Slk wheels 16 or 17”

[Julie brown-rigby]

Hi can someone advise please . I live in rural north norfolk uk and our roads are pretty grim. Pot holes poor surface you name it . I have a Slk r171 which cane with 17” wheels staggered . Would there be any real advantage in changing to 16 “ to give a less hard ride .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

16-inch wheels and tyres should give a softer ride, but whether you would actually notice the difference, I'm not sure. Personally I'd stick with your existing set up - new tyres can make a remarkable difference in ride comfort compared to well worn tyres.

 

[Marku]

You would have to increase the tyre ratio to the same diameter to maintain an accurate speed reading. The general wisdom seems to be not to go below 55 ratio to give a decent ride. Don't know about protecting from potholes though as ours has 225/55 17 and I have had two wheels repaired due to potholes.

 

[toteimerced]

Also it depends which brakes your car has, if it has the sport pack brakes with Mercedes Benz on them, 16” wheels won’t fit over them.

 

[GeeJayW]

Also it depends which brakes your car has, if it has the sport pack brakes with Mercedes Benz on them, 16” wheels won’t fit over them.

^^This..

Plus, IMHO 17" rims are the optimum size for the SLK providing the best balance of ride and handling. 16" are a bit squidgy, 18" and bigger too harsh. YMMV of course.

 

[Julie brown-rigby]

Hi guys thanks for the advice . I think I will stick with 17” wheels as apart from handling they suit the car really well. The tyres are not worn btw but they are cheap tyres and there are 3 different tread patterns. I think I will change to a new set . So next question is with winter coming up and this is my daily drive, anyone fitted cross climate tyres ? Usually have mid range tyre and find Khumo tyres pretty good.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Hi guys thanks for the advice . I think I will stick with 17” wheels as apart from handling they suit the car really well. The tyres are not worn btw but they are cheap tyres and there are 3 different tread patterns. I think I will change to a new set . So next question is with winter coming up and this is my daily drive, anyone fitted cross climate tyres ? Usually have mid range tyre and find Khumo tyres pretty good.

Never used cross climate tyres, but I have used winter tyres all year round, and they transform cars which would be otherwise undeliverable in snow and very slippery conditions. Generally the imporvement in performance in winter more than offsets any reduction in performance in summer.

 

[GP801]

The 17 inch wheels seriously limit the choice of winter tyres on the rear. There are no all season tyres that will fit our R171 with 17 inch rims. We run Khumo winter tyres over the winter months and they transform from being undrivable if it snows to pretty much go anywhere unless the snow is very deep.

 

[brucemillar]

My thoughts. Stick with the original wheels and fit a 'full' set of decent branded tires of the correct size & ratio etc.

Then (sadly) it is down to driving like Miss Daisy around the pot holed lanes. I live in rural Kent and have the same issues. Decent wheels & suspension get a caning in the winter months, although winter seems to be extending in Kent Highways every year.

Unmatched tires are introducing an unknown fact onto a car that was never designed to run on anything but a correctly matched set. This is more crucial with a staggered setup and make it harder to diagnose setup issues at any later stage.

I have managed to convert a very nice comfortable 124 ride into a bone shaker by fitting Pirelli tires. One small change that has compromised the entire enjoyment of the cars ride.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The 17 inch wheels seriously limit the choice of winter tyres on the rear. There are no all season tyres that will fit our R171 with 17 inch rims. We run Khumo winter tyres over the winter months and they transform from being undrivable if it snows to pretty much go anywhere unless the snow is very deep.

What's the standard summer fitment? Reason I ask is that 8.5j 17 inch rear wheels usually come with 245/40 17 tyres - those wheels will accept 225/45 17 tyres too, which are usually the standard fitment for 7.5j front wheels, making it possible to fit 225/45 all round for winter.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Sorry to come late to the conversation. IMHO 16 inch wheels will make your ride more comfortable, and should fit your car. I know the country roads around Norwich, especially in Winter, and I think a sports set up on 17" wheels will be a pain on those roads.

These things are a question of personal taste. Just organise a test drive of an SLK on 16 inch wheels to feel it for yourself.

There's pressure on people to buy larger wheels because they "look sporty," but it always comes at a price of compromised comfort. Look at SLK's in Europe and you'll see that most are on smaller wheels than in the UK, even though European roads are actually better maintained.

Downsizing wheels can cost nothing. Four immaculate 16 inch wheels with tyres on 6mm can be bought for less than £500 all in via specialist dealers on eBay because every (young) driver is changing them in the other direction. (German suppliers should be considered as well as UK). Your local tyre fitter will fit and balance your new wheels for £25 ish all in. Your 17 inch wheels can be sold on eBay for more (less fees).

