what are the 14" tires choice for 450sl
 

As the title said, not too many choice in H rated tires, I do not plan to go over 118mph for the T rating, but the speed rating is also a sidewall rigidity rating and the panzerwagen is not a lightweight queen.

Is it time to get 15" SL wheel...

I have done searches, but nothing really recent.

Thank you

lt:

At this point in time switching to 15s makes sense from the standpoint of tire availability.
There are many styles to choose from. Widths in the 6 1/2 - 7" range with ETs of 25-30mm work well on that chassis.
Shameless plug: 15x6.5 ET30 available here in Modesto.

If you are searching on Tire Rack, they don't always list all sizes from a particular manufacturer / model so contacting them might turn up more options. Also looking at tire makers web sites could be helpful.

What specific size are you looking for? What wheel width do you presently have?

I'm with Frank on this one. I switched my '85 500SEL to the 15" "saucer" wheels and couldn't be happier.

I like the Bundts on my /8's but they just never looked right on the W126 chassis.

MUCH wider tire selection available in 15".

14"

Attachment 148399

15"

Attachment 148400

Currently 205/70R14 95T, still good but getting too old for my taste

thank you all for the refs

PM sent

These are the tires I put on my 116. General Altimax RT43. 600 treadwear. Amazing price.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....yL._SY355_.jpg

Go to Tire Rack and select shop by size. 205 70 14 ( they are now also requiring the entry of a zip code )

The T 118 MPH and V 149 MPH tires are both rated at 1521 LB

The bundt 14" rims on my 83 280 SL 107 were peeling and looked crappy and I needed new tires anyway. The tires on the car were 10 years old and hard and brittle. So in 2016 I sprung for the 15" saucer 15 hole - 1986-89 560 SL rims and the General tires shown in harvAMG's post.
What a difference it made on the handling and ride quality, not to mention the looks. I really like the simple clean look of the wheels. 207 70 15 tires.
Rims were $125 each on special from Adsitco with lug bolts.
Nothing better then new wheels and tires on a classic car.
Well worth the investment.


jz

I recently had the same problem with my 280E, I went from H to T rating on Toyo tires. Curiously, a month later I found that Costco has Michelins in 14" that have a T / H rating, so you might check that out.

I really liked the BF Goodrich tires I got on mine, they were great in the wet and dry, and they did well in the snow too. That being said, like everyone else pointed out, 14" tire sizes don't offer much anymore. I am a brand fan of Bridgestone / Firestone tires.

I did learn a lesson - if you like to drive a bit harder, "Eco" tires or tires with higher treadwear will actually wear faster, because they just slide all over the place. The 107 isn't really a "Sporty" ride, but if you do plan on cornering or accelerating a bit on the brisk side, stay below 600 treadwear, something around 420-520 would be a good compromise.