New shoes for an old horse

[furiouskudoka]

Hey guys
I have went through the few threads about it, however I would just like to check your thoughts
I currently have a set of 205/55/16 tyres on my C320 which are due for replacement
The fuel tank cap says 225/50/16, however I've been fine with the smaller tyres for quite a while
Is it worth paying the premium, or should I roll with the cheaper and more common size ?
P.S - what's the largest size you have fitted in a W203 ? The C32 AMG comes with 17's, is this the optimal size?

 

[Blobcat]

I have 205’s front and 225’s rear for summer and 205’s all round on my winters.
I expect you’re on the winter setup.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

If you are happy with the 205s I’d stick with them the 225s will alter the characteristics of the car. The best set-up I’ve had was a S210 with 215s all round which gave enough grip, no tramlining and great feel even on our third world roads.

 

[Blobcat]

If you are happy with the 205s I’d stick with them the 225s will alter the characteristics of the car. The best set-up I’ve had was a S210 with 215s all round which gave enough grip, no tramlining and great feel even on our third world roads.

I see loads of 275’s and 285’s on 220 diesels and wonder why would you put yourself through that expensive hell just for fashion????

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I see loads of 275’s and 285’s on 220 diesels and wonder why would you put yourself through that expensive he’ll just for fashion????

Agreed, no point whatsoever unless you are a tyre manufacturer in which case it’s a win situation (they must be making a fortune out of it)

 

[AnthonyUK]

I bought a staggered set of 17" wheels from the breakers for £100 which I think came off of an SLK which would be the ideal size for a C320.
The rears are a little uncommon but still enough of a choice available so 225/45 R17 and 245/40R17.
I really wanted Crossclimate+ though so ended up with 225/45 all-round

These are the original 16" which I refurbished.

 

[BassMerc]

So, an old horse, any horse, has new shoes every five weeks. If only we could afford to change tyres with the same frequency.

 

[furiouskudoka]

I bought a staggered set of 17" wheels from the breakers for £100 which I think came off of an SLK which would be the ideal size for a C320.
The rears are a little uncommon but still enough of a choice available so 225/45 R17 and 245/40R17.
I really wanted Crossclimate+ though so ended up with 225/45 all-round

These are the original 16" which I refurbished.

Looks solid !
I am trying to find the C32 wheels in decent shape, but to no avail

 

[JBell]

225/50 r16 are not expensive

Uniroyal Tyres / Car / Uniroyal RainSport 5 - 225/50 R16 92Y TL Fuel Eff.: E Wet Grip: A NoiseClass: 2 Noise: 71dB Car Tyres - MPV Tyres - People Carrier Tyres - 16" R16" - 225/50/16, 225/50R16

Buy online cheap Uniroyal Tyres / Car / Uniroyal RainSport 5 - 225/50 R16 92Y TL Fuel Eff.: E Wet Grip: A NoiseClass: 2 Noise: 71dB

www.camskill.co.uk

 

[JBell]

I has 8x17" ET35 wheels all round fitted with 225/45 R17 front and 245/40 R17 rear tyres on my W203

 

[Madtutle3]

fuel tank cap says 225/50/16,

The 205/55/R16 doesn't affect your speedometer (0.1%) difference) compared to the 225/50/R16.
However, you are giving up 9% (8.9%) of the contact patch with the pavement . This will certainly affect the braking and handling of the car in demanding circumstances.

An alternative would be 215/55/R16. which gives you only 4.4% less contact patch. Your speedometer will read 1.8% differently. eg if the speedo says 80 your actual will be 81.46, which is actually not a bad thing as all speedometers I have seen read low by 1 or 2 mph.

 

[Gazwould]

How can you apply maths to tyres ?

 

[Madtutle3]

I should mention that I have an old Subaru SVX which is a touring coupe. It was made from 1992 through 1997. The OEM tires were 225/50R16 except for the 1997 models which were changed to 215/55/R16. I've driven both on that car and prefer the 225.

 

[Madtutle3]

How can you apply maths to tyres ?

Just click on the chart above. It will take you to the website where you can enter various parameters.

 

[Gazwould]

Trouble is tyre manufacturers don't keep to the widths and aspect ratio stated on the sidewall .

 

[AnthonyUK]

Trouble is tyre manufacturers don't keep to the widths and aspect ratio stated on the sidewall .

There must be standards with specific limits.

 

[Gazwould]

They manipulate to make the tyre perform in different areas , width - gip or economy , profile for handing or comfort .

It all started when I noticed a significant ride height change on a low car on coilovers when upsizing some wheels .

 

[AnthonyUK]

They manipulate to make the tyre perform in different areas , width - gip or economy , profile for handing or comfort .

It all started when I noticed a significant ride height change on a low car on coilovers when upsizing some wheels .

I beleive the allowed limit is 3% which is hardly anything. Any more would impact speedo readings etc.

 

[Uncle Benz]

18” were the largest factory fit on the w203 platfom, on the C55 AMG. I have a set on my C32 as the summer wheels, with the original 17’s reserved for winter with Kumho KU27’s on.

18’s pictured here. 225/40/18 front, 245/35/18 rear

 

[Uncle Benz]

These are the original 17” wheels. 225/45/17 front, 245/40/17 rear.


Very similar design. The spokes are just a bit longer on the the 18’s