If you are running 17" wheels and snow tires on your E-55, could you please provide information about the specific wheel brand, style and specs including offset and the snow tire size and brand? Mercedes recommends the 17" size for winter use and I need to order something soon.

Thanks!

Many not all 17 inch wheels that fits the E320 and E430 will also fit the E55 since the spare (E55 2000+) and the owners manual list the 17.

Anyone else?

I recently bought wheels and winter tires from Tirerack. I was told by Tirerack that only 18 in wheels will fit the 2002 E55. If you go to the website and look for wheels for a 2002 E55, 17 in. wheels are not listed. I told the rep at tirerack on two different calls that the manual and the dealer said that 17 in. will fit but they still said it was not possible. I ended up getting 18 in. AMG monoblocks with 245/40/18 Dunlop Winter Sport M2. I am pretty happy with the setup.

Most wheels shop will probably only recommend the 18" wheels for the E55 and this is probably the reason why:

The first E55 come as a 1999 model and they had the 18 AMG Monoblock Aero II in silver with tire size 245/40R18 in the trunk. So all the tire reference in the tire industry probaly list this size.

MBZ downgraded the E55's spare in 2000 to 17" with 235/45R17 on a black alloy rim, yes that rim is actually an alloy wheel - it is not a black steel wheel.

So the tire industry probably did not update their listings and will 'beat you down' that the 17 inch wheel does not fit.

If you go to the Tirerack and show Winter Wheels and Tires they actually show a 17" Moda R3 rim as their Recommended fitment.

However, Discount Tire Direct at www.tires.com show many 17 inch wheels which are 'supposed' to fit the E55. And believe it or not they also list a couple of 16 inch wheels - but I am skeptical about those 16.

If I were to add winter tires I would probably go the route that ZT E55 has done with the 18 inch AMG wheels if money were no object. If money were the case I would buy two extra 18X8 AMG Monoblocks for the rear and buy mount 4 245/40R18 tires all around.

I may add that I wanted to get only AMG wheels. I was told that all the 17 in. AMG wheels did not fit because of the offset. Tirerack only had two AMG wheels in 18 in. that fit the E55.

As promised to RJI - I spent all day Saturday test fitting 17" wheels. The weather was nice and I like to tinker. The conclusion is that some 17 inch wheels will fit and some will not. So it would be difficult for wheel techs to recommend 17 inch wheels for the E55 (and S55) without actually having the car and the wheel to test fit.

I had access to 3 different 17" wheels (+ spare) and 2 cleared the brake caliper and 1 did not. It depends on how the wheel is built on the inside and there is no specification or quoted measurement listed in wheel data to indicate this parameter. So the offset specification can not be used as an indicator. The desired wheel must be test fitted.

I do speculate that all 17" AMG 1 piece wheels and many 1 piece type wheels will clear but the multi-piece and the simulated multipiece designs may not.

The results:

The Carlsson 1/6 fit.
The ATP Flash did not fit.
The E55 Spare fit.
The AMG 170 fit.

E55 Kev,

You have clarified why most wheel dealers are hedging on the 17" wheels fitting the E55. Thanks for all of your hard work! I am going to my tech in the next week and try some of the wheels he has and will report back on what we find.