rims and tires

ANSWER : A road force balancer is meant to check tires for pull in one direction or another and balance a tire up to about 60 mph. Some tire balancers will check tires for higher speeds. You may have an imbalance that most machines cannot measure if it comes in after 65 mph. You can see if there is a shop near you that can do high speed balancing? You may have a front axle that is causing the vibration also. I suggest installing the original rims and tires on the front only to see if problem is still there and if so have the front axles checked for damage and replaced if any damage or looseness is noted.

ANSWER : A clicking noise on turning is very characteristic of a failed outboard CV axle joint. Sometimes, in such a circumstance, you can see that the rubber outboard boot is actually torn and leaking grease. If you see that (look behind the wheel toward the axle end), the axle for sure will have to be serviced. If you change the axle, be sure to install a new rubber seal on the transmission output side so that you do not have transmission fluid leaks with the new axle (a common mistake is to overlook that seal; if an old, left-in-place seal leaks after the axle is put in the job has to be done all over again). Vibration without actual shaking of the steering wheel "might" be related to the axle issue. On the other hand, such vibration could also be due to a failed wheel bearing, especially with over 200,000 miles on the vehicle and if those are the original bearings. If you were to need both an axle and a wheel bearing at the same time, and on the same side, that’s actually not that bad because the steering knuckle that holds the wheel bearing has to come off anyway to replace the axle. But, backing up here, the very first thing to do is get the issue properly diagnosed so you spend the minimum possible. If you want to obtain a diagnostic, please request a vehicle CV/wheel bearing noise inspection and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : The minimum recommended rim width for 33 x 12.5R16 is 8 inches. The rim diameter, of course, must be 16 inches. In terms of width, you can use rims that measure in the range of 8 to 9.5 inches with 9 inches being typical. Offset is set by the OEM manufacturer of the vehicle and is designed in based on suspension design, clearances and so forth. If you specify the year, make and model of the vehicle, we will be glad to look up the offset for your application. Offsets are also generally published in vehicle tire catalogs on the Internet and so will be searchable there, too, by year, make and model.

ANSWER : Hi there. Anytime you purchase new tires and wheels that are not OEM options (which this 225/45zr17 is not), you risk creating multiple issues that will impact the vehicles performance such as ABS operation, speedometer, cruise control, and braking.

The standard rule used to be, for every inch in wheel size, you need to decrease aspect ratio (the 55 number) by one (making it a 50-series tire). Width would also increase by one size (to 215 from 205). By having a wider tire on there than is recommended, you also risk having turning radius issues and braking suspension components.

Due to these facts, I wouldn’t recommend putting those wheel and tires on your vehicle. If you were to install them, you’d need to purchase new lug nuts that are snug for that individual bolt pattern. Since we can’t see them; it’s impossible to tell you for certain if the ones you have will work.

If you’d like to know for sure, consider having one of our mobile technicians come to your home to inspect your car and suggest what to do from there.

ANSWER : 205/55R17 may be too tall for your vehicle. A couple of good sources to check size compatibility for your vehicle would be tirerack.com or maybe discounttire.com. Sites like Tire Rack specialize in winter tire packages and is a good source for fitment options. I have personally used Bridgestone and Dunlop snow tires and would recommend either. However, it is highly recommended that winter tires be mounted at all 4 corners. Having different tires with different capabilities not only makes the vehicle unstable, it will effect systems like the anti-lock brakes and traction control. Winter tires perform much better than summer or all-season tires do in ice and snow conditions. Having two tires with good winter traction and two with poor traction will have the anti-lock brake system working overtime. Also, sticking with a smaller tire for winter use is advisable. For ice and snow driving, you want the opposite for summer driving. Wide, low profile tires improve warm, dry weather driving. Tall, narrow, tires provide better control on snow and ice. Consider keeping your stock 16 inch wheels for winter use with winter tires mounted on them and maybe a nice set of 17 inch wheels and tires for summer use. I’ve done that with nearly every vehicle I’ve owned whether front, rear, or all-wheel drive.

ANSWER : Hi there. The rim size for you have included are good and the same. The numbers that are for a tire as displayed as the following:

The first number (ie: 215, 225) is the width of the tire tread
The second number (ie: 60) is the side wall distance of the tire, the height of the tire
The third number (ie: r16) is the radio construction and rim size of 16 inches

Your new rims and tires are good just a little wider, of about 1/2 inch. Just make sure that after installing the tires onto the vehicle that the tires will not hit the fender or frame. Other than that, the rims and tires will fit. If you need further assistance with your tire installation, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there – the answer is "possibly". There are 4 technical questions which must be affirmatively answered first to go forward with this swap. First – do the wheels you acquired have the same bolt pattern as your stock wheels (i.e. same # of bolts, and same bolt hole circle diameter – 100mm, 5" or whatever)? Second – do the newly acquired 16" wheels fit over your brake calipers and discs with at least 1/4" clearance everywhere? Most likely they do, but some cars have very large diameter discs these days, which require large diameter wheels. Third – do the new wheels (with a representative tire size you intend to use) bolt squarely to the hubs without rubbing against any suspension bits (i.e. strut tower, tie rod end, sway bar links, etc.)? Fourth – do the new wheels have the same size (or larger) center hole, which matches the diameter of the hub, so that the wheel center carries the load of the vehicle, and not the wheel lugs? If the wheel hole is larger than the hub, you can likely purchase concentric rings which fit between the hub and wheel, centers the wheel, and enables direct weight load transfer to the wheel. If all of these questions have the correct answer, YES, you can safely use your newly acquired wheels, even though they are 1" smaller in diameter. Happy motoring!

ANSWER : Hello. On your 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK320, all of the tires have to have the same tread design an the same amount of tread. Any variations will cause the computer to not read the sensors correctly which will cause these issues. You need to purchase two more tires that are the same as the new ones, and install the tires to replace the other two tires. If you want to have this looked at before replacing the tires, a local expert from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose your car’s pulling issue.