W202 Steel Rim Tyre Size

[Spinal]

I need to buy some steel rims for the W202... and hopefully try to find some sand tyres for them... (but I guess a very worn tyre will do just as well)

If I'm right, these sizes should fit a W202 without any mods, right?

205/50 R16
205/60 R15
195/65 R15
185/65 R15

Now, given that width is the crucial factor, I would love the 205/60 R15... Wide as can be without mods... Now my question... do I need special rims for these, or will the 205 tyres fit on a normal "cheapo spec" MB steel rim?

Second problem, the tyres I really want/like (Insa Turbo Sahara) aren't made in any of those sizes... Now, if my understanding is correct, the second number relates to the sidewall height of the tyre.

So, 205/70 R15 would fit the 205 rim, but would potentially rub against the arches... right? In which case, third question... would I be able to fit a 205/70R15 tyre on the W202 without mods? If I'm right, this works out to (.7 * 20.5 * 2) + (16 * 2.54) = 69.34cm (compared to 62.7cm for the first set above)

What if I cut the arches away? Looks aren't too important....

The issue is, as much as I want to raise the car - I cannot spend £400 on new springs given my impending loss of job.

A final question which came up in the pub... in a 2WD car, is FWD or RWD better for navigating through sand?

M.

 

[martin_a]

Not totally sure on all you are asking but I think the second number is a per centage of the width so a 205/70 means that the tyre will be 70 per cent of a very wide tyre. Might help you decide if they'll rub or not... You could of course get the arches rolled but budget seems to be an issue there!

m.

 

[Spinal]

A quick update... arches are already rolled... I'm thinking of taking a jigsaw to them and removing them completely... I need to repaint the car with the sponsors logo's anyhow...

Sand type I'll be crossing (something that crossed my mind)
River, Arroyo, Desert, Dunes, Beach (flat), Beach (slope), fine sand, coarse sand, sand and sea shell mix, sand and land-mine mix... wet sand and dry sand... in a nutshell... all types!

Martin: I'm setting up a W202 to participate in the Timbuktu Rally - have a look at the site linked in my signature... it hasn't been updated since last year, and it still has last year's car (a V6 3l Mitsubishi Shogun) - but it'll give you an idea...

The W202 is this year's car...