The wheels on the bus

So my S420 is nearing the end of its usefulness for me.  In searching for its replacement, I decided to find the balance between the comfort and road worthiness of the Mercedes S Class, and the utility of a soccer mom vehicle.  Ended up slapping a deposit on a pre owned GL450 that has just come off a lease.  That being said, the dealer wouldn't give me any more money for the AMG wheels and new Michelin Pilot Sport tires than for the stock alloys and half used Michelin MXV4's.  Cool, lets see if they fit on the Thingamajigger!

The wheels are an 18x8 AMG replica.  The tires are a Michelin Pilot Sport255/45 zr18 with a load rating of 99.

The good news is that they fit, with minimal adjustments.  The front needs a 4 or 5 mm spacer to clear the control arm.  And the rear fit right on without need of a spacer, but the track is off compared to the front, so a 10 or 12 mm spacer will correct the aesthetics.

The bad news is that with a footprint of over 9 inches, it is double the width of the stock tires.  This size difference really exaggerates the need to rebuild the front end.  Also need to put in the higher springs, the edge of the tire is flush with the wheel arch of the van and a good jolt to the suspension will cause a rubbing.

For now - its fun.  I do not want to go staggered as it will limit my rotations and longevity of tires.  I will probably put them on Flakeslist and see if I can cover the cost of some 225 or 235 tires as I foresee that size as being optimum for the gearing and the torque of the Zetec engine.