R129 Silver Arrow

[mcpmotorsport]

Advice needed please !
We have a SL with ET30 8.5 x 18 fitted on front( 235.40) and ET33 9.5 x 18( 265.35)
We wish to fit ET42 very special lightweight wheels we have acquired( Mercedes fitment ) 8 x 18 all round --with 225.40
I assume ordering Eibach hubcentric spacers 15 mm front and 20 mm rear will suffice ?? Plus longer bolts but what length ?
My mechanic is away so all help needed !
Thanks

[LamboRaj]

The R129 needs to have the correct et specified by mb because the offsets are slightly different from other mercs. The best setup is 8.5 x 18 front and 10 x 18 rear. You will find that even with the wheel spacer the rear wheel will sit too far in from the rear arcj line. I have had a few 129's and tried the different wheels and sadly they just dont sit right and it does affect the handling as the r129 is quite a heavy chassis anyway! The wrong setup will also wear the tyres out on the insides, especially the rears. Hope this was helpful!

[r129sl]

Fitment of ultra-lightweight wheels to the R129 would be an interesting experiment. These cars are extremely sensitive to wheel balance and tyre design and I would have thought lighter equals better for this chassis. I probably wouldn't go higher than 17", although it is correct that later cars were available ex works with 18" AMG wheels and the profile you propose is not too shallow.

The car was available with 8" wheels throughout the production run. The standard wheel was 8J x 16 ET 34 with tyre size 225/55 R 16. The optional Style II AMG wheel came in 8J x 18 ET 31 on the front axle with tyre size was 245/40 R 18; there is no reason why such a size should not be used in back. This is the tyre size I would use: 245/40. The alternative that you suggest, 225/40, is going to be too stiff and will leave the speedo out.

200,000miles experience tells me not to fit anything other than Michelins to this car; the PS2 is the best tyre I have yet found, better-suited to the car than the PS3.

I would not stray from the factory offsets for the reasons given by the previous poster. I always thought spacers were bad?

[mcpmotorsport]

Many Thanks for advice

[GregE240]

r129sl said:

200,000miles experience tells me not to fit anything other than Michelins to this car; the PS2 is the best tyre I have yet found, better-suited to the car than the PS3.

Respectfully R129, I bow to your higher mileage than myself, but having had Conti Sport Contacts and Good Year Eagles on my car (fitted with 18" AMG Style IIs). The Good Years in particular are very very good.

I've got Dunlops on my set of 16" wheels, but have never fitted them to the car.

Cheers!
Greg

[ras62]

There is an offset calculator here http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

The figures for the new wheels would suggest 18mm spacer front and 28mm spacer on the rear to match the present setup. Having said this the wheels fitted at present have a different position than the 8" ET 31 (front) on my car by some +7mm.

[r129sl]

GregE240 said:

r129sl said:

200,000miles experience tells me not to fit anything other than Michelins to this car; the PS2 is the best tyre I have yet found, better-suited to the car than the PS3.

Respectfully R129, I bow to your higher mileage than myself, but having had Conti Sport Contacts and Good Year Eagles on my car (fitted with 18" AMG Style IIs). The Good Years in particular are very very good.

I've got Dunlops on my set of 16" wheels, but have never fitted them to the car.

Cheers!
Greg

I haven't tried the Good Years. I had a lot of Contis (SC2), but the Michelin PS2s were a cut above. The Primacy HP was pretty awful. I have just fitted Bridgestones on my SEC and I am very pleased with the results so far.

[GregE240]

Agreed, my ex missus had them on a Boxster S and I have to say they were fab. Not cheap but by crikey you get what you pay for