I have an 87 300e, it came with 8J x 16HZ ET36 Lk112 Borbet wheels, with 225/50ZR 16 tires which rub. What tires will work with these? Thanks.

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87 300e 91,000 pewter
77 fiat 124 spider 165,000 black

205/55/16 is the recommended size for a 16" wheel, but I think 205 is too narrow to stretch onto an 8" rim. Tirerack's website shows 5.5" to 7.5" rims for the 205s, so I am afraid you may be stuck with the rubbing. 215/55/16 is a little taller, rather than wider, and I think they will still rub. Some guys run tire and wheel combinations that are smaller overall diameter than stock, just to fit a wider tire, so maybe that would work for you. In addition, depending on the site of the rubbing, maybe you could learn more about fender spacers and fender rolling.

I would love to have 225/50/16, but they would rub like crazy on my car, even with 7.5" rims. I wouldn't mind using the spacers, but I definitely don't want to roll the fenders. I am too afraid of damaging the paint in an area that is very prone to rust. I would hate it if I rolled the fenders and ended up with cancer all around the fender arches.

I have read that you may be able to fit 225/50/16 or 225/45/17 without any rubbing if you have 16" x 7.5 ET42 or 17" x 7.5" ET42 wheels, respectively. The slightly higher offset provides the most clearance on the outer lip of the fender, but enough clearance to avoid rubbing on the suspension. I have 16" x 7.5" ET37 wheels and the extra 5mm of offset gives me a wider stance, but it has the tires closer to the fenders. It is only a couple of mm, so some guys do roll the fenders and use small spacers just to stuff the wider tires under their fenders. The wider tires do look awesome.

I should also say that each car is a little different and some people get away with things that others seem to have problems with. I have a 1995 E320 and the plastic body panels are different than the earlier W124, so sometimes I think the older W124s may be able to fit things that will not fit on my car.

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I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.

I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.



Flickr slideshow of my 1995 E320
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24145497@N06/sets/72157616572140057/

215-55/16 is the better choice and if you're going bigger try 255-35/18 rear and 225-40/18 front

My '77 280 CE has the 16's and my '89 300 CE has the 18's

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divino2much