17x7.5 17x8.5 on 300E? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gsxr · #16 06-09-2003, 02:22 PM

On a normal 124 chassis (excluding 500E), you can get 8.0 all around with minimal trouble (my car is proof of that). 8.5 on the rear is also possible with fender rolling, plus proper offset and tire size. I do not know if 8.5 is workable up front at all (unless you swap on 500E front fenders, then yeah, they'll fit). I have seen 300E's with wider wheels but they stick OUT and will absoultely rub unless you have the fenders flared at a body shop like 500E's are.

For minimal hassle, stick with 7.5's all around if you can, with the proper offset and a 225/45/17 tire (or 215/55/16). On a wheel with the proper offset those won't rub. You won't really use any more rubber for traction anyway, it's mostly for looks. And huge wheels are heavy, making the car noticeably slower off the line (trust me - I really felt it going from stock 35-lb wheel+tire combo to the 50-lb 17's...!

)

mike690003 · #17 06-09-2003, 02:37 PM

does offset matter if I try to put 8.5 on my 300e. will a lower offset eliminate rubbing issues??

gsxr · #18 06-09-2003, 03:41 PM

Offset matters for putting ANY wheel on. For narrower wheels it's less critical, but for w-i-d-e wheels you MUST have the offset precisely correct. You are limited by clearance on the inside, where the front wheel will touch the strut tube, and I forget what the closest "hard part" is on the rear. You want the offset such that the wheel & tire is pulled inside as much as possible without hitting anything. Then you're limited by fender clearance on the outside.

It's wasteful to get wheels that stick out farther than necessary, you have all those rubbing problems, and all this air space on the inside...

:p :p

Note that a higher ET number (say, ET50) means the wheel is tucked in very far (and may hit something). A low ET number (say, ET30) means the wheel sticks out farther and may rub the fenders. ET will vary with wheel width... a 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5 will all have different ET numbers to fit properly. The offset is a function of the wheel width.

mike690003 · #19 06-09-2003, 03:51 PM

so DR///AMG car can not function as a daily driver? If I go with 17 inch would that be more practical?

gsxr · #20 06-09-2003, 04:01 PM

It's not so much the diameter, it's the width. A 7.5 would be more practical than 8.0 or 8.5. As to how they'll work as a daily driver depends how low the car is, and what the roads are like in your area. I know some cities in CA that have big drainage dips at most intersections that are a real pain, you have to cross them at a 45 degree angle so you don't scrape the front airdam. Other places don't have this problem. Lots of variables here, you'll need to decide what works best for your personal situation & preferences.

mike690003 · #21 06-09-2003, 04:05 PM

so why is it that 18 inch S-class amg rims will not fit the 300e. I can get the 18 inch S-class rims at dirt cheap prices.But I heard they wont fit.Why?

gsxr · #22 06-09-2003, 04:32 PM

Probably because the ET is too high and they'd need spacers, and spacers are NOT a good way to make "wrong" wheels fit. But honestly I can't tell without more specs, can you get me the size & offset of the S-class AMG wheels? Oh, and how cheap is dirt cheap?

mike690003 · #23 06-09-2003, 04:42 PM

how about $400 with tires. thats how cheap I can get them. Well what is the big drawback with spacers? I was thinking of getting spacers that turn the 5x112 bolt pattern into the 5x114.3 more rims come in the 5x114.3 is that a good idea?

The Godfather · #24 06-09-2003, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gsxr
The 18x8 ET34 is technically the wrong offset, it's out too far.

True, but in my case it's PERFECT! But I have maybe 1mm clearance between the front calipers and the wheel!

Pics below. LEt me know if they dont show up.

mike690003 · #25 06-09-2003, 05:29 PM

that is one nice e-class DR ///AMG. Offset wrong? It looks fine to me.

gsxr · #26 06-09-2003, 05:46 PM

That looks SWEET!

Do you have aftermarket brakes? Most 124's with stock brakes have issues with clearance at the strut tube (up front), not the calipers... unless you mean at the middle by the hub, which is unrelated to offset - that's a "problem" with how the wheel is cast/forged - may have been designed for a different chassis, hence the 1mm clearance. (???)

mike690003 · #27 06-09-2003, 10:48 PM

Well what is the big drawback with spacers? I was thinking of getting spacers that turn the 5x112 bolt pattern into the 5x114.3 more rims come in the 5x114.3 is that a good idea?any drawbacks
?

gsxr · #28 06-09-2003, 11:48 PM

One thing is that Mercedes wheels are hubcentric - the bolts don't center the wheel, the hole in the middle locks onto the hub. The spacer must be a precision fit designed specifically for Mercedes, you can't just use any spacer. Also, spacers require longer bolts, which may (?) be hard to locate, and may also put more stress on the bolts than MB intended (?). I'd be nervous about driving a car with spacers hard (autox, track use, or any really hard cornering) but that might just be my personal paranoia. One last thing, I *thought* the S/SL class wheels were the same bolt circle as all other MB's, they just used larger diameter bolts...? Anyway, if you can get the width & offset numbers from those S-class AMG's, I'd love to know what they are!

Regards,