I know this sounds crazy to most of you...but, can the E55 suspension be RAISED about an inch or so to accomodate 20" wheels. I hear that the car can be lowered even more than it already is from the factory using a trained factory tech who has a STAR diagnostic computer. Since the car is already made to sit lower than an E500 (which has no problem accomodating 20's) why not simply "reverse" the process by an inch or so?
Personally, I prefer the look of an E55 on 20's than an E55 with those wimpy 18's! I think the car has way too much "heft" to simply have factory 18's. And.. because the car sits 1-2 inches lower than a normal E class, you just can't slap on bigger wheels without modifying the fenders. I personally don't believe that the car has to ride as low as it does. Add the fact that the car's computer lowers it even further at higher speeds and the car looks like a low rider at 60 mph. An extra inch in ride height would make little or no difference in performance yet it would allow for some really *****en wheel mods... Any thoughts on this guys? Can it be done?
Thanks

dont put 20's on it. It would alter the performance, the added weight, height, and comfort would keep me away from it. I would get a nice set of 19's and go really wide in the back, thats all you need really.

Yes it can be done. But you need to ask yourself, "why do I want to do this?"

1) As far as I can tell, the stock height of the E55 v. the E500 is not "1-2 inches lower" and certainly not v. the E320.

2) What does bigger wheels have to do with lowering? Nothing, as long as you keep the same overall diameter tires. Yes, there are tires to fit 20" wheels that are the same diameter as the E55 original tires, or at least a lot closer than what most people use.

3) I am running 19s with tires that are the same overall diameter as what most people use for 20s, which is the correct diameter for the S-class. My car is also even further lowered than stock, and it does not rub at all because the tire widths are 245/275 front/rear. The car even lowers at above 68mph (not 60) and does not rub on big freeway bumps. I expected it not to rub, and it doesn't.

But if you want to raise it... yes it can be done, suit yourself.

-s-

I was under the impression that the E500 and E55 had the same height.. Just different tuning (probaby less body roll?).

Anyone know for sure if the E55 sits lower then E500?

e55 IS definately lower than the e500; You can fit 20s AND lower it, raising the car is unnessary and would look dumb IMO; search the forum for 211s w/20s; GL!!

Changing to a larger diameter wheel does not change the overall diameter of the tire wheel combination so there should be no need to raise it. Personally I would not put 20's on it. Consider that the ride will be harsher and noisier. Some on this forum have tried 19's and some have returned to 18 because they didn't like the ride and noise.

Are you sure you want an E55? I think you can fit 22's on a 300M with new problem.......

An E55 AMG is a high performance car. 20" rims on this chassis is mainly for looks only. Do you want a high performance car or just a show car that only sits and is admired? Do you want to drive hard or just cruise around?

Funnny,
BMW has no problem putting 19" & 20" wheels on their cars, regular series as well as M Series cars. How on Earth can you guys look at the E55 and not agree that it is undersized in the wheel department???

P.S. By no way am I a BMW fan at all!

OMG...

No offense, but you should do some research on wheel/tire/suspension set-ups. That last statement is very uneducated. What is right for one car has nothing to do with another.....especially when we are talking about some of the finest automobiles in the world that are engineered by people who I am pretty sure, know what they are doing.

I can ramble on and on about this but by saying an M3 has 19's means an E55 should too is about as intelligent as saying that since an S600 can fit a V12, then all S classes should have V12's.....or something like that.

The bottom line is that you are making an argument based on appearance and it isn't valid. 1. 18's "look" pretty damn good on an E55. 2. A larger wheel and tire package can often greatly affect a car's set-up.....upsprung weight, stress on brakes, etc.

Do your homework before you screw one of the sweetest sedans in the world.

When you make a statement have some facts and make a direct comparison. If you are comparing a mid-size W211 you should only be talking about a mid-sizw BMW 5-Series and as far as I know the only BMW car that has factory 20's is a 7-Series which is a larger chassis. Someone here already stated that 19" is a good performance setup but a 20" is not and AMG is going with the best overal tire setup for "performance" and not just looks. Plus there is starting to be a slight backlash (IMHO) against all these huge azz rims and no sidewall because of lots of flats and rim damage and customers expecting the damage to be covered under warranty.

Why stop at 20" because there are some nuts out there upset and mad because he can not put some 22 and 24 inch rims on his Mercedes. Buying a Mercedes does not guarantee the owners have common sence nor good taste.

I just think that for a car with the size & heft of an E class, 19 or 20's are a good option. Probably seems that 19's are the best compromise....
Look at the new Jag XJR..Standard with 19's and optional 20's

Dude, you just don't get it.

Again you are comparing different sized cars. The XJR is a large platform and competes with the S-Class. The E-Class and the S-Type are mid-sized cars.

The E55 cannot have 20's put on them straight up. I knoe because I ran into that problem. It doesn't matter if you raise the car in an inch because the control arm bolt will still be in the same spot. If you run 20's the tire will rub againest that bolt until the tire is out of the bolt's way. When I ran my 20's the bolt took out a lil bit of the tire because it was rubbing. Now I don't knoe if this is true but from what I hear, you can go to MB and tell them to do some kinds of mods to the suspension so that you could have them put on your car. I personally didn't because the amount of tire that was takin out was next to nothing.