I'd like to take advantage of the expertise on this forum and pose a wheel/tire question regarding my "other" car, the 2004 MB C230 Sport Sedan. This car has staggered fitment tires & wheels; 17x8 on front with 225/45 and 17x9 on rear with 245/40. The staggered fitment makes it impossible to do a four-wheel rotation and the super-wide rears wear out fast due to the excessive scrubbing action on turns. The 2004 C230 Sport Coupe has identical wheelbase and front & rear tracks. It had identical wheels and tires at all four corners; 17x8 with 225/45s. So, I'm thinking there's no reason to stick with the staggered fitment. One plan is to go with 215/45(XL)s all around as they will fit on 8" rims. This would require different (ie, 17x8) rear wheels. I'd actually prefer to go with 205/50(XL)s as they are a slightly better OD match. In either case the smaller XL tires very, very nearly match the load specs of the OEM tires. Another option would be to go with 225/45s all around.
What do you guys think of this plan? BTW, the only reason I'm considering all this bother is that the car is in great shape with <50K miles and should be good for many more years. Thanks!
What do you guys think of this plan? BTW, the only reason I'm considering all this bother is that the car is in great shape with <50K miles and should be good for many more years. Thanks!