a difference in the ride difference.

rrrruBENZ///E55

In any case, a plus one wheel modification will always offer a better ride than a plus two wheel modification. The bottom line is tire section height. Just my three cents (inflation).

rbc55

i have 20" hre 547r with 245/30/20 and 285/25/20 plus lowered with kleemann module,ride isn't harsh but you definately feel the road more.car feels more stable and handles better.risk of bent wheels and tire damage increases considerably though as i have already bent two wheels and destroyed one tire in 2500 miles.

D2-AUTOSPORT

The funny thing about the 19s vs. 20s debate is the tire choices that most go for negate the entire argument! The average sizes that people run with 20s is 245/35 and 275/30 or 285/30. And those with 19s's are running the same sizes!! So its the same amount of sidewall.

The only cars that can truly take advantage of the 19s are ones that can run the "fat" setup which is 245/40 and 275/35

E55 RUSS

Sorry...but I think you supposed to run 245/30 and 285/25 on 20's which have less sidewall the 245/35 and 275/30 or 285/30 on 19's...yes

If you roads are good then go for 20's...look much better IMHO...

Rafal

You are correct. The sizes he quoted, mounted on 20" rims would have given him CL/S-Class rolling diameters.

rrrruBENZ///E55

In essence, you are correct. Again, the bottom line is tire section height. Tire section height plus rim size determines wheel diameter. In any aftermarket application, one must remain within + or - 3% of the stock diameter. Dean62 did not state the year of his E55; so, we do not know his stock diameter. Nonetheless, applying over the + or - 3% to our vehicles as D2-AUTOSPORT mentioned (I believe he is speaking of vehicles in general), though improving the quality of the ride, will play havoc with a number of suspension and braking components. However, as always, there is a remedy to this "fat" application...speedometer calibration.

jenk12m

looks like i'm running the FAT setup 245/40/19, 275/35 on my S class though. ride comfort hasnt changed at all.

D2-AUTOSPORT

Exactly and in many other applications that we have done this on the speedometer is still within oem spec reading or very close. Also yes I was speaking generally as a rule of thumb to try and challenge the mis-conception that states "19s ride better so I'ma just get 19s". The amont of people that assume that and change wheels only to have MORE issues because the wheel is now falling into the pothole rather than skating over it, is amazing.

Also keep in mind that the 245/30 and 285/25 tires are generally new to the market (about 6-8months on the street), so thre are ALOT of w211's out there running the 245/35 and 275/30 tires right now.

Thanks for the support

D2-AUTOSPORT

Yup thats it, and its the reason for your overall relative comfort. Some midsize cars can handle the fat setup with no issue (such as the Lexus GS, and LS)

Dean62

I have a 2006 E55. I have 18s with the conti's standard tires. Not sure of the sizes. I would like to upgrade the wheels so long as i can do so without affecting the ride quality.

medici78

I went with 245/35/19, 275/30/19 Michelin PS2 and 19x9, 19x10 Iforged Daytona wheels. There is a slight increase in NVH, but the ride is pretty much the same.

rrrruBENZ///E55

Nineteens are the way to go. Follow medici78's lead. He chose optimum diameter sizes. 245/35/19 (25.75) F 275/30/19 (25.49) R. Both sizes are well within stock spec: 245/40/18 (25.71) F 265/35/18 (25.30) R. If you choose twentys, you may as well be riding on bare rims.

rbc55

that's not true,have you driven a w211 e55 with 20" wheels?i have 20" on mine, as well as kleemann lowering module and the car still rides exceptionally well.

rrrruBENZ///E55

Alright, may be I was being a bit harsh. Re:"...riding on bare rims." However, would you agree that 20's on E55s and potholes are not a great mix?

D2-AUTOSPORT

19s will not mix much better honestly. Any deviation from stock will yield some sort of change, of course the level of tolerance is distinct to the individual.

There are some that prefer the firmer setup and can easily accept a few jiggles over the stiff stuff, lol

C32 MIA

you can barely tell the difference because of the active suspension our cars have. i have 20's with 285/25's- there is almost no tire, all chrome lip- and it rides as smooth as can be. the few bumps in the road i have encountered have caused little concern, i lowered mine thru star and it's such a nice fit. here are two pics since i lowered it (sig pics not lowered)-


[IMG][/IMG]

pas

I have 20's and I hate the way the car rides it is totally different than the 18's. I need a new set of tires though so that may be making it worse. I also have a 285/30 in the rear and they rub and the car does the wiggle thing. The car makes noises it never made before and the ride is much worse. The car looks a lot better but that is the only improvement.

C32 MIA

worn tires make it alot worse on any low profile tire. it makes noises?? wiggle thing? did you lower it as well? camber adjusted? my tires don't rub and it's pretty damn low

pas

Car is stock aside from the wheels, not lowered at all. When the tires rub the computer senses it and gets confused so under hard acceleration the car leans to one side then the other I guess because the traction control is doing something. You can't hear or feel the rub but you can see evidence of it when you take the wheels off. If I decide to keep the wheels I need to try 285/25's and maybe some small spacers to solve the rubbing, but the ride sucks. I can't believe you don't notice a difference compared to the 18's.

pas

this thread has pictures of my car with the wheels

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/134119-people-riding-20-s.html

C32 MIA

WOW your tires are very very chunky & bulky looking compared to mine, they don't look anything alike. mine have almost no bulge over the edge/bead of the rims, i can see why they might rub. i don't have pics so close up to show you better the difference, but take a look at the ones in my post here and sig.
the change in ride is noticeable, but not uncomrtable to me at all. of cousrse i am not having the same issues. upgrading to 20's and/or lower the car can create camber issues and every millimeter matters, mine has been adjusted and doesn't rub. another friend of mine has same car as me, lowered the same also with 20's with no rub isssues or noises.

medici78

I should add that on my experience with big wheels and lowered cars, the suspension itself will make up 90% of the ride comfort. My Ford F250 has a Fabtech 8" lift with 37" tires on 20" wheels, so the sidewall is huge. You think that would make a big difference and help the ride? WRONG!! The ride is very rough and bouncy due to the very stiff springs used to lift it. Considering the amazing ride of the E55, the main concern with going with 20s should not be the ride comfort as much as the increased risk of damaging your wheels.

C32 MIA

there is no question that having a larger sidewall produces a softer ride. take your truck and put some 25 or 30 profile tires on it, it will ride like even worse than you speak of now. that's a fact. suspension is the #1 issue, then coupled with that of the low profile tires. i have had rims and lowering on every car i have owned. my C32 slightly lowered rode stiff, then when i put my new wheels on it it rode stiffer to the point of being harsh over any bumps. remember only two things absorb the shock on the road- one is your tires! it's not just the suspension!!