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Since it looks like I am getting nice new shiny red calipers from the dealer, and I am due for tires in about 2 months, that perhaps I would upgrade wheels.
I looked through a few wheels threads on this forum and found one that I kinda like. It is on RALCBAH's car. He has the same black model and I think these look pretty nice. Picture screenshot from other thread below.
The wheels are monoblock 6061-T6 aluminum made by BC Forged model EH172 in Brushed Black. They also make the same wheel in a Dark Brushed Black. But I think the color below will play as I have the Designo interior with the mocha panels. This set is about $3450 out the door. I looked at some HRE wheels that were similar, but woah, they are 3X the cost. Also, on their website, it looks like I can get machined center caps with the MB Star instead of their logo.
I want to stick with 19's. I believe 20's will just be too harsh of a ride. But I would like to move 9-1/2 in the front and 10-1/2 in the rear to allow for 305's in the rear.
Many of you guys know a lot more about offsets and spacers than I do so I am hoping this combination I am after is pretty straight forward without need for anything special. I have stock suspension and do not plan to lower the car. Please advise.
Since it looks like I am getting nice new shiny red calipers from the dealer, and I am due for tires in about 2 months, that perhaps I would upgrade wheels.
I looked through a few wheels threads on this forum and found one that I kinda like. It is on RALCBAH's car. He has the same black model and I think these look pretty nice. Picture screenshot from other thread below.
The wheels are monoblock 6061-T6 aluminum made by BC Forged model EH172 in Brushed Black. They also make the same wheel in a Dark Brushed Black. But I think the color below will play as I have the Designo interior with the mocha panels. This set is about $3450 out the door. I looked at some HRE wheels that were similar, but woah, they are 3X the cost. Also, on their website, it looks like I can get machined center caps with the MB Star instead of their logo.
I want to stick with 19's. I believe 20's will just be too harsh of a ride. But I would like to move 9-1/2 in the front and 10-1/2 in the rear to allow for 305's in the rear
305's in the rear hu? I have 295's and its tight on the inside and flush at the fender. I'm sure its possible but it is likely to poke out a little. The other consideration would be the width in front.
The math for offset is fairly straightforward once you're able to visualize it. The gist is:
Offset is relative to the middle of your wheel. Middle = 0mm. If mounting point is closer to the outside, offset is positive. If mounting point is closer to the inside, offset is negative.
As offset gets larger, the further your wheel will go in/toward the car (since mounting point is closer to the outside, it "pulls" the wheel in)
As offset gets smaller, the further your wheel will go out/toward the outside (since mounting point is closer to the inside, it "pushes" the wheel out)
You change the offset by either getting a wheel with a different offset or use spacers to "push out" more. Though keep in mind that you can achieve a smaller offset (i.e., go further out) by adding spacers but you can't get a bigger offset since you can't remove space by adding something.
Example: Say your stock offset is 30mm. If you replaced it with a 50mm offset wheel, it'd be 20mm more "sunken" into your car. If you replaced with a 10mm offset wheel, it'd be 20mm more "sticking out" of your car. In both cases, it may look weird, cause poor handling, or you just flat-out can't install them because of rubbing on wheel well/suspension.
Now take our stock widths/offsets:
Tire width - front: 255mm, rear: 285mm
Offsets - front: 37mm, rear: 52mm
Say you just slapped on 305 in the rear and kept the same offset. You can visualize it in this manner: The position of the center of the wheel has not changed relative to old 285. Instead, you now have 10mm more on the outside and 10mm more on the inside.
Ok, now let's say you want it to look more aggressive and/or the extra 10mm on the inside is causing rubbing. You can decrease offset by 10mm to compensate (mount point further in/pushes wheel out) by either using spacers or a wheel with offset of 52 - 10 = 42mm. Now you have 20mm more on the outside and unchanged on the inside.
Finally, let's say you prefer the factory stance so you want the extra 10mm on the outside to go away. You can increase the offset by 10mm to compensate (mount point further out/pulls wheel in). Spacers can't remove space so your only option is to find a wheel with offset of 52 + 10 = 62mm. Now the outside is unchanged and you have have 20mm more on the inside (which will likely cause rubbing).
As for how much you can safely add to the inside/outside without rubbing, you should go through some of the wheel/tire threads to see what other folks have been able to have success with. Based on memory, I think a "safe" up-size is to go 265/295 front/rear though I'm not sure whether the offset needs to change as well.
Last edited by amgwagonne; 09-25-2019 at 08:42 PM.
Reason: formatting
Loved the look! The 305s out back were hankook ventus or something. Tires themselves did great, but they are def not the same size tire as say a Michelin ps4s 305....hankook fit just fine..perfect one might say. Had the michelins in the same size been on, would've looked differently probably. Take that into consideration.
E 63S Wagon Renntech, E55 Renntech, SL65, SL 55 030, ML, bunch of old ones--they come, they go...
