Choose the right tires for your Mercedes

To choose the right tires and rims for your car, there are several factors to be aware of.

Tires

First and foremost, the size of tires and rims should fit your car.

The picture to the right shows the label for the tire size - 275 / 40R19.
275 indicates the width of the tire. 40 is the height of the tire as a percentage of the width - 40% of 275.
R stands for radial tire, which is the most common tire for ordinary cars. And 19 "is the size of the rims that fit the tire.

The last number 101Y is the speed / load index. What can the tire last for.
101 is the load index which indicates the maximum weight that the tire can carry at the speed corresponding to the speed index. Tabel

All information on the tire is printed into the rubber. If you do not know how to interpret the information, it can be difficult to find the right tires for your Mercedes.

In our example, the tire can carry 825 kg per. tire - however, this depends on the correct tire pressure. Y indicates the speed index, which describes the maximum speed at which the tire can carry a given load. It is recommended to read the car's manual to find the speed code that best suits the car before buying new tires. It is important that all tires have the same speed code.
In our example, Y corresponds to <= 300 km/h. Tabel

Other important information to be aware of:

• E-Marking ECE Regulation 30 which indicates that the tire meets the applicable European requirements.
• Production Date - Is the last 4 digits of the tire's serial number, which is an alphanumeric code consisting of 11 characters. The first 2 digits indicate the production week, and the last 2 digits indicate the production year. The date of manufacture is important as the properties of the tire change over time, which also applies to all other rubber materials.
• Maximum tire pressure is specified in the PSI.
• M+S is applied if it is winter or year-round tires.

Rims

There are 2 main types of rims - Steel rims and Alloy wheels.
An important detail in connection with with the choice of rims is the ET dimension, which is the indentation depth of the rim, which shows how far out or inside the rim sits in relation to the center of the rim. An incorrect indentation depth can result in the wheel running on the outer edge of the screen or springs / shock absorbers.
Which ET you should have depends on the width of the rims, how big the tires are and which car to mount on.