w 124 sportline tyre sizes

[Campbell]

Hi
Second time on the site so new to the forum. I have a W124 sportline cabriolet - 1996. I was after some advise on tyre and wheel sizes. I am going to buy some AMG 17" 5 spoke alloys there are 2 sizes 8 and 8.5. My prefernce is 8.5 but have been told these may clip front skirts. The tyres are 225x45 or I would prefer 225x50 does anyone know which is the largest size I can put on.
And which tyre brand would you recommend (light driving only) - are the brands worth the extra eh Pirelli, Michelin etc

 

[brandwooddixon]

I think that you'll find that 8.5" rims are usually for the rear tyres, otherwise you may have trouble with the tyres rubbing in various places when turning. Personally I'd stick to the tyre sizes in the handbook. I'm not sure of the exact size, but 235/45 rings a bell.

 

[Bolide]

The "standard" AMG fitment is 7.5 x 17" rims with 225 tyres. Depending on the ride height, stiffness of the suspension and the shape of the tyre they may still rub

I've never tried it but would suspect 8.5s on the front would stick out too far, rub like mad and tramline like crazy

Bear in mind that the bigger wheels & tyres are a lot heavier than the standard ones so you'll be increasing the unsprung weight quite considerably which makes the car feel clumsier

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Campbell]

Hi
Thanks. After considerable digging around it seems that 17x7.5 all round is the better option. As my model is a sportline its the clearance that concerns me, in addition low profile tyres like the 225/45 will give a harder ride. Does anyone know if 225/50/17 would allow for enough clearance at the front ?
Nick I notice on your site you offer 17" wheels on some of your 124's as an option and you recommend 225/45 - can you tell if these give you a harder ride ?

 

[Bolide]

-Nick I notice on your site you offer 17" wheels on some of your 124's as an option and you recommend 225/45 - can you tell if these give you a harder ride ?

Always

In general I wouldn't recommend anything but the standard 15" wheels, either 6.5 or 7" wide, and standard tyres

You could fit 16s, like the E500 had, but 16" tyres are expensive and not as common as 17s

17s work OK but you can feel the difference - the tyre sidewall is lot lower & stiffer and the ride does deteriorate. The additional unsprung weight doesn't help

I do think bigger wheels will work better on Sportline cars than on standard ones

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Legoman]

my 'amg' is running 8J 17's at ET28 with 235/45 tyres on front and rear which are fine , ride quality is good too. i think the tyre width compensates for the lack of depth.