It's just me, but...
the 305's look like doughnuts in the back. Too much sidewall, and there is definitely less clearance with those. Also, they are more to "turn over" than a 285/30 (my choice) or 295/25 (pushing it and ride quality suffers, if that's possible).
The bigger number is not necessarily always the better choice.....
JMHO, after messing with these cars a BUNCH...
Looks like I will stick with the 295's in the rear that I already have but move to 1/2 inch wider wheel. Which brings me to a question:
I have looked at various threads and seen a couple of differently reported stock wheel sizes and offsets. Can someone give me the exact stock wheel widths and offsets?
Is it 9 and 9-1/2 or 9-1/2 and 10?
Offsets? 37 front and 52 rear?
If I move to only a 1/2 inch wider rim do I need to adjust offsets?
The old saying is that you get what you pay for. HRE Performance Wheels are designed, engineered, and manufactured here in the U.S. The other...not so much haha.
You would be a much happier person holding off on buying wheels altogether just to save up for an HRE that is on par with the quality of car that you have.
Looks like I will stick with the 295's in the rear that I already have but move to 1/2 inch wider wheel. Which brings me to a question:
I have looked at various threads and seen a couple of differently reported stock wheel sizes and offsets. Can someone give me the exact stock wheel widths and offsets?
Is it 9 and 9-1/2 or 9-1/2 and 10?
Offsets? 37 front and 52 rear?
If I move to only a 1/2 inch wider rim do I need to adjust offsets?
Thanks Again
Our stock wheels are 9" front, 9.5" rear. The offsets I already listed in an earlier reply and it is indeed 37mm front 52mm rear. If you were moving to a 10" rim in the rear with 285mm tires, then yes, you'd just keep same offset because you're changing essentially nothing since tire width is unchanged. If you're moving to 295mm tires though, I'd do some searching on the forums to see if anyone mentions rubbing/clearance issues on the inside. If that's an issue, you may need to get wheels that are at least 52 - (295 - 285) / 2 = 47mm offset to have at least the same inside clearance as stock (or use spacers to achieve the same effect).
Incidentally, 285mm typically calls for 10" wheels so I'm not sure why Mercedes settled on 9.5" for stock. Does anyone know why they made that decision? I do prefer having the sidewalls stick out a bit past the rims though so I actually like the stock setup.
The old saying is that you get what you pay for. HRE Performance Wheels are designed, engineered, and manufactured here in the U.S. The other...not so much haha.
You would be a much happier person holding off on buying wheels altogether just to save up for an HRE that is on par with the quality of car that you have.
BC Forged might have a different opinion. LOL. It's not rocket science. tempered 6061 billets. I know a few guys with other nice cars that love their BC Forged wheels. Just because you charge more does not make the wheels better.
With that said, I agree you make a great product. But bang for the buck? Not so much.
BC Forged might have a different opinion. LOL. It's not rocket science. tempered 6061 billets. I know a few guys with other nice cars that love their BC Forged wheels. Just because you charge more does not make the wheels better.
With that said, I agree you make a great product. But bang for the buck? Not so much.
I'm certain they will have a shining opinion of their own product.....
It's not rocket science but it is mechanical engineering. Doesn't matter what material you use if you don't engineer a wheel properly. One spoke too thin and you're making a B-line for the wall if the wheel fails.
PS - we're not the manufacturers of HRE Performance Wheels; just their largest dealer
I'm certain they will have a shining opinion of their own product.....
It's not rocket science but it is mechanical engineering. Doesn't matter what material you use if you don't engineer a wheel properly. One spoke too thin and you're making a B-line for the wall if the wheel fails.
PS - we're not the manufacturers of HRE Performance Wheels; just their largest dealer
FYI,
You are conversing with a seasoned Mechanical Engineer that specializes in product design. I'm sure both companies run extensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations on each wheel design and employ the appropriate safety factors. All I'm trying to say here is both are good products. And BTW, it's not an issue of what I can afford or "saving up for" your wheels. It's more about what I see as cost effective.
Looks like I will stick with the 295's in the rear that I already have but move to 1/2 inch wider wheel. Which brings me to a question:
I have looked at various threads and seen a couple of differently reported stock wheel sizes and offsets. Can someone give me the exact stock wheel widths and offsets?
Is it 9 and 9-1/2 or 9-1/2 and 10?
Offsets? 37 front and 52 rear?
If I move to only a 1/2 inch wider rim do I need to adjust offsets?
Thanks Again
If you're going to go with BC forged, call them and discuss your setup with them first. They'll give you the best widths and offsets to work with certain tire, lowered or not, etc. Talk with Dan.
