W124 E280 estate alloy upgrade

[RKC-benz]

Help:

I am after a conclusive bit of advice to a set of questions about a wheel swap on my car… I have had really useful part-help on another thread but I am trying to bring it all together into an answer about changing wheels on my new estate - 1995 E280 W124.

The issue is that it is a standard estate car with steel rims but I have bought a set of 17" ET28 8J wheels for it. They are the Aero I models that will be part of the "re-styling " of the car… I have bought it as a promotional vehicle for my cycle shop. It is going to be a modern take on a 80s/90s cycling team support vehicle.

I have put the wheels on and they seem to be rubbing somewhere, and they stick out a good inch or more from where I expected them to be.

I have been alerted to the AMG wing spacer kit - very helpful from those who showed me that one.

My choice is fettle to make these fit or go looking for a narrower and less offset 17" wheel… another whole set of complications!

What I need to know is will it definitely work with my car. The questions are:
1. will it go on without hours of labour (I pay someone to look after my cars)?
2. Which kit do I purchase from where?
3. Can I leave the bodywork alone and not bend and/or repaint anything?
4. Will it stop the rubbing - and what is it likely to be rubbing?
5. Will the bottom trim panels all be wonky afterwards because of this manoeuvre?
6. How far out will the arches actually move at the top (where they look most exposed)?
7. Is there someone experienced in fitting these nearby to me in the West Midlands?
8. Etc, etc

I know there are lots of threads relating to this but I have searched and read them without getting to a certain answer about the fit and finish on an estate… And I do want the wheels because they are going to be part of a really good looking finished project…

Thanks in advance.

 

[millo777]

The rubbing is most likely on the trim panel attached to the lower rear of the wing, where is wraps around into the wheel arch. I reckon if you check there, you'll see where the tyre has been rubbing.

I haven't fitted the wing spacer kit, but did similar research and asked the same questions when considering it myself. So bear in mind, other members here who have done this will have far more informed guidance.

You may also have rubbing on the lip of the wing, which would required having the wheel arches rolled.

The spacer kit is only for the 2 bolts which fix the wing to the car either side of the wheel arch, hence it only pushes the wings out at the bottom, and does so without impacting the shut lines on the doors or bonnet.

I've attached a pic I nicked from another members post, RBYCC iirc, so he's the man to thank for the info, Not I.

When you see what it actually consists of, you'll realise that you can almost certainly put the same thing together yourself for far less than the dealer would charge. Essentially, just buy a length of 30mm diameter ptfe rod from ebay, cut to length, and use longer bolts and bigger washers.

 

[RKC-benz]

The rubbing is most likely on the trim panel attached to the lower rear of the wing, where is wraps around into the wheel arch. I reckon if you check there, you'll see where the tyre has been rubbing. I haven't fitted the wing spacer kit, but did similar research and asked the same questions when considering it myself. So bear in mind, other members here who have done this will have far more informed guidance. You may also have rubbing on the lip of the wing, which would required having the wheel arches rolled. The spacer kit is only for the 2 bolts which fix the wing to the car either side of the wheel arch, hence it only pushes the wings out at the bottom, and does so without impacting the shut lines on the doors or bonnet. I've attached a pic I nicked from another members post, RBYCC iirc, so he's the man to thank for the info, Not I. When you see what it actually consists of, you'll realise that you can almost certainly put the same thing together yourself for far less than the dealer would charge. Essentially, just buy a length of 30mm diameter ptfe rod from ebay, cut to length, and use longer bolts and bigger washers.

Thanks for this and for sending me over the tech doc on fitting a wing spacer kit... The front looks doable but the rears seem to need real bodywork manipulation... Hmm

Anybody got suggestions of a nice 16" MB wheel that's going to drop in without high levels of grief and re-working? I'm after a wider stance than the standard 8 hole alloys give...

Thanks

 

[d w124]

Thanks for this and for sending me over the tech doc on fitting a wing spacer kit... The front looks doable but the rears seem to need real bodywork manipulation... Hmm

Anybody got suggestions of a nice 16" MB wheel that's going to drop in without high levels of grief and re-working? I'm after a wider stance than the standard 8 hole alloys give...

Thanks

Are you sure the alloys you bought are ET28 and not 11?
I know it sounds like a dumb question but the rears should not be sticking out!
What tires do you have on them?

As for 16s,have you thought of the wider 8 hole ones

 

[RKC-benz]

Are you sure the alloys you bought are ET28 and not 11?
I know it sounds like a dumb question but the rears should not be sticking out!
What tires do you have on them?

As for 16s,have you thought of the wider 8 hole ones

Thanks...

The tyres are 235/45/17 at the moment. And I am pretty certain they are ET28 as that's what they were advertised at and that's what I recall checking on the back of them.

Where would I find a set of 16' wider 8 hole wheels? There's a question!

I am about to try and post some pictures if I can...

 

[RKC-benz]

The car in its interim state. See pictures with too wide wheels … and no shop graphics yet applied.

Regards

 

[RKC-benz]

Thanks...

