Ok here's the deal...I moved up to 19" wheels with disastrous results. several bent wheels and blown out tires. With air suspension dialed down tight there is very little room for error. Almost any road defect leaves you stranded. I am tired of heading to my nearest friendly tire shop. So I am going back to 18" wheels. I want something with a decent 1" lip and in chrome. i like the look of a multi (anywhere from 5 to 11) spoke wheel and I dislike anything too solid (monoblocks are out). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Next, onto the tires. I would love to move up to the largest possible tire just short of something that rubs. I spec'd out Michelin PS2 295 35 18's for the rear (reportedly used on the rear of the SLR) and 265 40 18's on the front. Has anyone gone to that tire size? Does anyone think that they will rub? they are approximately 1" larger in hight and width. I do not think that will cause a problem. Their load values are equivalent to OEM. Any info, suggestion and especially experience would be great.

 

Rims: HRE Competition 22s
Fronts: Mild: 9X18et37 Wild:9.5X18et35
Rears: Mild: 10X18et42 Wild:10.5X18et45

Tire size, I think you are a profile high on all counts.
265/40 on the front will be 2.4% increase in diameter. May not sound like much, but ESP will be all in your drawers in spirited driving. The car just doesn't act right (for me). keep in mind that the car has a bunch of sensors all around that it reacts to. Pulling it out of its sweet spot for some of those may end up being a pain. Also, I can tell you from experience that it rubs. It rubs when there is a dip in a turn, because the wide profile is crossing the plane of the fender. Now, that 1/2 inch between the top of the fender and the middle of the axle doesn't seem so small.

Alternatively, I say go with 265/35 and 295/40. I love mine. I have Ps2s and RA048s in that size and I love em.

 

Jangy I checked the Michelin site and cannot find the rear size 295 40 18 in the PS2 Is that what you have on the rears?

 

I have searched for Jangy's recommended tire sizes for an 18" wheel with no success. Can anyone else chime-in on the largest sized setup for 18's that will work without disturbing the sensors and/or rubbing.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for wheels (my preference is chrome) in 18's (staggered) that are not $5,000+. The car comes off lease in 18 months and I just don't see the sense of spending that much; but would like to get something more appealing than the standard OEM silver without a lip type wheels.

Finally I finished the year by getting an 08 ML 350 (for the few bad weather days and the kids' car) and a S550 4matic (wife).

 

just stay stock.

 

****, my bad. I meant 295/30s. They come standard on many 911s. I am now running the Yokohama AO48s.

 

MIG-E55rocket has 18'' HRE for sale.

 

Specs? I thought I was the only one running 18" HREs (other than to drag).

 

It's in his sig. He had r888 tires on them the rims are in the classifieds on this forum

 

Very nice. Now, I have to hunt him down to see his sig. Nice to see someone else going with 18s.

 

Sup Mr. Jangy...LOL, I am running 18's bro..well I was, the beast is gone. Once I was serious getting into the low 11's I up the game with the 18's and the R888, lethal combo might I add. Here is my sig one last time..lol..

 

WOW!! I can't believe I didn't notice them before. Friggin gorgeous. I love that color combo. I saw it first on Charle's, but his are 19s.

What are the specs on the rims and tires? What you gonna get next?

 

Yes give specs!!!! i am looking a something similar my self in fact (for CLS though).

Running stock 5 spoke AMG rims 18

tire: is Firelli Pzero rosso
front: 255/40
rear 285/..

I would really love to Upgrade my tire with more traction and a wider tire, while keeping to the true nature of a performace sedan (comfort/ handling etc) ,but have had no luck and am not sure with what is safe

Any help on this matter and what to get would be great!!

 

Are you getting new rims? If you are running OEM rims, then you can easily go to 265/35 and 295/30 with no rubbing issues.

 

I was thinking about it as people told me 285 is the max i can go on the rears with my OEM
was thinking HRE 19 but then saw the price + new tire and was like gah

So what tire combo (brand/ size) would you recommend?

 

I need to know your model and package. For now, I will assume CLS500? That is the only one I know of that runs the AMG Style IV wheels in an 18.

My general rule of thumb is this. Whatever tire size a car comes with, I typically RAISE the width by one cm (i.e. 255 to 265) and drop the profile by 5%. That is called a 1+ Jangy style. Usually, a plus 1 is for adding diameter and not width. So, from going to 19s, you would keep the same widths and drop a profile.

I run 295s on 18X9.5AMG rims and have NEVER had an issue. Would 10s be ideal? Yup, that is where the HREs come in. But, if you are just needing new tires, I say go one size wider and drop a profile on front and rear and you will like it.

 

No my car is a 06 cls55. Rims & tires came with it (stock). 19's are an option, look at my pic . I know its small

So ill go hunting for this then 265/35 and 295/30
Michelin PS2 or Nitto Invo? need to see if they come in that size..

 

WOW!! I thought the CLS had 19s on them. Sorry, not a big fan so i really don't keep up.

Yes, I do like your tire selection and sizes.

 

OK here is what i have found

PS2 comes in front: 265/35 and rear: 295/30

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...irePageLocQty=

But Nitto Invo has these options
http://www.nittotire.com/#index%2Etire%2Einvo%2Esizes

Front
255/40 18 99w
255/35 18 94w
275/35 or 40 18 99w

Rear
295/35ZR 18 99w

Does that mean it is a no show for the INVO?

 

Unless you want to mix and match tires. The fronts are no good. I've done some mixing of tires in the past (and still do). I like to try out lots of different brands in different conditions and then I'll try to get the set on my car that I think matches my style and the route. Sometimes I like really tight fronts and bubbly rears, while other times I want it fairly balanced (high speeds). Aside from width, speed rating, etc. the actual brand and tread can make a big difference on how the car behaves.