Who has 205/60/15 on their 190? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

brookspw · #1 12-04-2002, 04:30 PM

I am running the standard wheel size with 185/65/15 on the car now.

Some folks tell me that 205/60 is too tall, they'll rub. What has been your experience?

The numbers say that the 205 is 1/2" taller than the 195/60 and the section width is 8.2" vs 7.9" on the 195.

My issue is that the 185/65 are 24.4 tall and I do NOT want to get shorter tires. If anything, I'd one day like to lower it a little bit. The last thing I want is for the wheel well to appear even emptier. So, 205/60 is .2 taller than 185/65.

1. Did/do they rub on your car?

2. If so, where? (strut, fender, etc.)

Someone who has actually had them on their car, I would value your opinion/experience. In retrospect, what is your recommendation on size?

I want to get the Dunlop Sport A2.

Thank you very much,

brookspw

#2 12-04-2002, 07:17 PM

Hello,

I don't have the exact tire you mentioned but I have 195/65/15 tires on my 190E and I can't wait for the tires to wear out, I'm going back to the regular size, there is a lot of rubbing if you hit dips or bumps in the road or if you corner. It only seems to happen in the front but this might be bcuz I have no weight in the back at all.

I'm not sure exactly what the tire is rubbing against, it might be the grey rubber under the fender, but it's very irritating and I get the feeling I might damage something, although on the side of vanity, they look a lot better and fill up the wheel wells.

If you have to get different tires, I would suggest the 195s, you just have to be careful around dips, bumps and do not corner too fast at speeds over 45mph.

I don't know much about tires but if the tires I have are too tall for my car I would think the 205s would be even taller and you mentioned they are in your post.

brookspw · #3 12-04-2002, 08:13 PM

Well, Vanakin, I appreciate the reply, but the 195/65 is the TALLEST of all the tires I mentioned. Your tires are indeed too tall for the wheel well. I'm looking to go a tad wider at the same, or just a tad less, height.

bobbyv · #4 12-04-2002, 09:00 PM

a 205/60-15 tire has a diameter that is less than 1% bigger than a 185-65-15 tire. A 195/65-15 tire is about 2% taller than standard.

on my car, the 205/60-15 rubs a little on the leading edge of the front wheelwells, but that is only because I am using a wider wheel with a different offset (7" wide with 36mm offset)

i believe that the 205/60-15 is the ideal upgrade for you. I don't want really low-profile tires because I don't want to fear potholes, or going over bumps at high speed.

JDUB · #5 12-04-2002, 10:51 PM

I'm running 195\60\15 and they are almost exactly the same height as the 185\65\15. I compared them side by side. I had 205\65\15 and they did not rub at all but the accelleration was a little off because it changed the overall gear ratio with the taller tires. The 195\60\15 do not rub. If your car is lowered it it possible. I replaced all 4 coil springs 3 years ago and it performs flawlessly. Also don't buy cheap tires like BF Goodrich or Pep Boys , you WILL notice the difference from a quality tire like Michelin in the ride and especially in the handling.

Jim Anderson · #6 12-05-2002, 11:14 AM

I put them on mine and the only real problem was rubbing on the front of the front fenders when I hit deep dips. I rolled that part back so it rarely happens now.

A non-real problem is it won't fit is the spare hole in the trunk

brookspw · #7 12-05-2002, 12:54 PM

Didn't think of that, Jim. But I'll just keep the same OEM spare.

Have you had both 195/60 and 205/60 on the car? If so, which did you prefer, and for what reasons?

Thanks,

#8 12-05-2002, 01:51 PM

I had 205/60/15 MXV4's on my 190E with OE 15-hole chrome rims that were 15x6.5 with an offset of 49. That combination was perfect.

Now I've got the 205/60/15 MXV4's on 15x7 monoblock replicas with an offset of 37. There is rubbing only when the car hits a pronounced bump or dip on a slow turn. I might try 205/55/15 or 205/50/15 once the Michelins wear out.

#9 12-05-2002, 04:03 PM

Hey Brook,

Thanks for the correction but I was wondering how come the 195/65s that I have are taller than the 205/60, what is used to indicate the height, is it the second number(65) and not the first?

#10 12-05-2002, 05:24 PM

Yes.

jsmith · #11 12-06-2002, 09:28 AM

the second number is the "aspect ratio" which is a percentage of the cross sectional width of the tire giving the height of the sidewall. a 195/65 is always taller than a 195/60...

brookspw · #12 12-08-2002, 10:15 PM

bump

#13 12-12-2002, 03:51 AM

I am running 195/60/15 on my 1991 190e 1.8 with 8 hole Merc rims.

I like the feel of the ride and handling and have not experienced any rubbing.

However, if your wife or g/friend drives your car, you may wanna have the 205/60/15 (wider profile) so if she kerbs the car, the rims will not hurt.

Azhari
1991 190e 1.8
Singapore

brookspw · #14 12-12-2002, 09:55 AM

Ok, thanks for the replies. Looks like the 195/60 are good to go unanimously.

For those that have had the 205/60, please respond with:
1) Did they rub & where/when.
2) How was the appearance vs. 195?

I need to get some tires soooooon. My wet traction is gone.

Thanks,

Phillip

placo1 · #15 12-12-2002, 11:31 AM

brookspw,

I used to have an 84 190E which I lowered 1" using H&R Lowering springs and had Koni Adjustables shocks on the stiffest setting. I also upgraded sway bars and had a set of 15" OZ Racing Wheels. The tire size I used were a 205/60/15 but I don't remember the offset.

The rear tires fit perfectly and there was no rubbing whatsoever. The front tires did however hit the front fenders during extreme bumps and dips. Personally it really wasn't a big deal, it left scratches near the edge of the tires where the sidewall met the tread. You might be able to solve this by rolling your fenders.

I don't however know how well these tires would fit on a stock rim, are you planning on upgrading or do you already have upgraded wheels?