GhettoMD

I have a question, years of being on the forum, appears that the w211 amg forum visitors are often the most knowledgeable ones... I have a 2005 w211 E5004matic with full brabus exterior package/exhaust, recently I have my eyes on a set of 20 inch staggered setup, fronts 255/30/20, and rears 265/30/20. Two questions I have is:

1. Without lowering will the car look like a X5, if people have pics without lowering please post.

2. Slightly staggered wheel on 4matic, I used the ride height calculator, and ride height difference is very small. I have asked a lot of people, including MB alignment techs, and have gotten different opinions on this. Theoretically the slight difference in width of tires should not be harmful to the ride height, given that ride height and diameter is the same?

Please comment or advise. Thanks

Fast55

I would stay away from 20's in your part of the country. I'll assume you went with a 4-matic because of the winters and generally bad roads? You'll be risking a bent wheel, harsh ride, and far fewer all season tire choices with 20's. If you really want 20's, I would not do a staggered setup since that will prevent rotating the tires, which is even more important on a 4-matic VS 2wd car. A non-staggered 19" or even 18" setup for weight savings makes more sense.

jangy

Post up your OEM sizes, so we can compare. IF you are keeping the original outer diameter the same, then that is fine. As for the slight difference between the tire sizes you have chosen, that is a slightly different thing. The difference COULD be small enough that you see no difference. It all depends on how tight your diffs are. If they are locking (I doubt it), then it can be an issue. My assumtion would be that as long as you keep the OEM outer diameter, then the car will be in the same spot it is now. If your new setup has taller tires, you will throw off your gearing and potentially how the computers calculate slip. My guess again would be that ESP would kick in much quicker.
Lastly, why 20s?

GhettoMD

Thanks for the advise guys, I want to go for 19s but just found a good deal on the 20s. I think the 4matic setup OEM is 245/40/17s. In NYC roads are definitely tough, as I would keep my other set for the winter time

jangy

I would only go with 20s if you really want them. I wouldn't take a set for free, so you may want to reconsider getting them just because of the deal.

Man, going from 17s to 20s is a big move, especially if you are starting out with 40 series tires.

Good luck with that. You are treading on grounds that few have gone, so I say do plenty of test fits and such. Who knows, someday you may hae the most aggressive setup on a 4matic?

GhettoMD

Jangy, do you anyone with 4matic and has 19 inch staggered setup? I prefer the staggered look because of nice deep lip in the rear wheel, of course I can still opt to use the same size for all four wheels, what do you think?

jangy

I do have friends that have taken a 4matic and made it more of a sporty ride by adding staggered rims and lowering. You have to be careful on the stress that you put onto the front drivetrain. It can be done and you need to decide what you want. If it is an AWD sporty car, then it can be done. What you will have the hardest time with is getting the proper wheel and tires. Try to keep the overall diameter as close to OEM as possible. Good luck. If you have a configuration you want to try, let me know and I'll run it through the system to see if it will rub. I have no algorythms for 4matic, though.

GhettoMD

Thanks for the help, Jangy. The 19 inch setup would be 245/35/19 and 275/30/19 staggered, or I can just do the 245/35/19 all the way around. I now have 245/35/18 all around my car and it actually feels fine. Let me know if the system will accept the 19 inch setup. Thanks

GhettoMD

I calculated the overall diameters for some 'tested sets' by the aftermarket tireshops. For example, for 255/30/20 and 265/30/20, the OD are 26.25 and 26.02, difference of 0.23 inch. Also, for a set of 245/35/19 and 275/30/19, the difference is 0.26 inch. Do you guys think is neglible enough not to affect the unlocked differentials on a 4matic? Also, I've seen members use different tire pressures (for example, 35 psi in front and 30psi in the rear) to make the overall circumference even closer. What do you guys think?

jangy

Do the calculations based on percentage and do not change any more than 5%.

The numbers you are posting are pretty minor, but keep in mind that the ESP kicks in more quickly on taller tires, the it magnifies any little slip. It is the same issue with gearing and losing low end power.

CynCarvin32

without getting to deed into this I have been told that running a staggered setup on a 4matic car is a bad idea. I Know when you order a 4matic car with an amg sports package, the car no longer comes with staggered tires. In the W220 the amg kit cars came with 245 tires all around and the same went for the W211 cars.

They say the 4 wheel drive system does not work well and can be damaged by having any difference in rolling circumference. I am no expert on 4matic cars but this is what I was told.

I do agree however that 20 inches is mighty big. 19 is as big as i could see going on a W211.

GhettoMD

Thanks for the advice guys... I wonder if different overall circumference will have an effect in the way differentials in a 4matic vehicle work. I wonder how the computer calculate possible slip (if that has to do with circumference of fronts and rears). I have to say that I did have a staggered setup for about 7000 miles and I really did not have problems with slip, ESP, etc. Sounds like the smart thing to do is go for 245/35/19s all around and give up the deep lip in the back... afterall it is still new york and those weeks of snow really stinks