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560 SEL tire options???

2K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Tom Rowe 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,
This is my first time posting here.

I recently bought a 1986 560sel, and the rear tires need replacing. The front tires are almost new (205/65-15 BF Goodrich Touring).
Anyway, the car has the original wheels and suspension(I'd like to keep it that way). I'd like to get a wider tire on the car if possible, but at the same time I don't want to throw the speedo off anymore than necessary.

Anyone had any success with this? And what size tire did you find that works?

Thanks :)
 
#2 ·
Welcome.
Third sticky from the top should have the wheel and tire fitments.
Many of the online tire size calculators will tell you if there is a change in speedometer.
The 'Welcome new members, please read.........' announcement / tutorial sticky on top of the W126 page will help to fill out your profile with car mod, year, and location.
Cheers
 
#4 ·
Thanks tusabes,

That's what I was hoping for. I looked at that sticky above and after lots of time reading I never did find what I was looking for.

It looks like the 225/60/15 would be very close in diameter so as to keep the speedo accurate,
but would there be any tire rub ?

Thanks!!!
 
#8 ·
I actually would like the same wider tire on all 4 corners. It's just that the rears are ready for replacement now, and the front tires are nearly new. When the time comes I'd put the same tires on the front as well. It's been my experience that a wider tire will give a larger contact patch and better handling, and in my opinion a slightly wider tire would look better.
 
#10 ·
The contact patch is the weight of the vehicle divided by the psi of the tires divided by four. Exactly the same for both tires. Just a little bit different shape. And, you can't tell the difference between a 205 and a 225 (3/4") unless you have the two side by side. Even then, it will be very hard to tell. I used to have people ask me if the front tires on my 911 (205) were different than the rear (245).


Also, why not go with the Michelins which everyone I know thinks give the best ride and handling.
 
#12 ·
I get the bit about the contact patch being similar, just different shapes, but still it seems to me that a wider tire handles better than a narrow one, and the wider tire definitely look better to me.

Anyway, since I'm looking at only replacing the rear tires, and the fronts are nearly new, I think maybe I should stick with the stock 205's for the rear right now and then all 4 tires should wear out at about the same time from this point. I could worry about upsizing them with the next full set of tires.

What model Michelin are people favoring?

I worked at a Mercedes-Benz dealer back in the early-mid 80's and all we ever sold were "Michelin X". Looks like there are lots of variations now.

thanks for every ones input :)
 
#13 ·
I second the recommendation for Michelin tires. I have had my experiences with the cheaper varieties and have always walked away disappointed. They are prone to manufacturing defects which may not present themselves when new, but after 10k miles of wear, become apparent. I have never had any such issues with the Michelins, and I run them on all of my cars - including the 280SEL (XWX's) :)
 
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