The tyres are 235/45/17 at the moment. And I am pretty certain they are ET28 as that's what they were advertised at and that's what I recall checking on the back of them.

Where would I find a set of 16' wider 8 hole wheels? There's a question!

I am about to try and post some pictures if I can...

I meant 16" (inches) not 16' (feet). and how wide did the 8 hole 16" alloy come?

 

[kth286]

Mercedes certainly list your wheel spec and tyre size as an option for 124
vehicles.

They state you need the wing spacer AND the spring travel limiter kit for
those wheels.

Your problem at the moment is the ride height.

It is too high and is accentuating the bad wheel position relative to the body.

As the car gets lower the camber will become more negative and move the top of the wheels inwards towards the centre of the car, which will bring them more into line with the edge of the bodywork and not stick out, like now.

So you need to lower the suspension, if you want to use those wheels.

 

[RKC-benz]

Mercedes certainly list your wheel spec and tyre size as an option for 124
vehicles.

They state you need the wing spacer AND the spring travel limiter kit for
those wheels.

Your problem at the moment is the ride height.

It is too high and is accentuating the bad wheel position relative to the body.

As the car gets lower the camber will become more negative and move the top of the wheels inwards towards the centre of the car, which will bring them more into line with the edge of the bodywork and not stick out, like now.

So you need to lower the suspension, if you want to use those wheels.

Thanks for that - you make sense… and it seems I have made work for myself.

It appears that a simple wheel purchase is going to demand some bodywork mods and new dampers … I don't even want to think what this would end up costing in reality because the rear arches need proper metal bashing done on them if the MB tech doc advice is right (and I am sure it is - thanks millo777).

So a wider 16" 8 hole might be the answer for the moment and then I get myself lined up for a full lowering and fettling process in the next year or two…

Which other MB 16" wheels are going to sit right in my standard arches and not cause knock-on issues?

Thanks again

 

[GP801]

17x7.5 ET 42 AMG monoblock 2s will fit without modifications. I know they are not quite as retro as the 1s but much simpler. I have these are my 1995 S124 280. They were an optional extra in the 1990s.

 

[d w124]

The car in its interim state. See pictures with too wide wheels … and no shop graphics yet applied.

Regards

They are ET28 and look very cool.Just get a spacer kit made for the front and lower it a little
I`m about to put the same wheels on my car as they

 

[d w124]

They were an optional extra in the 1990s.

The aeroI were optional extra too but all the cars had spacer kits fitted also from new,IIRC

 

[RKC-benz]

They are ET28 and look very cool.Just get a spacer kit made for the front and lower it a little
I`m about to put the same wheels on my car as they

But the lowering is quite a stack of cash isn't it?

 

[Druk]

These are 16" CLK alloys which although pictured here on an early 124 also fit to later 280 and 320 cars. These fit without spacers or rubbing issues. ET37 iirc.




.

 

[RKC-benz]

17x7.5 ET 42 AMG monoblock 2s will fit without modifications. I know they are not quite as retro as the 1s but much simpler. I have these are my 1995 S124 280. They were an optional extra in the 1990s.

GP801 - I am going to look these up and see what they look like and if I can find any to purchase anywhere… simple is an option I like as I work long hours and don't have too much time to run around sorting more complex projects than I already have in life!

thanks

 

[RKC-benz]

These are 16" CLK alloys which although pictured here on an early 124 also fit to later 280 and 320 cars. These fit without spacers or rubbing issues. ET37 iirc.




.

Tidy looking car and wheels. thanks for the share...

 

[RKC-benz]

From OP:
So I am getting half a plan together...

I may keep these wheels in reserve and wait until I can find time, money, justification for doing bodywork mods and lowering. It won't be radical, just v close to AMG stock version.

So I now need to find some narrower wheels that are 16" and will look ok done in black (remember this isn't a stock car - it's for a promotional role)...

Question is both width and ET. What's the broadest possible stance I can fit into standard arches - and does anyone have a spare set of wheel candidates available?

Thanks

 

[millo777]

Don't bother with the 16x8 et 34 8 hole wheels from the E500/R129 as these will give you the same rubbing problem on the front (At least with the standard tyre size).

There is a version of the 8 hole wheels that was used on the w210 which is a 16" and I think 7.5j which is a direct retro fit. Don't see them on ebay very often as the other flavours of 8 hole wheel though.

CLK wheels are probably a good choice as the offset and width seems to work on the w124.

Have a look at alloywheels direct to see what what was available on various models as it shows all the specs.

Mercedes AMG BMW alloy wheels & tyres, UK wheel alloys

If you google around there are plenty of offset calculators and tyre size calculators you can use to see what difference the various wheels will have.

Bear in mind that a another set of wheels and tyres may well cost you more than the lowering mods to make the current set work.

You may even find a set of monoblock 2 replicas on ebay that would use the existing tyres as quick fix? when painted black, only geeks would be able to spot the difference anyway,

 

[tjamesbo]

What was the end result of this ? I am looking at 17's on my S124 and lowering springs (40mm ) Looking at wheels tyres and offsetts at moment Like me your on the S124 facebook
Boyd