Since high temp is a major concern... select a tire with a rather smooth tread pattern...
No course or wide gaps in the tread...
Smooth tight tread pattern also makes for a quieter tire at cruising speed...
If you have a local tire distributor go look at patterns and check the sidewall temperature ratings...
A=very good temperature dissipation...
B=okay temperature dissipation...
C=poor temperature dissipation...
Recommended tire brands [if available in your area]
Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Michelin, Bridgestone, Dunlop, etc...
50,000 mile ratings are good tires to consider... any less than this equates to "el-cheapo" specials... any more than this you end up driving a tire with internal bruiseing* causing unwanted vibrations etc...
*bruise, bruised, bruiseing- after high mileage a tire becomes stressed to the point of internal damage... mainly from rough roads, or objects in the road... ie. rocks, branches, pot holes, etc...
I have never driven on poor Saudi Arabia roads but I can say that Toyo makes somewhat of a mediocre tire. I would go with Hankook. Never had any experience with Falken, so cannot provide advice.
First impression yokohama AVID H4S after 40 miles of driving. $62 each at tirerack.com. I went with the OEM size and the tires seem quiet and capable. Ride quality is markedly improved and handling was precise at 80 mph. i will report back after driving a bit more.
I actually run the Toyo TPT's on my 400E. I wanted as much tread as I could get on the ground with stock wheels so I went for the 215/60-15's. To date, they do just fine. Not to swell in the snow, but I'd imagine it's not really an issue for you... They ride very nicely and are pretty quiet. They are wearing nicely enough for what they are. Speedometer is pretty much right on with maybe 1% difference or so. The TPT's have plenty of grip but the sidewalls are not so stiff so body roll is more of a problem than with my previous tires. I'm not stuck on these tires and I might try something different next time, but for the moment I'm not complaining.
My only concern about going for 215 is that there seems to be a great possibility that the inner sidewall will rub on the front shock absorber. With my current 205s, there is very little clearance between the sidewall and the shock already - not even enough for my finger to pass through. 215 will add 5mm to that, so I'm not really sure whether I should go for it. Have you experienced any rubbing?
(PS: My wheels are 7J15, part number begins with 126.)
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.
Thank you for your reply. What I will do is try out the 215's at the shop and see if they cause any problems. If they do, I'll just ask the guy to take them off. Having read your reply, though, I'm pretty sure they will fit perfectly :-)
Thanks!
Hello everyone!
I just braved it last night and tried out 215/60R15 on my OE 7" wheels, and guess what? They didnt rub the front shocks!
I installed Falken Ziex ZE-512, and they seem to be pretty decent. The car does feel a bit slower, though, because the earlier Dunlop SP65e Digi-Tires were 205/65, which have a slightly larger diameter. but the speedometer should be more accurate now, because the new tires are aproximately the same diameter as the OR 195/65R15.
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