Debate, New alloys & tyres or just new tyres???
Discussion
Got a very very comfortable E Class with very boring balloon 16" alloys that requires 4 tyres, I can buy 4 x 18" wheels & tyres for only £150 more than 4 x 16'' decent tyres but am I going to totally spoil my nice comfy ride and with Glasgows mutant pot hole explosion, is it worth while, last car had 18" with 45 profile and I had to replace 2/3 in 2 years just due to bulges in sidewall due to mutant pot holes. 16" look rubbish but very comfy & it's coming into mutant pot hole mating season, winter!!!
Before someone says keep the 16" for winter and 18" for summer that wouldnt help cause I would still need to buy 16" tyres and why are they so expensive, are they just a fat, weird, difficult to get a hold of size these days cause everything is running a minimum of 17"??
I also have a cooper s for fun on 17'' and I get fed up playing pot hole hopscoth!!
Dilema, dilema , dilema!!
A.
Before someone says keep the 16" for winter and 18" for summer that wouldnt help cause I would still need to buy 16" tyres and why are they so expensive, are they just a fat, weird, difficult to get a hold of size these days cause everything is running a minimum of 17"??
I also have a cooper s for fun on 17'' and I get fed up playing pot hole hopscoth!!
Dilema, dilema , dilema!!
A.
Been there, done it!
Check out my car in my profile, I swapped the OEM 16" for 18" AMG wheels last year, same thinking that I got a set of wheels and nearly new Michelins for the price new tyres for the 16" were going to cost me anyway (through Pistonheads classifieds).
I'll be honest, even although the new wheels are wider with a lower profile, I notice no improvement in roadholding, homever IMO they look so much better. The ride is slightly compromised, but not so much as to be harsh or annoying. I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
I personally didn't think going for 17" wheels was worthwhile, as the 18" don't exactly look huge given the size of car, but each to their own.
Check out my car in my profile, I swapped the OEM 16" for 18" AMG wheels last year, same thinking that I got a set of wheels and nearly new Michelins for the price new tyres for the 16" were going to cost me anyway (through Pistonheads classifieds).
I'll be honest, even although the new wheels are wider with a lower profile, I notice no improvement in roadholding, homever IMO they look so much better. The ride is slightly compromised, but not so much as to be harsh or annoying. I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
I personally didn't think going for 17" wheels was worthwhile, as the 18" don't exactly look huge given the size of car, but each to their own.
Hiya, Car looks great, i take it that was an Avantgarde, mine is, did you drop the suspension at all? What size are the 18", on the Sport version wheels I like they are 245 on front and 265 on rear but I was thinking about going with 225 as what they are just now on the front and 245 on rear just to give a wider stance, but the pot hole bit is worrying me, I had a x reg clk years ago and changed that from 15" to 18", it looked great but they just got knackered with the occasional pothole on our glass like roads!
Thanks again.
A.
Thanks again.
A.
yellowbentines said:
Been there, done it!
Check out my car in my profile, I swapped the OEM 16" for 18" AMG wheels last year, same thinking that I got a set of wheels and nearly new Michelins for the price new tyres for the 16" were going to cost me anyway (through Pistonheads classifieds).
I'll be honest, even although the new wheels are wider with a lower profile, I notice no improvement in roadholding, homever IMO they look so much better. The ride is slightly compromised, but not so much as to be harsh or annoying. I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
I personally didn't think going for 17" wheels was worthwhile, as the 18" don't exactly look huge given the size of car, but each to their own.
Check out my car in my profile, I swapped the OEM 16" for 18" AMG wheels last year, same thinking that I got a set of wheels and nearly new Michelins for the price new tyres for the 16" were going to cost me anyway (through Pistonheads classifieds).
I'll be honest, even although the new wheels are wider with a lower profile, I notice no improvement in roadholding, homever IMO they look so much better. The ride is slightly compromised, but not so much as to be harsh or annoying. I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
I personally didn't think going for 17" wheels was worthwhile, as the 18" don't exactly look huge given the size of car, but each to their own.
Yes, mine's an 08 Avantgarde with the self-levelling suspension at the rear, not sure if that could be lowered anyway?
My wheels came off an SL55 so the tyres were 285 on the rear and 255 on the front when I got them, a very snug fit, especially on the back where I don't think it would've been possible to lower it without fouling the arches anyway.
I've since changed the front tyres and put 245s on (very limited choice in 255 and very expensive) and when the rears need done I'll go 275 or 265 dependent on what's available in terms of tyre choice, however the 285s do look ridiculously wide and mean from behind, until I roar off and cover whoever's behind in a thick plume of diesel fumes
My wheels came off an SL55 so the tyres were 285 on the rear and 255 on the front when I got them, a very snug fit, especially on the back where I don't think it would've been possible to lower it without fouling the arches anyway.
I've since changed the front tyres and put 245s on (very limited choice in 255 and very expensive) and when the rears need done I'll go 275 or 265 dependent on what's available in terms of tyre choice, however the 285s do look ridiculously wide and mean from behind, until I roar off and cover whoever's behind in a thick plume of diesel fumes
Going to after Xmas, keeping the e-class though and getting rid of the cooper s conv, its murder having more than 1 friend lol, how's the 430 anyway, last time we met was on the run to Largs when we all got lost up the back of bandit country Greenock?
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SteellFJ said:
scrap it an buy a Porsche! do what your other half tells you!
i think you have me confused! last time i seen you was about an hour walking though the office, and i drive a fiesta altough i do often drive about pretending through imaginative ways that i do drive a 430 or a zonda or gt3 rs or ......... .............. as you can imagine the list is endless.
yellowbentines said:
I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
Did you up the pressures?There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
And do you find this stops you getting sidewall bulges when you hit potholes??
fluffnik said:
yellowbentines said:
I have however damaged two of them in the last month due to potholes in Glasgow City Centre, so be prepared for that!
Did you up the pressures?There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
Aidayboy said:
fluffnik said:
Did you up the pressures?
There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
And do you find this stops you getting sidewall bulges when you hit potholes??There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
fluffnik said:
Did you up the pressures?
There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
I usually run with 3-4psi more all round which is basically the 'fully laden' book tyre pressures, I had been running slightly higher but the tyres were wearing alarmingly quickly in the centre 1/3 so I dropped them down slightly.There's about 6-9psi IIRC difference between the 18" and 17"/16"(winter) recommended pressures on my car - 37/43psi front/rear for 235/40 and 265/35 18"...
Another thing I am going to do next time tyres are due a change is get a brand with a better sidewall 'protection rib' to see if this helps.
Well after another weekend of driving through craters that started off as pot holes I think i'll need to go with the 16's, I took the mini out for a wee blast on saturday afternoon and think I'll need to go to dentist to have fillings replaced, these roads are honestly ruining what used to be a pleasure.
I can confirm that 18"s on an E-Class are nowhere near as bone-shaking as a MINI on the big wheels/stiff springs, having previously owned a MINI with 17" wheels, run-flat tyres and optional sports suspension, a car I got rid of solely as the harsh ride was driving me crazy!
ETA I notice from your profile pic your MINI is a convertible as was mine, doesn't driving with the top down and the front and rear windows rattling against each other make you wish you had smaller wheels and softer suspension?!
ETA I notice from your profile pic your MINI is a convertible as was mine, doesn't driving with the top down and the front and rear windows rattling against each other make you wish you had smaller wheels and softer suspension?!
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 25th October 14:04
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