I own an 1986 190E and am interested in a few upgrades, one of which is aftermarket wheels.

I've looked around this site and seen alot of information and codenames / acronyms used by much more senior Benz owners.. You can certainly tell I'm a newby.. I have never owned a Benz before and hope to use this one as a hobby car..even though I likely will drive it daily. I'm really just looking for some help understanding what my options are AND opinions on what to purchase.

What body style / type is my Benz?

Does the type of Benz determine the offset or the type of Wheel?

I have talked briefly to a local wheel dealer and they recommend German wheels only, they said they don't sell Japanese made wheels. I am curious if there is an obvious quality difference in Japanese made wheels or if the difference in price may justify the drop in quality.. if the quality is at least at an acceptable level.. ?

Thanks for any help you can offer...

Welcome to MercedesShop.

First of all, the chassis code for the 190E is W201.

Secondly, all MB passenger cars use rims that are hubcentric and use a 5x112mm bolt pattern. These are important to remember.

Hubcentric means that the centre bore of the rim will fit perfectly around the flange that you can see on the hub of your car. This is the design of MB hubs. This design ensures that the weight of the car is borne by the rim and not the bolts which hold the rim to the car.

As far as offset goes, that can be a complex issue. by definition, offset is the distance from the centerline of the rim to the mounting surface. things that affect what offset you need can include, but are not limited to:

- shape of the rim (do they clear the brake calipers?)
- the width of the rim
- the tire size
- steering component clearance

I don't know of any specific quality concerns between japanese and germa rims, however, keep in mind that japanses cars tend to be considerably lighter than their german counterparts. Also, it can be difficult to find japanese made rims with the proper bolt patters and 5x112 seems to be used mainly in europe.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to get hubcentric rims. If you do not, you are taking a very large unneccessary risk.

__________________
'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights

Thanks for the note. Makes sense. Would you know if stock wheels from newer Benz' would fit my car? If so, which would be good candidates.??

Basically anything from the newer C-classes, or maybe an E-class ... roughly nothing wider then 7.5" wide, and offsets in the 30s or low 40s.

Thats a start. I got the E430 Sport Wheels on mine, as well as a few other mods. But I would suggest following 2phast's web page as he has done a great job displaying his information.

Good Luck.

__________________
Chirag (Charlie) Patel
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- 03 Mercedes S600 Sport TTV12
- 97 Acura NSX-T
- 99 BMW E36 M3 w/500+ HP
- 04 Lexus RX330
- 04 Dodge Dakota Quad 4x4 V8

4 Sale:
- 99 BMW M3 E36 Coup with Dinan SC, Upgraded to an RMS Stage 3 with Aftercooler, 12psi, and 500+hp @ flywheel.

It's amazing how the stock rims from a new MB updates the appearance of an older model without worries about quality! In addition, there are more than a few C/E class owners that have upgraded their rims and selling their gently used OEMs.