oeufbum
New Member
Hi All,
I have a 2011 E250 Sport (Auto) which I bought back in 2012 with 9k miles on the clock. This model has the AMG body kit, wheels, steering wheel, shiny pedals and a couple of other AMG bits. I think this was all standard on the Sport model (but not sure).
The car has served me well over the years and has been relatively reliable throughout this period other than a main drive belt failure last year, a cracked cooling pipe fitting, and a couple of sensor replacements. I brought it over to Spain with me about 5 years when I decided to retire here.
However one thing that has continued to 'bug' me since I bought it is that the ride quality is really harsh. This can probably be attributed to the 18" wheels with low profile tyres, and the slightly stiffer suspension on the Sport. I have often wondered if I can improve the ride by changing the wheels to 17" (or even 16" if possible) obviously fitted with the appropriate tyres. I appreciate that handling will probably be compromised marginally, but as I get older (now 72), my boy-racer days are over, and I'd sooner settle for a smoother ride. Despite the fact the car remains in great condition internally and externally, the current 18" alloy wheels are badly scuffed, delaminated in places, and generally look a mess. I can get them refurbished here but have been quoted about €100 (£85) per wheel, plus the inconvenience of having no car for a week or so. Plus I can get some decent used OEM wheels here for around the same money!
So after all of this, here's the catch.....
Apart from the previously mentioned factory-fitted differences on the Sport model, it also has offset wheels
!
The fronts are:
8.5J x 18 x ET48 (tyre size: 245 x 40 x 18 Y)
And the rears are:
9J x 18 x ET54 (tyre size: 265 x 35 x 18 Y)
The quoted offset for the fronts is 46-50, and for the rears 52-56.
My question is this......can I fit 17" (or even 16") wheels preferably without the wider rears. I.E. all four wheels would be the same - 8.5J? 8J?
It seems that most other W212 models were factory-fitted with either 16" (E200) or 17" (E220/E250 but not Sport).
I'm a little unsure how such a change may affect the quoted offset - other than the rears (and obviously the fronts too if they're less than 8.5J) not sticking out quite so far, and also impinging on the discs/brake cylinders
. If this was the case, could I use suitable spacers with the slightly narrower wheels to avoid this potential issue?
Do any of you wisened peeps have any experience of going to smaller wheels? Or maybe you can make any comments and/or advice.
I could always contact MB direct in Germany, but over the years I don't have much faith in their customer support, certainly at dealer level anyway.
Thanks for reading, and many apologies for the 'War & Peace' tome
!
I have a 2011 E250 Sport (Auto) which I bought back in 2012 with 9k miles on the clock. This model has the AMG body kit, wheels, steering wheel, shiny pedals and a couple of other AMG bits. I think this was all standard on the Sport model (but not sure).
The car has served me well over the years and has been relatively reliable throughout this period other than a main drive belt failure last year, a cracked cooling pipe fitting, and a couple of sensor replacements. I brought it over to Spain with me about 5 years when I decided to retire here.
However one thing that has continued to 'bug' me since I bought it is that the ride quality is really harsh. This can probably be attributed to the 18" wheels with low profile tyres, and the slightly stiffer suspension on the Sport. I have often wondered if I can improve the ride by changing the wheels to 17" (or even 16" if possible) obviously fitted with the appropriate tyres. I appreciate that handling will probably be compromised marginally, but as I get older (now 72), my boy-racer days are over, and I'd sooner settle for a smoother ride. Despite the fact the car remains in great condition internally and externally, the current 18" alloy wheels are badly scuffed, delaminated in places, and generally look a mess. I can get them refurbished here but have been quoted about €100 (£85) per wheel, plus the inconvenience of having no car for a week or so. Plus I can get some decent used OEM wheels here for around the same money!
So after all of this, here's the catch.....
Apart from the previously mentioned factory-fitted differences on the Sport model, it also has offset wheels
!The fronts are:
8.5J x 18 x ET48 (tyre size: 245 x 40 x 18 Y)
And the rears are:
9J x 18 x ET54 (tyre size: 265 x 35 x 18 Y)
The quoted offset for the fronts is 46-50, and for the rears 52-56.
My question is this......can I fit 17" (or even 16") wheels preferably without the wider rears. I.E. all four wheels would be the same - 8.5J? 8J?
It seems that most other W212 models were factory-fitted with either 16" (E200) or 17" (E220/E250 but not Sport).
I'm a little unsure how such a change may affect the quoted offset - other than the rears (and obviously the fronts too if they're less than 8.5J) not sticking out quite so far, and also impinging on the discs/brake cylinders
. If this was the case, could I use suitable spacers with the slightly narrower wheels to avoid this potential issue?Do any of you wisened peeps have any experience of going to smaller wheels? Or maybe you can make any comments and/or advice.
I could always contact MB direct in Germany, but over the years I don't have much faith in their customer support, certainly at dealer level anyway.
Thanks for reading, and many apologies for the 'War & Peace' tome
!
Last edited:
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. It hasn't snowed here in Benijofar for 85 years! 
