I have a 87 560 with 140k miles. The wheels are seriously dirty and will not clean up with "wheel bright".

I am thinking of upgrading the wheels and tires and need advice.

What is plus 1 I saw some post on ?
What are the recommended wheel and tire sizes before I have problems ?
What should I use to clean the dust on the current wheels and the new wheels ?

thanks

Mac560

I'd send your current rims to Renn Sport and have them refinished. Apparrently, they will completely redo them for $75/each, and they turn out just like new. Next summer, I am going to go that route with my "bundt cake" alloys on my 300SD.

------------------
Rgds,
Aaron Greenberg
MB technician
'67 250SE Cabriolet
'77 450SL
'79 6.9
'80 300SD
'85 380SE
'89 420SEL
'93 300E 2.8

Aaron is quite right about Rennsport refinishing the wheels. They really do offer the best option if you plan on keeping the OEM rims. This can also be done for a fraction of the cost of getting a "plus 1" fittment.

Plus 1 means that you go to a lower profile fittment of approx the same or slightly wider rubber. If you have 205/60/15 the Plus 1 would be 205/55/16 or 225/50/16. If you still want to talk Plus 1 fittments post back and I'd be happy to figure out what would work best with your priorities.

For new or old wheels the best thing to clean with is P21S or Meguiar's Wheel cleaner. The wheels are painted just like the rest of a car, that paint is just as sensitive to damage as your hood. Treat it accordingly. You should wash your wheels at least once a week no matter what. If you wash twice a week you may be able to get away with using car-wash (Meguiar's Gold Class wash, Zymol wash, usual suspects...) on the wheels. A coat of wax can also keep your wheels looking better longer and minimize the chance of damge due to burned on brake dust. I'll grant you 560 wheels are a real *&%$^#& to clean...that may make an uprade to a more modern (read: easier to clean) wheel worth it in itself.

If you want to refinish call Rob Rice at Rennsport. (contact info at bottom of this site's front page) If you are thinking Plus 1 then either post back and I'll talk sizes/costs/brands/etc with you or you can call Tirerack for similar info.

Hope this helps...Lee

An additional recommendation regarding wheel cleaning and brake dust, etc. I have used the cleaning product and degreaser Simple Green (diluted two parts water to one part cleaner) for many years with excellent results. Inexpensive when compared to the plethora of specialty wheel cleaning products on the market, biodegradable so it is environmentally safe, and with no harsh chemicals to mar the finish on your wheels, it's an excellent choice. Since most us have had to put up with the dirty front-wheel syndrome with our Benz, the product Kleen Wheels are highly recommended and work very well toward minimizing that black brake dust. Having used them for over three years, I highly endorse them; actually, more often than not, the rears get dirty quicker than the fronts.

Actually, I have seen Simple Green almost completely strip the finish off of a painted wheel over time/repeated use. This was not an isolated case...

Kleen wheels are not something I'd recommend. Search the Shop Forum for references to dust shields and Kleen wheels. That topic has already been discussed.

The best AND easiest thing long term is to just use a top quality wheel cleaner, water, and a dedicated mitt 1-2 times a week on the wheels. Even if you don't wash the whole car, washing the wheels takes less than 10 mins. Putting a coat of wax on the wheels once in a while is pretty quick/easy as well. Especially on the 8-hole and other newer wheels. It can be a pain on the W107 types, but even the 91 and older W124 wheels are not that bad.

Hope this helps...Lee

J. Ko,
If you have Mag or bare polished metal wheels then a metal polish specifically for that type of metal will probably be necessary to keep them looking their best at least once a year or every 6 months. You should still keep wax on the wheels and most importantly wash them weekly. It all depends on how picky you are about the looks/conditions of your wheels.

Hope this helps...Lee

Rennsport went out of buisness around 1999 - 2000.

This note will be added as FYI for new members.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
asemastermechanic@juno.com

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
2002 Honda Civic

https://www.boldegoist.com/

I have had a set of these powdercoated and generally I'm pleased. They are much easier to clean - detergent+water cleaned off 98% of 1 year of baked on brake dust on the INSIDE (!) of the wheels with almost no effort). It shouldn't cost much more, if any, than painting and they actually make "Mercedes silver" powder. The only problem I've had is a little crazing due to bad preparation by the powdercoater (but he was new at this and I got a great price).

__________________
86 560SL
With homebrew first gear start!
85 380SL
Daily Driver Project

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm