[dvdport]

As all owners of GL350 know that GL350 does not have spare tire and only runflat tires are used. I have changed the tires from runflat to regular tires when the runflat are bald. With regular tires, I would like to get a spare tire when I travel long distance.
The default tire rims with the runflast are 20 inches. I have managed to purchase a wheel from another Mercedes Benz owner who ownes a GL450 and the wheel rim is 19 inches.
I would like to know if I can safely use this 19 inch wheel as spare tire for my GL350. I heard that different wheel size may cause severe damage to the transfer case if the truck is all wheel drive like GL350.
I would like to hear expert opinion on this. If anyone who has actually used such combination of rim sizes, please let me know if you have any issue, and how long you have driven with such wheel rim combination without any issue.
Thanks!

 

[StenoPete1911]

As all owners of GL350 know that GL350 does not have spare tire and only runflat tires are used. I have changed the tires from runflat to regular tires when the runflat are bald. With regular tires, I would like to get a spare tire when I travel long distance.
The default tire rims with the runflast are 20 inches. I have managed to purchase a wheel from another Mercedes Benz owner who ownes a GL450 and the wheel rim is 19 inches.
I would like to know if I can safely use this 19 inch wheel as spare tire for my GL350. I heard that different wheel size may cause severe damage to the transfer case if the truck is all wheel drive like GL350.
I would like to hear expert opinion on this. If anyone who has actually used such combination of rim sizes, please let me know if you have any issue, and how long you have driven with such wheel rim combination without any issue.
Thanks!

Hello. You will cause damage to your internal gears if you run a 19inch rim on a 20inch rim setup. Don't do it. Buy an equal size rim and mount a tire to it and use that as a spare. Buy a tire cover form ebay and keep it all in your back trunk space. You can mount it vertically or lay it flat. Your choice. Additionally, you can buy a plug tire kit (those slimy sticks that you have to puncture into the nail hole in the tire) and use that as a backup. Once you fix your tire, call AAA and have them run air into your tire and you're good to go. Compressor won't have enough air to refill your tire from a flat. GL.