Any scraping problems with 8.5J (width) 18 inch alloys on lowered W202?

[NEA-4311]

Hi, Im planning to put 18s on my car, bought them already, should be able to fit them in a week or so...
They are 8.5J all around, all the same width , and since my car is the Esprit, its lowered compared to the Elegance or the Classic, by the same amount the Sport is.

Im also planning on getting 225/40/18 tyres to fit, EVEN THOUGH I would like to fit 225/45/18 in order to deal safer with bumps and sidewalks.

Could you tell me if you have any scraping problems, front or rear or when turning the wheel, etc? With 8.5J all around and a lowered car with stock fenders ofcourse.

And what tyres are you on? 225/40/18 or 225/45/18? Do you think that even if I dont have any problems with 225/40/18, that I will have with the 225/45/18? Thank you so much for your effort.

[1995c280]

what is the ET on your wheels? can't tell you if they'll fit until we know the ET. run a 225/40/18. you wont have any problems with that size tire and your speedo will still be correct because it's the same tire diameter.

do u just have the factory Esprit/Sport suspension or do u have aftermarket lowering springs?

Jason

[NEA-4311]

Im not sure what ET stands for, my wheels are 5x112 with 73.10 bore but since they are universal fit, they have adaptors to fit my 66.6 bore. I ordered those brand new for a mercedes c-class w202 so they should be given me the right ET too i guess, if it comes to fitting. And yes im on Esprit stock springs and suspension.

[1995c280]

Look on the back of the wheel on each spoke. i should say ET and then a number after it. this is the backspacing/offset of your wheel. the lower the #, the more the wheel will stick out. the higher the number, the more the wheel goes in. stock wheel i believe are ET37.

basically i cannot give u a answer until i know the ET. but if you ordered them for a w202 from a place/store, you should be good to go on your suspension setup. just definately run a 225/40/18 tire. it wont be a harsh ride at all since you don't have aftermarket lowering springs.

Jason

[1995c280]

pull one of your wheels off now and get the width and ET. then get the width and ET of your new wheel.

input the info in this site and you will see how much clearance you have.

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

[NEA-4311]

Hm... OK all I could locate on my 18's is number 35, but that is the offset. I also know that W202's (like most mercs) accept 35 to 42 offsets. Keeping in mind your number 37 and the lower the number the more it will stick out, I assume that ET is the same as Offset and im wearing the minimum but also right one. Am I right? I cant tell what my 16's ET is, I wont be near my car for a week or so. Please let me know what you think so far. Cheers mate.

I put 7.5J and 37 ET for my current wheels (asumption)

and 8.5J and 35 ET for my 18's (I know that for sure)

result was "inner clearance 11mm less and 15mm outer position. I think its Ok, what do you think?

[Denlasoul]

ET=offset

[1995c280]

yes the 35 is the offset...ET35. most c class stock wheels are either 35 or 37. and ET of 40 is common on the bigget cars like the s class's and so on. fitting them on our cars can be a trick sometimes. keep in mind the stock wheels are recessed in the fenders so you can go wider and a lower ET to get them flush with the fenders like i did. my E55 amg wheels on my c class (C280) are 18x8 ET31. they fit flush with the fenders and don't stick out at all. if u input my wheel on that site and then your 18's after it shows...inner clearance - 10mm less, outer clearance - extend 2mm. you MIGHT need a spacer for the front's but i think you should be fine. the rear will fit with no problem. since u have the new wheels, jack up the car and bolt on one of the wheels without a tire since you dont have tires yet. check the inner clearance to the strut arm to make sure it's not touching/rubbing.

Jason

[NEA-4311]

I see... About the spacers, what width should they be If put any, got an idea? (1-1.5 cm)? Should I put only in the front wheels or in all 4? If in front only, isnt that going to change the geometry of the car or sth like that?
And last but not least, wouldnt that be more likely to increase the odds for scraping my arches when I have like 3-4 people aboard? I mean, I was worrying before with 8.5J and 225/40/18... :rolleyes: I just need to be 100% sure about the tyres mostly, if I have to buff my arches a little bit, I hate it but I guess I dont have a choice really.:bored:

[1995c280]

if you need spacers, just buy the 5mm h&r spacer. i believe since its so small you SHOULD be able to use your same wheel lugs. i think you need something like 6 complete turns of the lug to be safe, double check on that though. thats a wide wheel to be running up front but there are a few people on here that do run that size so its definately possible. try it first then use the spacer if it doesn't fit (meaning the inside of the wheel rubs). you shouldn't have any problem with or without people in the car seeing as how you have factory suspension so obviously there is a wheel well gap between your fenders and your tires. the rear will be no problem. the spacer from h&r are hub-centric so they are 100x better than those generic pieces of crap being sold on ebay. if you have to space the front, spacing the rear is a good idea also to even out the look. run a good quality 225/40/18 tire and you'll be fine.

Jason

[NEA-4311]

Cool! I ll just have to see what it will be, and I will DEFINITELY buy a good set of tires, no question about it! After all, tires are the No1 factor for handling! Cheers mate! :D