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#1
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I'm expecting delivery of a new E430 in a week or so. While I did not opt for the (expensive!) sport package, I am planning an aftermarket wheel & tire upgrade to enhance performance.
Understanding I will need to make tradeoffs... Recommendations for a nice "plus one" upgrade without big increases in noise and degradation of rain performance are of interest. Thanks! ------------------ GParker '99 E430 |
#2
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Parker,
Congratulatons on your upcoming vehicle. The standared E430 stock works well for most but if you want to make the most of the very capable chassis, suspension, brakes, and engine the tires are good place to start. The only functional upgrade you get with Mercedes own sport package is 17x8" wheels with 235/45/17 tires. Personally I would recommend using the exact sport package sizing. AMG "monoblock" wheels with a good high performance tire sized 235/45/17 should give you what you want handling-wise. As for the tire...what are your priorities? cost, ride, dry grip, wet grip, treadwear, predictability at the limit of adhesion, etc. Since your getting wheels and tires at the same time I would highly recommend contacting TireRack http://www.tirerack.com They have a huge selection, online reviews, and the best prices I have seen yet. They also have some cool software that lets you preview your wheel candidates on your vehicle. They call it "Wheel Rack" I believe. Cost no object I would get Michelin Pilot MXXX3's or BF Goodrich T/A KD in sport package sizing. If treadwear and ride are a bit more important to you I would recommend the Firestone SZ50 or Dunlop SP9000. The E55 size rolling stock can be fitted...but I recommend going with the sport package size. (235/45/17) If there is anything else we can help with feel free to ask. Enjoy...Lee |
#3
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It is not necessary to stick with the 235/45 17 size for the Eclass. It you want your car to look different, go with a 18 or 19 rim sizes. At 245/40 18 in front and a 265/35 18 in rear you wont have any problems at all. If you want to go with an even more aggressive look, go with 19s. You can fit 245/35 19 in front and 275/30 19's in the rear. This package requires a little rolling of the fenders(Make sure you go to a reputable dealer).
Tire Rack has decent pricing and a good selection. Unfortunately they only carry Carrlson and AMG for Mercedes. Also take a look at Lorinser (CECWheels) and also Brabus. I personally have Brabus Monoblock V's (2piece) 235/35 19 and 265/30 19s on my CLK430. I had to roll the fenders a little but there is absolutely no rubbing. Good luck! |
#4
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Hello Gparker & folks,
Frankly, I don't speak highly of the 245/275 combination. That's exactly what I have on my E320 99'. I had to go through LOTS of fender adjustment for the front to fit the 245/35/19 and the 275/30/19. The P-zeros for the front got scratched big time prior to the "correct" fender adjustment. It's a bit scary when you're driving with three friends over a bump and you hear a "scratch" from the front tires. Stick with 235 for the front, you might be happier. Wheel wise, Brabus is nice, AMG is good. The good thing about AMG wheels is that you probably won't have a problem with offset because it's made for BENZ. I personally have OPera Design (wheelpower.com) OP1 19" wheels and I needed spacer (4mm), don't go that route if you want to avoid fitment headache. Jesse has Brabus, you can ask him on that. To be on the safe side, stick with AMG E55's wheel package like Lee suggested. It's nice, easy to clean, looks handsome, and the 17" tires are cheaper to replace too! Happy cruzing.. ///Marco P.S. consider lowering the car if you go aftermarket wheel; or it might look like a monster truck. |
#5
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Thanks to those that posted replies. After driving the car for a few days, I am trying to remember why I thought I'd need better handling...!!! It handles better than I thought with the stock rubber. (Seriously, no courage YET to look for the limits.)
I'm leaning toward Carlsson 17" by 8" wheels with 235/45/17 rubber. I don't want noise levels or rain performance to be a problem... but expect better turn in and ultimate grip. What say y'all? Dunlops or... Do you think this size will yield a "monster truck" look on a "regular" (e.g. non-sport) E430? ------------------ GParker '99 E430 |
#6
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Parker,
The E430's own Sport package sizing of 235/45/17 front and rear should make it look like an E430 sport. The only real differences were a slightly redesigned front bumper that gave you round fog lights vs the stock elipsoid ones. Neither the bumper or the car is any lower or anything like that. Oh, of course you do get the small "Sport" badges places strategically about the vehicle. The fenders will easily swallow up the wider rubber without any kind of "monster truck" appearance. Wet traction and tire noise are more of a function of the tire you buy than of any particular size. You can't go wrong with Michelin MXXX3's but the Dunlop 8000's cost literally half as much and give you most of the performance of the Michelin. Everyone has their own favorite and their own opinions when it comes to tires but the one thing that they all seem to agree upon is that the MXXX3 is very good. Whether it is actually worth twice the price of another top notch tire like the Dunlop is a matter of opinion and finance. Enjoy...Lee P.S. The ESP on the E430 should make finding those limits a bit safer. Find an empty parking lot(without lightpoles or curbs) or go to a MBCA track event if you want to find those limits. That car is so capable that you would be hard pressed to (legally) get anything close to the edge on the street. |
#7
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I'd also go with the stock "sport" tire sizing.
If you want a great tire, and don't need winter coverage, I'd go with the Firestone SZ50. Not a lot of snob appeal in the brand name, but a great compromise of ride quality, handling, wet/dry performance, and wear. If winter is an issue, I owned a set of Pirelli P7000 SuperSports on a Lexus GS400, and would recommend them highly. They wear quickly, but that's the only drawback. I'm not familiar enough with pure high-performance tires, but hear good things about Michelin Pilots. Bruce |
#8
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GParker...just a brief that the wholesale TireRack catalog is slowly phasing out the Dunlop 8000's so if only one or two are needed at a later date you may be out of luck. A newer Dunlop and better is the 9000 series. Good luck...I'm thinking of a E430 also!
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#9
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From everything I have read and people I have talked with the SP8000 is a better handler in the dry. The SP9000 is more biased toward wet traction and "touring" traits. (long life, quiet, better ride) Both are good tires but if your ultimate goal is grip in the dry the SP9000 has other ideas behind its engineering. I've heard mixed reports whether the SP8000 will remain in production (at least in certain sizes) for awhile or if Dunlop is trying to shove all of the SP8000's cult followers into its SP9000 tire ASAP. The possibility of not finding a replacement in the future is a valid concern though.
I wouldn't touch goodyear with a dead skunk so that excludes the F1. Michelin/Bridgestone are good. Yokohama has a new Max Performance tire out now that tests out slightly worse in the wet than the S02 and a tad bit better in the dry than the S02 but very very close either way. The Firestone SZ50 is also a good candidate. I was very happy with a set I had on the 400E for awhile. (swapped back to stock wheels/tires to sell) Figure out what your priorities are in a tire, then shop for those priorities. Best of luck....Lee |
#10
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I have a set of 245/35ZR19 and 275/30ZR19 on Carlsson Evolution 1/6 wheels on order for my E430. I'm reading here that some folks have had to roll their fenders. Is this because of improper offset? The E55 has 245/40ZR18 and 275/35ZR18, right? Those should not be any larger from a clearance standpoint, I believe. I am staying with the stock suspension for now.
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