Hey guys, I recently started this discussion in person with an experienced member, and now wanted more folks to weigh in.

Is it a bad idea to put the added weight of an estate wagon, 1984 300TD, onto the euro standard rims from 240Ds = 14x5.5 alloys that take hubcaps?

At this budget the 14x6 are not an option.

I have steelies and bunt alloys, but thought this would be a ride improvement for my euro wagon, plus allow me to still use hub caps...

Should these size rims be reserved only for sedans?
Can they handle a moderately loaded wagon, with its standard additional 600 pounds of weight ++ ?

Thanks for sharing


PS. I am still looking for a set of thistle green hub caps (silvery light green) and any amount of the correct plastic-tipped clips to put caps on this alloy rim

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1990 300D 2.5Turbo, two tank WVO, daily driver 300,911
1992 E300 gaser, 150k. Parts only, For Sale

[B]1984 300TD Euro 4speed Sold
1977 300D Elsbett SVO single tank Sold
1981 300TD "Silver bullet" 285k ran B100 Sold
1981-5 300D x 5 cars stripped and reused, parts for sale

Other toys:
1995 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12V P7100 Bosch mechanical pump with 2 tank veggieconversion kit, only 120k!
1959 Cadillac Dad's legacy, needs finishing

I wouldn't think twice about using these wheels on a wagon. Didn't they also come on some W116 cars?

I asked a friend who used to drive a W123 wagon and from whom I've bought 6" aluminum rims, and here's what he had to say:

A few comments...
1. Manufacturer of wheels says they are as strong as steel wheels.
2. If you ordered a hearse, you would have gotten 15 x 5.5 wheels with it.
3. About Max tire size for 5.5 wheel is 205 70 14
4. I sold a set to a wagon owner who was happy.

So nothing definitive but a few datapoints...

In my personal opinion, it probably depends on driving style. The thinner the rim the less hard of a corner you're going to be able to handle with good traction and handling. However, that opinion is speculative and not based on any real evidence.

Tire pressure also probably has an effect. I've gotten better traction and handling by inflating my tires above Mercedes recommendations, with 40psi on the front and a little less on the back. In a wagon I guess I'd reverse that but eh, trial and error, watch for any uneven tire wear and adjust accordingly.

No. Early non-6.9 W116's came with 14x6 steel rims and late non-6.9 W116's came with 14x6 Bundt alloy rims. The 6.9 came with 14x6.5 rims. But some of us W116 owners like to use the alloy steel-look rims with hubcaps. R107 owners too.

Since the heavy and extremely powerful 6.9 was deemed to only need 6.5" rims and a 450SEL (both heavier and significantly more powerful than the wagon) only came with 6" rims, I think that's somewhat telling, but again I'm speculating.

Just to clarify - the aluminum rims that take hubcaps were _only_ a US configuration. They were not used elsewhere in the world. The euro standard would have been the same size, but steel.

Thanks for clarifying and educating me guys.
Why did some US models have this option and not the country of manufacture?


So does the weight of a wagon require steel strength?

Is it too risky to bump a curb on a sharper turn with just the 14x5.5 alloys?
Safety when driving my family is the priority of course

__________________
1990 300D 2.5Turbo, two tank WVO, daily driver 300,911
1992 E300 gaser, 150k. Parts only, For Sale

[B]1984 300TD Euro 4speed Sold
1977 300D Elsbett SVO single tank Sold
1981 300TD "Silver bullet" 285k ran B100 Sold
1981-5 300D x 5 cars stripped and reused, parts for sale

Other toys:
1995 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12V P7100 Bosch mechanical pump with 2 tank veggieconversion kit, only 120k!
1959 Cadillac Dad's legacy, needs finishing

I would recommend going with the heavier bundts used on the 123 cars. There was a reason the factory put the 5.5" wheels only on the 240. The event of a failure of the rim is unlikely but consider when it might occur.....it will not occur when you are driving along on a straightaway it will occur if you run over something on the highway or are cornering hard to avoid an emergency and hit a chuckhole. In other words failure will occur at your moment of maximum need.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I can only speculate. I think it has to do with performance - the 240D was slow and Americans care about that. As with the 300D. However, the 280E also received the aluminum wheels (for 1 year, as with the 300D). I have no answer as to why they were not used on the coupes and wagons. And I have no answer as to why it was only for the US market as I have said above. Having said that, I am 100% positive that it was only for the US market.

