I really hate to create a new thread for this, but perhaps it'll help others:

I'm looking for a set of wheels for winter use. I keep reading about it being difficult find suitable options. Yet I see plenty of 19" Merc take offs on ebay.

I'm using this calculator:
http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

Stock wheel/tire is FF 255/35-19 on 9X19 ET37 and RR 285/30-19 on 9.5X19 ET52

I plan on using OE sized tires.

I found some CLS take offs for reasonable $$. They're 8.5X19 ET34.5 and 9.5X19 ET52.

Seems like a good fit to me. I'm looking for Yeas or Nays, please.

Mostly every 19" MB take off I look at is FRONT 8.5" with offset of 34 to 35.5 and REAR 9.5" with offset of 48 to 48.5. They all seem like reasonable fits to me. Am I missing something?

When I measure the existing setup, I find there's about 0.3" to 0.4" from the edge of the tire out to the top of the fender on both axles. (Taken on flat ground using a 2' bubble level on a car that sat overnight)

Thanks.

 

Seems like a good fit. It would be like having spacers 2mm front and 4mm rear. I was running 12 mm front and rear on my C63 without problems so 2 and 4 mm should be perfect...

 

The 8.5" front wheels with give you 9mm more of inner clearance which is fine and will also tuck under the fender an additional 3mm which is probably not noticeable.

Rears will poke 4mm more and give you 4mm more clearance (like a 4mm spacer like kart said)

Seems like they will work fine.

X

PS What wheels are you considering?

 

These are three most-common 19" styles available.

I like the 1st one the best, but the 3rd one is really inexpensive. I'll get them powdercoated a dark gray, maybe two or three shades darker than Palladium. But not a black.

It's just for my winter tires. I'm not going to sweat the appearance all that much. I just don't want to get something that is not compatible.

I've been buying take-offs for my snow/winter tires for years. Never have I made such a simple decision seem so difficult.

 

Totally agree!!!

 

Make that 3!

 

My wheels arrived today. These are optional on the CLS550.





Been scouring ebay for takeoffs. Found these for $1600 shipped. The tires are the stock Contis 5P's (same as the E63) with 8-9/32nds. So they're nearly new.

I don't love the wheel design, but it's only a few months a year.

I'm going to have the tires removed. Hopefully there won't be any plugs or other repairs. Then the wheels will go off to the powdercoater for a very dark gray or dark metallic gray refinishing.

Still need to select my winter tires, but I've got another three or four weeks before we have a shot at bad weather.

 

Nice. Should look mean powder coated. Grab pics once they are done and installed.

X

 

Picked up the wheels from the coating shop.

Still have no idea what I'm going to use for my winter tires, but at least the wheels are ready to go.

Need to figure out center caps, too. Suggestions are welcome.

 

That should look really nice for a winter setup. Sure looks a lot better powder coated than stock!

 

it reminds me a bit of the audi rotor wheels that are on the R8s and RS5s etc..

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/rs3-for...-a3-s3-a4.html

 

Here's what the car looked like after all was said and done:












Used plastidip on the center caps. And mounted Pirelli Sotto II's

 

wow, that turned out great. Amazing what a little powder coating can do for the look.