Our stock wheels are 9" front, 9.5" rear. The offsets I already listed in an earlier reply and it is indeed 37mm front 52mm rear. If you were moving to a 10" rim in the rear with 285mm tires, then yes, you'd just keep same offset because you're changing essentially nothing since tire width is unchanged. If you're moving to 295mm tires though, I'd do some searching on the forums to see if anyone mentions rubbing/clearance issues on the inside. If that's an issue, you may need to get wheels that are at least 52 - (295 - 285) / 2 = 47mm offset to have at least the same inside clearance as stock (or use spacers to achieve the same effect).
Incidentally, 285mm typically calls for 10" wheels so I'm not sure why Mercedes settled on 9.5" for stock. Does anyone know why they made that decision? I do prefer having the sidewalls stick out a bit past the rims though so I actually like the stock setup.
They went with 9.5" and 10" on the CLS. Those wheels fit the E63 great. Not sure why we got the smaller setup.
Hey, Vrod, I happen to be running Dark Brushed Black BC Forged in the dimensions you mentioned. 19x9.5 ET32 Front 275/35 tires and 19x10.5 ET47 Rear 305/30 tire. At stock ride height, you will rub a bit on the fender liner up front (Not noticeable during driving) I am sure said rubbing will go away if I dropped Front tire size to a 265/35.
Also, BC Forged advised I should have gone with ET35 Front and 52 Rear. That turned out too be a bit too close to the inside of the car for MY comfort... so, I am running spacers to achieve the aforementioned offsets.
Hey, Vrod, I happen to be running Dark Brushed Black BC Forged in the dimensions you mentioned. 19x9.5 ET32 Front 275/35 tires and 19x10.5 ET47 Rear 305/30 tire. At stock ride height, you will rub a bit on the fender liner up front (Not noticeable during driving) I am sure said rubbing will go away if I dropped Front tire size to a 265/35.
Also, BC Forged advised I should have gone with ET35 Front and 52 Rear. That turned out too be a bit too close to the inside of the car for MY comfort... so, I am running spacers to achieve the aforementioned offsets.
So if I understand you correctly, you went with their recommendation of 35 front and 52 rear. But after getting the wheels they seemed too close on the inside so you added spacers?
At this point I am strongly leaning toward the wheels in the op picture but in brushed DARK black. I plan to pay the little bit extra for them to machine the centers to accept my stock wheel’s caps with the star. I am also leaning toward the 9.5 front and 10.0 rear. Almost the same as yours except fot the 10.0 vs 10.5.
I would like to run 295’s in the rear and 265’s in the front. I’m assuming this setup should not present any rubbing issues.
I will be calling BC tomorrow to go over all this to verify.
So if I understand you correctly, you went with their recommendation of 35 front and 52 rear. But after getting the wheels they seemed too close on the inside so you added spacers?
This is correct. I dealt w/ a company I found through a Corvette forum, PK Auto Design, the guy was very nice and would literally reply to my emails at ANY hr of the day. He swore to me that BC's people REALLY know their stuff when it came to fitment. At the time, I had seen Ralbach's ride and attempted to copy his specs down sizing to 19's. The guy at PK got back to me saying BC advised I went with ET35 F and 52 R KNOWING my intention was to run 275/35/19 F and 305/30/19 R. In short, yeah, they went a bit too conservative and I added spacers to get them as flush they can go and to gain a bit more clearance on the inside of the car. To be completely transparent, the wheels DID clear the suspension. Just with the tires I am running they came too close for comfort.
At this point I am strongly leaning toward the wheels in the op picture but in brushed DARK black. I plan to pay the little bit extra for them to machine the centers to accept my stock wheel’s caps with the star. I am also leaning toward the 9.5 front and 10.0 rear. Almost the same as yours except fot the 10.0 vs 10.5.
I would like to run 295’s in the rear and 265’s in the front. I’m assuming this setup should not present any rubbing issues.
Here is a close up pic of what the color is like
It's hard to show what the color really looks like. The tone/shade changes depending on lighting and how clean your wheels are. Some times they even look a bit on the grayish side.
Why pay extra for them to machine the wheels to run OE center caps? eBay, bro! Buy a set of cheap eBay ones and call it a day! Actually, I dunno if those would fit the BC Wheels. I have the forged twin five spokes and took the ugly lug covers off and replaced them with a set of eBay ones. They work on the OE wheels.
Lastly, you should be totally fine running 19x10.5 ET45-7 with 295/30/19. I have no issues with my 305's at the rear. 265/35/19 F should also be fine w/ a 9.5 width wheel. However, you should check if the overall diameter would match with that combo.
Keep us posted on what you end up with.... and.... the KW HAS is a great kit for lowering the car!.... I ALSO said I wasn't gonna lower... hahahahaa!
go 305 on the back. No one ever says “my tires are too wide.”.
You should have led that with ignorant people. There is a such thing as too wide. Wider tires have various draw backs and if you're not taking advantage of the added width then it could be working more against you than for you.
You should have led that with ignorant people. There is a such thing as too wide. Wider tires have various draw backs and if you're not taking advantage of the added width then it could be working more against you than for you.
09-25-2019, 06:18 PM
