E55Greasemonkey

Can't seem to find any info on the 18" AMG replica wheels,the same design as our cars have from the factory. Long story short, I ordered a pair of the 18x9's from OE wheels to mess around with, have some big plans for the near future for a wide wheel/tire setup all the way around.

Toadster

18x9 only $139 here


or get a 4-pack for $689 (little different style)

cij911

you could have bought my real deal for almost the same price....

JoeNobody

Which rims? E55 style? E63?

cij911

e55...

Pjnash

Reps worked well for me, knock on wood

E55Greasemonkey

The reason I went away from factory wheels, is I am planning on widening the rears to 10". Also I had to add the cost of refinishing the used wheels vs brand new repro. These reproductions have an additional 4mm offset which "should" help them fit better on the backside than a stock 9" wheel once widened (they can only widen the backside), and hopefully make it so I do not need a spacer in the rear. I don't like my wheels sticking out, I don't want spacers if possible,I want them wide and tucked. My plan is to run 9" front and 10" rear but with a stock wheel style for my stealth E55. However, I was told these repro's will not clear the front calipers...but being the skeptic that I am, I ordered 2 to try. I can see the 8" maybe not clearing, but the 9" with the additional 4mm offset (ET35) should clear...our stock rear wheels clear the front calipers at (ET39) so unless the construction is that different on the repros ??

The other issue is that the wheels must run true in order to be widened. All the used E55 wheels I saw were rough, and now going on 7-11 years old how many are really true? On the other hand, the chinese knockoffs sometimes are not true. New oem's are ridiculous $$$. So it's new aftermarket, vs used OEM...

E55Greasemonkey

Did they clear your front caliper? Any pics?

E55Greasemonkey

The wheels arrived today and I was pleasantly surprised. For $160-ish each shipped it's a bargain.

The good:
-The 18x9 35mm offset clear the front brakes, no problem.I suspected that would be the case even though the distributor told me they would not clear. Likely nobody has ever tried a rear wheel (9") on the front. The backside clearance to the spindle is close, maybe 1" so tire width will have to be carefully selected. I do not have the 18x8 wheel to test- that is likely where the info is coming from that they do not clear our front calipers. The spokes will be a close fit for sure, but looking at the wheel I suspect the height of the caliper is the real problem..it may rub on the inner wheel rim behind the spokes. I am going to see if OE will send me a 18x8 to test, if they haven't actually done so themselves.

-Running the bare wheel on the balancer to check runout, shows all good. The wheels seem to be true.

-The paint finish is nice, gloss sparkly silver with large metal flakes and clearcoated, although not the factory "hyper silver" color.

The bad (not really bad, just not as good as good )

-The AMG logo, is actually AME . I'm assuming this was done for copyright reasons. Quite clever really. 25 dealership employees looked at this wheel mounted on my car and nobody noticed. If I ever repaint the wheels this is easily fixed with a Dremel tool and a small dab of epoxy But for now, it stays as is, nobody will ever notice it on the ground and actually we found it quite a funny conversation piece.

-The hubcentric fit of the wheel was slightly loose, maybe 1mm of play. I don't think this small amount will be an issue. May be correctable with a thin shim on the hub or a thin strip of aluminium tape wrapped around the hub to hold the wheel center while tightening.

-Paint is not the correct "hyper-silver" color

Overall very happy. The plan here is to run the 18x9's up front with the rear tire size 265/35/18. I have already test fitted my stock rears with this tire size on the front and they fit fine. 4mm more outward on the repro's should not be any major issue .Two more of these wheels will be ordered and sent to Weldcraft wheels for widening to 10" next week. I will be running 275 or 285/35/18 in the back initially and later may test a 295/30. The added 4mm offset (outward) in the back will help fit the 1" added width and keep it tucked in. I will post more info once everything is done, and I know it all fits. It will take a few weeks or 1 month with turnaround time plus shipping. Right now there is a 2-week turnaround time at Weldcraft.

I like the factory muscle-car look, but think the E55 just needs a wider/fatter tire stance. After all, we are running the same size tire/wheel combo as the E350
sport!

DVC

Very nice. I like where you're going with this.