Maybe it all sounds like a bit of a faff, but I know so many people who sell their carefully chosen sporty cars (especially BMW's) because they chose sports suspension versions with big wheels, and then choose daft SUV's "because the ride's more comfortable."

 

[Julie brown-rigby]

What's the standard summer fitment? Reason I ask is that 8.5j 17 inch rear wheels usually come with 245/40 17 tyres - those wheels will accept 225/45 17 tyres too, which are usually the standard fitment for 7.5j front wheels, making it possible to fit 225/45 all round for winter.

The rims are the size you mention . I think I will aim to get a decent set of mid range tyres . My local tyre place in who we trust has given good advice on winter tyres and days in this country they are mostly a waste of money unless it’s a really cold winter . I guess I need to watch the weather forecasts !

 

[Julie brown-rigby]

Sorry to come late to the conversation. IMHO 16 inch wheels will make your ride more comfortable, and should fit your car. I know the country roads around Norwich, especially in Winter, and I think a sports set up on 17" wheels will be a pain on those roads.

These things are a question of personal taste. Just organise a test drive of an SLK on 16 inch wheels to feel it for yourself.

There's pressure on people to buy larger wheels because they "look sporty," but it always comes at a price of compromised comfort. Look at SLK's in Europe and you'll see that most are on smaller wheels than in the UK, even though European roads are actually better maintained.

Downsizing wheels can cost nothing. Four immaculate 16 inch wheels with tyres on 6mm can be bought for less than £500 all in via specialist dealers on eBay because every (young) driver is changing them in the other direction. (German suppliers should be considered as well as UK). Your local tyre fitter will fit and balance your new wheels for £25 ish all in. Your 17 inch wheels can be sold on eBay for more (less fees).

Maybe it all sounds like a bit of a faff, but I know so many people who sell their carefully chosen sporty cars (especially BMW's) because they chose sports suspension versions with big wheels, and then choose daft SUV's "because the ride's more comfortable."

Interesting and it’s sonething to consider . I’m not a racing driver and this is my daily car used on inspections . I’m a building inspector but try not to take my new car in sites . You have made me reconsider my original thinking . I think I’ll trawl the web again . Even if they are a bit poor in condition we have a really good powder coater in Norwich . Thanks for advice

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The rims are the size you mention . I think I will aim to get a decent set of mid range tyres . My local tyre place in who we trust has given good advice on winter tyres and days in this country they are mostly a waste of money unless it’s a really cold winter . I guess I need to watch the weather forecasts !

Buying winter tyres is a great way of making sure we have a mild winter!

The severity of winter driving conditions can vary quite a lot across the UK, and the ways in which we use our cars can vary too, so the need for winter tyres is a personal thing. However driving a rear wheel drive automatic with wide summer tyres can be a bum-clinching experience after you've been stuck!

The difference in performance is most dramatic in snow and on an incline, and if you're unlikely to come across that combination then winter tyres are unlikely to be useful. That's not to say that winter tyres don't perform better in less severe conditions, it's just less noticeable.

Some winters we've not bothered fitting winter tyres because it's been so mild, and other winters we fit them to even our SUVs, as really wide tyres make snow difficult even for cars with four wheel drive!

 

[Julie brown-rigby]

Also it depends which brakes your car has, if it has the sport pack brakes with Mercedes Benz on them, 16” wheels won’t fit over them.

Hi is that just the logo or actually written as Mercedes Benz ? How do I tell otherwise

 

[PobodY]

Hi is that just the logo or actually written as Mercedes Benz ? How do I tell otherwise

If that have ///AMG written on them, it's a pretty sure bet that those are the "sports" brakes and may not fit under smaller wheels. - On my CLK I had to use spacers to make the 17" winter tyres clear them, but that's as much about me not checking the offset as anything else (I made the assumption than C-Class wheels would fit a CLK, but didn't consider which C-Class).

Another sign might be the cross-drilled (rather than "flat") discs, but you can also buy after-market discs that are cross-drilled in the "standard" size.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Hi is that just the logo or actually written as Mercedes Benz ? How do I tell otherwise

Post a photo and a member can advise

 

[MancMike]

I don't know about your SLK, but I have factory 16s on my C Class and I take speed bumps like they're not there at 40+ without issue.

Tyres are cheap too. 16 inch wheels opens up a world of tyres. If you're not looking for "road feel" then downsize.

 

[toteimerced]

The sports brake calipers have Mercedes Benz lettering on them, normally grey with white writing.