When did the ML spare tire go inside the car rather than under?

From ~ 99 to ? the spare was under , I did see a picture of a 12 ish ML with the spare in the floor and one on the left side cargo area.

Thanks

Beginning in 2006 for the M164 gas powered ML's. No spare for the diesels.

Thanks. At some point the goal is to build wide ( 10 or 11" ) 18" wheels so I can burn take off racing slicks on my other SL R129 and I need non rusted centers.

The aluminum wheel route has few options unless I go with custom builds that will be more $ than I've spent on my last few race cars. Steel wheels will be just fine as I can also set my offset to the car, it is going to be a tight squeeze.

The R129 has come with a few 18" options

Front 8 , rear 9 ( 97 SL Sport AMG monoblock thick spokes )

Front 8.5 rear 9.5 ( 98 SL Sport AMG monoblock thin spoke )

Front 8.5 rear 10 ( 01-02 SL600 AMG 2 piece monoblock thick spoke )

It is a toss up between widening R class spares ( 6.5 x 18 " ) or cutting centers from the more common ML ( 4 x 18" ) and using shells that have already been widened.

My '02 ML55 AMGs spare tire is mounted inside due to the AMG exhaust. It sure eats up cargo space.

2007 and 2008 ML Diesels have the spare inside. From 2009, the Bluetec Diesels have run-flat tires due to the DEF tank, so no spare tire.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Correct, 07/08 ML CDIs have the spare inside beneath the cargo area floor. However it is a "donut" spare not a full size tire.

Once they went to AdBlue in 09, this is where they put the pee tank, so they got run flat tires. What a joke on so many levels. Pee tank = one of the dumbest government induced ideas ever, and run flats are 2-3x the price and 1/2 to 1/3 the lifetime of normal tires.

Hence the reason I got an 08 last summer, and not a newer one.

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

Yep- 05 M we just bought has spare underneath. The 2006 and 2009 gas M's we looked at had crappy donuts and were told the ad blue diesels (2009 up) had crap run flats.