RaceHorse

Sounds like it will be a cool set up. It seems as if we think alike. I did the same thing with stock wheels with Weldcraft. If you don't have an LSD adding one will really allow you to gain some traction.

https://mbworld.org/forums/cl55-amg-...-lsd-305s.html

E55Greasemonkey

Cool, I read your thread and we are on the same page, especially about the factory wheels. Your CL65 is a rare car and you're right about the wheels making it look like an AMG vs a CL500. I feel the same about the E55. ... And I thought I was the first person here to think about widening the factory setup . Yours turned out nice. I have some measurements to take today, but looks like I will be going with a 10" rear wheel, I don't think a 10.5 and appropriate tire will fit on the E55.

I had planned on a quaife or wavetrack diff install this winter, but I need tires soon so thought I would do this first. Maybe early next year I'll do the limited slip. It's definitely on my list, just not sure when.

E55Greasemonkey

Did some test fitting today on the rear..
Not sure right now to widen to 10" or 10.5"
10" with a 285/35/18 looks like an easy fit, tire fits real nice on the rim, but always wanting more I may be able to run 10.5" with a 295/30? with some work to the inner fender liner and shock dust boot.

I don't want the setup to look "hellastupid" "ricer" or "Mustang"

E55Greasemonkey

Looking like 10" wide so far...285/35/18 looks good; 295/35 too tall, 295/30 is a bit short; 305/30 and 315/30 gets expensive, and not many choices, and requires 10.5" rim for best fit...

JoeNobody

Will the tire poke out of the wheel well, or will it look basically the same from the outside? Stealthy wide *** tires would be so awesome. Especially when you consider it wouldn't be that expensive if it worked out.

E55Greasemonkey

No poking, the widening is done on the inside of the rim only. These repro wheels will stick out only 4mm more than the originals.

RaceHorse

I realize its a totally different platform, but my wheels are pretty much flush with the body, but when the suspension squats the wheel tucks up into the wheel well. It may be common sense, but I found using a 2 ft level against the rotor (as a straight edge) allowed me to measure inward to determine maximum spacing. Then of course based on how much you choose to widen will determine if you need a spacer.

E55Greasemonkey

I have plenty of room on the outside. I have a 9.5" SL550 wheel with the right offset..plenty of room on the inside for another 1/2". So 10" wide is safe. 10.5" rim will fit too (measured) but with the tire it may be too close. I am trying to avoid spacers, so I will do the 10", which can fit a 285/35 or 295/30.

E55Greasemonkey

Got a call yesterday from Weldcraft that my wheels are done and shipping out. Hopefully will have them Friday, or Monday at the latest. Will have pics and updates soon. Going to test the 285/35/18 on the back first.

DVC

Awesome. Looking forward to an update.

GunMoto

Subscribed for updates.

E55Greasemonkey

Just following your lead with a slightly different approach

E55Greasemonkey

The wheels came in late today. The welds and workmanship are perfect...

Test fitted a worn Pirelli Rossa, which seem to run wide in the 285/35/18 size. REALLY like the way it looks.. A little bit hanging over the side, but looks realll good. Fit on the car is perfect. No rubbing on the inside of the wheel well, It's close but my measurements were correct. Problem is I am thinking about buying a pair of these, they are not cheap @ $300+ ea

The pair of Hankook V12's I have in 285/35/18 look really lame in comparision. The sidewalls are perfectly vertical, and flat, and makes the tire look a bit small in the back when viewed standing close. Good thing, I have 2 of these. But I don't like them.

The look from the rear...mean. This is how the E55 should have come from the factory!! Both brands are a HUGE improvement over the 265/35 Conti's.

Just have to convince myself to spend the $$$ tomorrow. Uggh, I HATE buying tires. If I could find something a little cheaper than the Pirellis but with a nice sidewall I may go that route. Maybe I'll run by some tires stores tomorrow. I really want to find a tire that is assymetrical so I can flip it on the rim halfway through the tread life too.

It's late, and dark, sorry for the crappy cell phone pics.

E55Greasemonkey

More (crappy) pics...the camera lens doesn't do these tires justice...they look much wider in person

RaceHorse

Hey congratulations, I'm glad it worked out for you. Once you had a chance to see it from the back on an angle I'm sure you loved it. I ended up going with PS2's to match my fronts and they have a nice lip to protect the rim, which was something I really liked. However they are pricy ($500 each) they aren't directional so you can swap sides but there is an outside marked. I will say this after all your efforts to improve traction don't sell yourself short on tire price. Its the same price to mount and balance and the better tire is going to make you happier from behind the wheel and from behind the car.