2017 G550 - Tire Options

otiswesty

Regular guy
Why not use a 16" alloy on a G550? I know they will not fit on a G63, but a G500 should be no problem.
They run them in Europe and it is the same car.
 

Trevor Ely

New member
Couldn't get a clear answer from anyone if the 16" wheels would clear the brakes, so went the route that I knew would work with the 18s. That and they're generally more plentiful in the US.

Why not use a 16" alloy on a G550? I know they will not fit on a G63, but a G500 should be no problem.
They run them in Europe and it is the same car.

20170914_122058.jpg
 

Lynch

New member
I'm currently running 16" armored-G Ashtaroth with 285/75R16 Xtreme MT2 and I want to chime in that I'm not a fan of it in the wet.
Admittedly, it is a lot more stressful and is not an issue if I drive mindfully during such conditions, but there has got to be a much more suitable tire for wet/cold pavement.

I have a lot of issues slowing down from 80 km/h (which is faster than traffic at times) to a stop and know to drive slowly with greater following distance in the wet. The same can be said for ice in the winter.
It only has the M+S rating without snowflake (3 peaks) so it works great in light/fluffy snow but not cold/ice/wet pavement.

I'm currently looking for another option to replace the Procomp Xtreme MT2. I originally got these thinking that I'll be spending more time offroading in the spring/summer but want to be realistic that I live in the PNW and need to be concerned about performance in a mixture of wet/cold pavement (lots of hydroplaning) and ice (long braking distance).

As much as I loved to try BFG KO2 and knowing that it has the 3 peaks snowflake rating, I was very disappointed to read that most people that have tried the KO2 in colder weather find that it hydroplanes obscenely (as bad as a MT tire, such as the one I currently have) so I will be looking at other A/T options that have a snowflake rating. If you live in a climate without ice or wet/cold pavement, then KO2 would be as good as it gets for an all-around/all-year tire. The KO2 rubber simply gets too hard when it's cold and struggles to grip, no matter snow or ice or wet pavement.

One of the biggest factual reasons that turned me away from the KO2 was the fact that someone explained that the interlocked tread pattern is a downside and causes hydroplane to happen more quickly than tires with circumferential grooves. The purpose of the interlocked treads is so that they hold snow and "push" into curves more easily, but this is also a downside when in the mud. These are just the various opinions I've read about the KO2 and is in no way first hand experience from me. I am just trying to figure out what would be best for a G that sees enough wet/cold pavement and ice, and still wants to be happy on the highway and offroad trails. I don't believe the KO2 have enough silica in its compound compared to some other winter-biased tires, which is what usually makes a tire soft and good in the winter.

In the search for a offroad/onroad/winter (snow, ice, wetpavement) friendly tire, I am looking at Cooper AT/W, which is similar to the AT/3 but with more siping and is also rated for 3peaks snowflake.

Does anyone have any experience with the Cooper AT/W on a G or similar light truck? Are there perhaps other all-season/all-weather offroadable tires that have a good reputation that I should look at?

Alternatively, if anyone has good experiences with the KO2 in the wet/cold pavement, I would be happy to know and consider them again.
 
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krommetall

New member
Ok, I have a 2018 G550 and I was considering 33” and a 50mm springs. I also have factory Adjustable Suspension. I heard from ClubGWagen that the computer won't show error if you disconnect the Adjustable Suspension and install a different shock system. Question is, would ESP freak out with 33s”? What about the springs, anyone running them?

Thanks in advance

Eric
 

serifcan

New member
Hey Eric I have a 2013 G63 running 33”bfgs 50mm spring spacers and 30 mm wheel spacers. I have been running this setup on and off road for a while now and neither the esp nor the abs ever freaked out on me.

On a side note 33” will rub at full articulation if you dont get wheel spacers.

Hope this helps.
 

krommetall

New member
Serifcan,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder how different your 2013 ESP to my 2018 ESP? If they are roughly the same, then I'll be golden.

Yes, I was wondering about the wheel spacer. That's good to know. Thanks!
 

WarnerD9

Builder
Has anyone else has issues with distronic not functioning after changing tire size? My local shop is saying that the G has two sensors and the discrepancy between the two is disabling the system.

Hoping to find a fix to this. Thank you!
 
I have a 2015 g550 and I went up one size with BFG KO2. I've had zero issues with ABS or TC or Distronic in 10k miles. I decided to skip the lift since the truck is already so tall and it rides nice enough that I didn't want to risk it.
 

Fernweh

Supporting Sponsor
The G550 can still use the 16" Atic or Hutchinson Bead Lock wheels.....

Here's a copy from my other day's post:

OK, how about a different option?

We just created a Dual Hub Centric Wheel Adapter, now you could use any Mercedes-Benz wheels (w/ M14x 1.5mm lug bolts), on the G-wagen.

ML-Class wheels, 16" & 17" with a ton of different size Offroad Tires.......or Just a fancy 24" wheel for the Asphalt Cowboys.

https://www.g-wagenaccessories.com/collections/wheels-suspension/products/wheel-adapter

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shubhamk

New member
Hey Eric I have a 2013 G63 running 33”bfgs 50mm spring spacers and 30 mm wheel spacers. I have been running this setup on and off road for a while now and neither the esp nor the abs ever freaked out on me.

On a side note 33” will rub at full articulation if you dont get wheel spacers.

Hope this helps.
Hi, im having 2017 G63, wanted to upgrade the tyres for offroading to 33”. Planning to install 33 /12.5 R20
can a stock G63 accomodate 33” without lifting the vehicle? and wheel spacers?
 

Jwestpro

Explorer
The G550 can still use the 16" Atic or Hutchinson Bead Lock wheels.....

Here's a copy from my other day's post:

OK, how about a different option?

We just created a Dual Hub Centric Wheel Adapter, now you could use any Mercedes-Benz wheels (w/ M14x 1.5mm lug bolts), on the G-wagen.

ML-Class wheels, 16" & 17" with a ton of different size Offroad Tires.......or Just a fancy 24" wheel for the Asphalt Cowboys.

https://www.g-wagenaccessories.com/collections/wheels-suspension/products/wheel-adapter

Hey, I'm curious if you know if the 550 brake size changed along with the 2016 engine change for the G550? If I were choosing wheels, and could choose from the Atic or Hutchinson as well as other MB wheels by way of your spacers, then the old G55 16x9 would be a nice option as well, although 16x8 is probably a better fit for tallest tire not rubbing in articulations and turning.

Aside from all the calculations for offset and such that would go into how well a 275/70-18 would work vs the wider sizes you end up with when choosing 16", this post is mainly to verify if the 2016 brakes became larger or not. If not, then all the info 2013+ applies for wheel choices.
 

nkhimani

New member
Good day folks!


I recently bought a 2013 G550 w/33" tires (285/75-16). While I do not have ESP issue, my speedometer is off by 3-5 miles depending on speed (it shows lower speed on speedo than what actual speed is). Contacting dealership was not of any help as they sighted 'federal regulations' and would not touch speedometer/transmission calibration. Couple of specialty stores gave me the same song-n-dance.

There have been colorful discussion on pointedthree but I am not following as to which parameter needs to be set to what values.
I am located in metro DC and any assistance on this front will be greatly appreciated (have 'wheels' and will travel!!). Thanking you kindly!
 

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