I do know that there were expensive to produce in comparison to the steel wheels. And it is my assumption that they only existed briefly because MBUSA was transitioning to the Bundt wheel as the "standard" so as to keep up with the competition. Hubcaps out, alloy in.

On cars that have front-end accidents, sometimes the aluminum wheels are bent. I'm not sure that particularly matters though in terms of whether or not you can use them on a wagon. In wrecked cars that I've seen, the wheel itself was not a factor in the collision.

This is an apples and oranges kind of thing. If you want the hubcap look, Bundts are not appealing. If you want performance, go for 15" bundts and get whatever you want.

I don't agree with the reasoning as to wheel selection. At least not in a way that makes me see a safety issue. If you are suggesting that 5.5" is too narrow, then look at their standard use on MB utility chassis vehicles - hearses, ambulences... that 5.5 x 15 was standard and the weight would have been greater if anything. If you are looking at vulnerability to aluminum rim getting dented in a high speed curve with bad road surface, yeah that's possible but I'm not sure it's any more relevant that the risks associated with a steel rim. The aluminum rim is going to handle far better on a bumpy and irregular road due to the decrease in unsprung weight. So does that make it safer in some ways? I don't know.

RE: how heavy wheels are... Generally speaking:
14" steel wheel = 23 pounds
14" pressed aluminum wheel = 11 pounds
14" bundt wheel = 13 pounds

Thanks Tom, I had thought about sending you this question directly but figured others ought to know as well. This was the advice
I got from another well experienced member.

I am open to others still?


I may go ahead and put my second complete set of 14x5.5 alloys for SALE....set of 5 total. And then use steelies on my wagon

__________________
1990 300D 2.5Turbo, two tank WVO, daily driver 300,911
1992 E300 gaser, 150k. Parts only, For Sale

[B]1984 300TD Euro 4speed Sold
1977 300D Elsbett SVO single tank Sold
1981 300TD "Silver bullet" 285k ran B100 Sold
1981-5 300D x 5 cars stripped and reused, parts for sale

Other toys:
1995 Dodge 2500 Cummins 12V P7100 Bosch mechanical pump with 2 tank veggieconversion kit, only 120k!
1959 Cadillac Dad's legacy, needs finishing

Well, that's not what I'd do, but I'll be happy to refund you for the rims if that's the route you want to go!

I put the aluminum rims on my 300TD today and love them.
If you count the spare tire that was replaced as well that's over a 50 lb. savings.
They even look good without the hubcaps. A Rat Rod swagerwagon.

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'70 F100 shortbed
'82 Diesel Westy
'83 Euro 300TD
Curtlo Viper
Yeti ARC
Surly long haul trucker

I like that look as well. I did that for about 20 minutes when I was test fitting my light alloy wheels.

I went with the CLK's

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'70 F100 shortbed
'82 Diesel Westy
'83 Euro 300TD
Curtlo Viper
Yeti ARC
Surly long haul trucker

I care mostly about economy.

I have a 1983? 190D 2.2 with allow 15" wheels and good tires and a bad drive shaft. I also have a1978 190D with steel 14" wheels and tires. The tires seem to ware out with excessive mileage, now at 340K.

I want to put the 15" tires on the 1978 car.... The alloy wheels are spaced wrong. The steering tie rod rubs when the 15" alloy wheels are put on the older car. Spacer is the first considered option, $20 a pair or so. Second I considered finding wheels form an Audi and trying them 5x112 spacing is the important number. If fit test and price work out.

Ideas?

I'm 70 and drive slow on bumpy roads. Happy trails.