Ideal rim and tire size for W209 CLK55?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 458
Likes: 1
From: Oxford, Pa
03 CLK55
Ideal rim and tire size for W209 CLK55?
Hey all...
As I mentioned in my "Question regarding wheel repair" thread, I need new wheels for my 03 CLK55. I'm stuck trying to decide between getting replacement Brabus rims, having a set of custom wheels made**, or going with another brand entirely...
There are pros and cons for each here...
The "pros" for the Brabus rims are that I like them, and I also had a Brabus K8 front bumper cover installed. The "cons" for the Brabus rims are that I'm concerned about their strength and durability, and I'd be stuck using an 8.5" front rim which will limit the front tire size...
The pro for a custom set of wheels (Such as Kinesis) are that I can have the ideal width and offset made to accomodate wider tires (I feel that the CLK55's a little under-tired). The obvious cons are the cost and the fact that they won't match my front bumper cover...
The pros for a different brand entirely are that I can go with a forged set, and they may be less expensive than a custom set. The con is that it won't match the front bumper cover...
So if you were in my shoes, which route would you choose? Any ideas, suggestions? Any input would be appreceiated!
Best regards,
Matt
** As far as custom wheels are concerned, what would be the ideal width and offsets for 18" wheels? I'd like to go with wider tires, but keep them within reason...
As I mentioned in my "Question regarding wheel repair" thread, I need new wheels for my 03 CLK55. I'm stuck trying to decide between getting replacement Brabus rims, having a set of custom wheels made**, or going with another brand entirely...
There are pros and cons for each here...
The "pros" for the Brabus rims are that I like them, and I also had a Brabus K8 front bumper cover installed. The "cons" for the Brabus rims are that I'm concerned about their strength and durability, and I'd be stuck using an 8.5" front rim which will limit the front tire size...
The pro for a custom set of wheels (Such as Kinesis) are that I can have the ideal width and offset made to accomodate wider tires (I feel that the CLK55's a little under-tired). The obvious cons are the cost and the fact that they won't match my front bumper cover...
The pros for a different brand entirely are that I can go with a forged set, and they may be less expensive than a custom set. The con is that it won't match the front bumper cover...
So if you were in my shoes, which route would you choose? Any ideas, suggestions? Any input would be appreceiated!
Best regards,
Matt
** As far as custom wheels are concerned, what would be the ideal width and offsets for 18" wheels? I'd like to go with wider tires, but keep them within reason...
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From: mymbonline
mymbonline
the recommended max front is 8.5 anyways.
im running 8.5 19 front w/ 235/35/19 and 10 19 rear w/ 275/30/19
the rear required some grinding of the inside lower part of the fender.
u can run 265 in the rear no prob.
u didnt mention what diameter u wanted to go with???
i have hre 547r and from now till 4ever i will only buy hre wheels.
brabus is a tuning company, they should stick to tuning, not wheels; their wheels are too heavy and not strong enough.
my mom used to have a set of mono3 (ithink it was 3, the old school 3 spoke)
on her 140 s500 back in the day.
im running 8.5 19 front w/ 235/35/19 and 10 19 rear w/ 275/30/19
the rear required some grinding of the inside lower part of the fender.
u can run 265 in the rear no prob.
u didnt mention what diameter u wanted to go with???
i have hre 547r and from now till 4ever i will only buy hre wheels.
brabus is a tuning company, they should stick to tuning, not wheels; their wheels are too heavy and not strong enough.
my mom used to have a set of mono3 (ithink it was 3, the old school 3 spoke)
on her 140 s500 back in the day.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,276
Likes: 0
From: mymbonline
mymbonline
just saw the 18 in thingy, y dont u go w/ 19?
u might be able to run a 9 in front and 10.5 rear w/ 18 in wheels, im just guessing though
245 and 275 should fit w/ no prob on 18's
u might be able to run a 9 in front and 10.5 rear w/ 18 in wheels, im just guessing though
245 and 275 should fit w/ no prob on 18's
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 458
Likes: 1
From: Oxford, Pa
03 CLK55
Hey, sorry for the late response...
Originally Posted by AMG_55
just saw the 18 in thingy, y dont u go w/ 19?
u might be able to run a 9 in front and 10.5 rear w/ 18 in wheels, im just guessing though
245 and 275 should fit w/ no prob on 18's
u might be able to run a 9 in front and 10.5 rear w/ 18 in wheels, im just guessing though
245 and 275 should fit w/ no prob on 18's
This thread hadn't been getting any replies, so I haven't checked it in a while. Thanks for responding! I want to stick with 18's as I feel that from a performance standpoint, 18's are ideal. The 18's will be slightly lighter, they'll provide slightly better ride quality, they won't bend as easily, they'll likely fit more easily, and I even prefer the look of 18" wheels when the car is lowered enough to close the fender gap.
Ultimately, I may need to go to 19's as there's not much available in forged 18" wheels for the W209's...
Best regards,
Matt
