w124 alloy wheel advice - Benzworld.org

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-06-2002, 12:21 PM

Hope it is OK to cross-post here, as my question is w124-specific: I have seen some amg monoblocks and am thinking about buying. They are 7J x 15 (same size as I currently have) wheels with ET37 offset. All my owners manual says is: 'Indentation Depth: 41mm.' Is that the same as offset? Will the amg wheels fit correctly on my car? BTW, what to people think about putting amg wheels on a non amg car (although it is sportline)? They are nice wheels but do ppl think it is trying too hard to pass off a non-amg car as amg? Lots of questions i know but thanks for any help.

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-06-2002, 12:29 PM

I have 91 300E and I have purchased my AMG Monoblock III wheels from Tirerack.com. I love the looks and performance. I have 17' instead of 15. Stock wheels, I am using for winter. Call Tirerack and ask about the offset. They are very helpful and friendly. It is going to be all depend on the width of the tire too.

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-06-2002, 02:01 PM

I have a 94 E420 that I just put 17' AMG Monoblocks on looks great. The wheels look great on that car. It is very common to see AMG wheels on otherwise Non AMG cars. You shouldnt worry about that. If I were you, I'd definitly upgrade to a larger size though. Tirerack will have all the info you'll ever need.

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-06-2002, 02:05 PM

I have 16' AMG Monoblocks with 205/55/16 tires from Tirerack.com on my 1995 E320 SE. My wife thinks they are beautiful, so I guess they pass the test. I love them too. I don't think of it as trying to pass my car off as an AMG version. I also installed Eibach ProKit springs and Bilstein HD shocks. It handles like crazy on a back road. I still need your Sportline stabilizer bars to have it all, but I may not ever get around to it. I may try to go up one more tire size width to the 215s. They will have a taller sidewall by 1/4' so it will be a bit softer and it will totally fill the space under the fenders. I love the big fat tire look. I also use the stock wheels for my snow tires.

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-06-2002, 02:10 PM

I should add that I like the 16', but I think the 17' forces you to use too small a sidewall. You get performance, but loose the cushion of air that provides a softer ride. This is especially important if you modify the springs and shocks like I did or if you have the firmer Sportline like you.

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-07-2002, 10:56 AM

Dear Ken Do you have any pics of your car? I'm thinking of lowering my car and upgrading the wheels. I'm still debating between 15' and 16'. Did you install the springs and shock yourself or did you get a mechanic? Did you just change the springs and shocks to lower the car? I've also heard of others changing other things too. Any advice/opinions would be appreciated. JR

Guest (MBNZ) · 08-07-2002, 02:56 PM

Sorry, I don't have any digital pictures. I guess I'm behind the times with photography. Here is the whole story about my modifications. I have a 1995 E320 SE W124. I just installed Eibach Pro-kit springs, Bilstein Heavy Duty Shocks, 16' AMG Monoblocks, 205-55-16' tires, and changed from 3 bump to 1 bump pads all around. The rear dropped 1.5' and the front dropped 1'. The rear camber was -3 after the mods. I then purchased the K-MAC rear bushings so that the camber could be adjusted. I also did a lot of measuring and decided to put 3 bump in the rear and keep the 1 bump in the front. I was looking for a symmetrical drop. I thought the car looked like the rear was kind of old and broken down with it too low in the rear. After installing K-MAC bushings, the 3 bump pads, and adjusting the camber the car was higher in the back than it should have been if only the 10mm increase in pad height had been added. I think that adjusting the camber may have added to the increase in height in the rear. 1 bump front and 2 bump rear may have been OK with the adjustment in camber. Right now the car is 1' lower all around and it is 0.25' higher in the back than in the front. This is the same relationship front to back as it was before the drop, but the smaller fender gap makes the small difference a bit more noticeable. I like the way my car looks, but it would have been OK with 2-bump rear and 1 bump front. I didn't like the rear lower than the front. I measured a lot of Mercedes cars before I made my decision and the W124s are always higher in the rear. BMWs are lower in the back, but as I said, I thought my car looked broken down with too low in the rear. As far as the quality of the ride, well, you do loose the luxurious turnpike ride after the modification. It isn't horrible, but definitely harder. Even though I chose the less stiff Eibach Pro-kit springs, the less severe Bilstein HDs instead of sports, and a grand touring tire instead of hard core performance tires I did loose ride quality. I run my tires soft at MB recommended pressure of 27 psi cold and it is still quite nice, but not as nice as before the mods. I should add, however, that my car is outrageous on a twisted back road. No more floating like a tuna boat. I am sure that I can hang with any sports car.

Manuel NSX1164 · 08-12-2002, 04:22 PM

I have the Eibach ProKit springs and swaybars, Bilstein Sport springs with the thinnest spring pads I could find. Looks great with 18" wheels.

Next step is to investigate the adjustable camber kit.

See my car at http://www.geocities.com/mcantoria/mc-mbz.html