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Shady,

The sectional width for both the 195 and 205 size tires are measured when mounted on a 6� rim width. The 215 is measured on a 6.5�. However, us Mercedes owners have the distinct pleasure of squeezing small tires onto wheels better suited for larger ones (something I’ve never understood). As the wheel width gets larger, so does the sectional width… But only at first. There is a calculatable wheel size where when reached, it effectively starts to relieve bulging on the sidewalls of the tire and sectional width decreases. This is actually the case with the 7 inch wheel. The 205 sectional width mounted on a 6� wheel will not differ much from the 215 mounted on a 7�. I was also worried when installing the 215 on my car that it might rub the shock like you mentioned. The tire salesman and installer both told me NOT to install the tire when I took my car down to the tire center. However, I’m mathematician by profession so I had it pretty much all figured out before I even got down there. The tire fit perfectly without any rubbing or scraping; no matter how hard I turn the wheel or how big of bumps I go over or any combination thereof.

I must tell you though, that my results when switching to a 205/65-15 on my 1990 300D 2.5 Turbo were not as good. The 300D’s smaller engine allows for a tighter turning radius than my 400E’s. In addition, the cars suspension is softer and noticeably lower to the ground. The tires on that car scrape the inside of the wheel well somewhere when turning sharply while simultaneously hitting a bump or dip at speed. Otherwise, I’ve not noticed anything under normal driving. I’ve had Toyo Ultra 800’s on that car for nearly 50K miles now and there is no damage to either the car or my tires even with the limited number of times I’ve had rubbing.

I hope this helps you,

Jon-Michael