yippyskippy107

Hello, new to the forum and its been really informative so far, i'm hoping I could get some insight to my tire loading question?

I am replacing my tires, the rears are in dire need so they will go first then eventually the fronts. When I go to tirerack.com they recommend matched sets where all 4 tires are "XL" for fat-a$$ cars like the E63 whereas tires.com shows some matched sets where only the rears are XL. Is this a safety issue if I (eventually) put "SL" wheels on the front, or will the wear be wacked out or worse?

I was trying to go for the Conti ExtremeContact DWS in which only the rears are XL. Otherwise going for the Pzero Nero AS in which its all XL

Thanks in advance.

amdeutsch

XL means stiffer sidewalls because of higher load carrying capability. If you look at the link in my sig you will find that none of mine are XL. And 275 rears is actually a closer match in diameter to the fronts than the std 265s. HTH

anerbe

XL has higher load capacity - like our mod said the structure is stiffer to avoid flexing in the off shoulder area where higher speeds can cause heat buildup and potential failure. XL's are rated to combine the already heavy weight of the car with a full capacity interior (5 passenger + cargo) at high speed with a standard inflation. to combat this, you can increase pressure in your tires, not drive fast with a full load or both.

For legal reasons where the OE manufacturer needs to account for every scenario, the vehicle requires XL tires. If you aren't putting the vehicle thru these events, SL works.

Yuille36

Bite the bullet, and spend the money on some good rubber. Don't sacrifice your safety with cheap rubber, it's and AMG for pete's sake!!!! Just my .2 cents

amdeutsch

A fully loaded E550 without the sport or AMG package comes with 245 tires all around and probably weighs as much, if not more than an AMG.. Look at the load rating on those tires. The XL may carry a higher load rating but that can be considered overkill if you don't need it. $0.02

yippyskippy107

Thanks so much amdeutsch & anerbe that does help. High speed most def yes! high speed while fully loaded probably not, so that does clarify the XL question. So it sounds like performance/traction is effected only under full load? Say driving to work and back an SL would suffice with maybe a tad more air but if your the carpool captain and like to tear it up on the twistys you might opt for XL's =D

With an XL being stiffer does that necessarily mean more road noise from the tires?

Yuille36, dont think the XL question is a matter of being cheap, XL options comes from every mfg two being Conti's and Pirelli's, last time I checked those werent considered "cheap rubber". The E63 is the heaviest car i've had to date and was unsure on the XL recommendation from the shop. Coming from an 02 E46 M3 before I never had the loading issue come up.

emoving

Lets do a partial trade for my DPEs!

citylightva

A bonus would be that those ExtremeContact DWS tires are on average 4lbs. lighter than almost any other tire in the Max Performance Summer category...Less rotating mass is always a good thing...

anerbe

^ True - Lighter tires (less material) will produce less heat during high speed runs.

For both XL and SL, there's no correlation between load capability and traction/performance. It's really for high speed endurance and impact resistance.

XL will absorb shock/bumps less, be a bit more harsh due to less give. SL's will ride nicer, but there's a slight chance of increased road hazard from potholes. You could up your PSI on the SL's to combat this, but the ride will also get harsh.

IMO, SL's work fine, and with the 4 lbs savings, that's a lot of rotating mass! You'll feel the difference.

BlkE63AMG

My recommendation is to get the XL but in Hankook Ventus evo v12. They are cheap and absolutely awesome. I have had PS2, Conti's and now the Hankooks. They are 1/2 the price and just as good as the PS2's. Just me 2 cents....

Benz-O-Rama

The Conti DWS aren't max performance - Summer, they're all season tires. I have them on my SL600 and E500 and love them to death.

The DWS stands for Dry/Wet/Snow

citylightva

So true sir, I meant Conti DW's....haha...TOTALLY different... I actually have no idea how much the DWS's weigh...

yippyskippy107

Anyone have experience on the Yoko S.Drives or BFG Super Sport AS, both price is practically the same vs the Hankook V12's?

citylightva

I currently have S.Drives on my E63. They're okay tires, they howl in corners a lot but they let go slow, no snapping...They don't hook in the rear as well as other tires I've had on. I'm at about 1/3 tread on the rears after 7K and around 1/2 on the fronts. Should get about 10K, and I drive hard...

yippyskippy107

Ended up ordering RE760 275's, which are "SL" load rated but at the higher limit before going into "XL" range so they should work fine according to the tire guys. Hope they work out!

Thx everyone for your feedback it certainly helped!