Help From Italy!!

[leopedro]

Hello everybody,

i'm roberto from milano italy.I really enjoy this new forum although i need to translate everything because i don't speak german.

I need your help, i'm an onwer of the new smart 451 pulse turbo, and i would like to change wheels and tyres, and now comes the problem!!!

In italy until dic 07 there was an accessories catalog in which there were the 16"inch wheels(typ 4) and from jan 08 in the new catalog they dissappears???I think that in germany it's the same, why?????What happened to 16" inch wheels??

Also the same problem with Brabus wheels, in italy you can only order the car with optional brabus wheels, if you decide ,like me, to put them after, you are not allowed becaude they said thet you must change suspension to put brabus wheels.It's the same in germany??

I talked to Brabus Germany and they told me that the reason is technical problems, i asked them what kind of problems, i did not have any answer.maybe it is just marketing??

Besides these official accessories problems, i want to change my wheels and i was thinking about 17" inch wheels, i saw on german sites that there are some possibilities, is there any technical issue to put 17" on the smart, from the one of you who have made the modification, did you see any issues, did you get benefit in handling(especially for the understeer problem of the new smart).

I saw that som wheels manufacture have TUV certification, i think that if tuv makes a certification is because there are not problems,i'm i right??So what is brabus talking about???

I also saw on th internet some smart with 18" inch

can you help me with your experience??

 

Many thanks in advance for your support.

 

Ciao

Roberto

[race-bolle]

which of your questions should i answer first? ;-)

 

 

[leopedro]

I'm sorry i know i made a lot of questions, but belive me at the moment in Italy there is a lot of confusion regarding this topic.

many thanks for your support.

 

ciao

Roberto

[r00t]

Hi,

 

first time to hear about this problems.

As I know on the 450, the brabus rims are only allowed with Brabus shock absorbers because these are more slim. But forget about that...

 

We have a few users here who have 17" or 18" wheels on the 451 without any problems.

The only thing you have to check is the space between shock absorber and rim.

 

 

Take a look here:

 

Hit me

 

"MiNei" has 17" Lorinser Wheels and "Birni" has 18" etabeta rims... she didn't made it through the TÜV atm, but this is only a matter of time.... :-D

 

So mount the rims you want and forget about what Brabus is telling you...

 

;-)

 

[ Diese Nachricht wurde editiert von r00t am 22.05.2008 um 20:28 Uhr ]

[Aluonkel]

i m at Como in Italy at the 8.6. on a meeting.Maybe i can help you?

 

 

[leopedro]

OK, in fact the only thing i was concerned is if there were some technical problems with bigger wheels, as i sad Mercedes italy told me that in fact they delete the possibilities to put 16" inch wheels option because of technical problems(as i mentioned in the older brochure of accesories there were 16" from smart and also from brabus, but in the new catalog 2008 there are no anymore.

 

My intention if there is an advantage in handling is to put 17inch, i saw some wheels from AZEV(type M 7.5x17, 8,5x17 and type U 7x17,8x17) especially made for smart(3 holes, not 5 holes with adapter)also i like very much the wheels from Prorace (rs-parts) especially made for smart. I was thinking about yokohama sdrive tyre (195/40/17 front and 225/35/17rear) what do you think will it be a good solutions. I have also already put eilbach spring to lower the chassis and to make it stiffer, from your experience do you think that bigger wheels will increase handling and solve the problem of understeer.

 

Thanks

Ciao

 

Alounkel I will be glad to meet you in Como in june, let me know your program

[r00t]

I don't have any experience with the 451, on the 450 there are worlds between the standard steel wheels with 145/175-15 and eg. 195/40-16 and 215/35-16 !

But the weak suspension is a big problem too.

 

And I think, for the 451 the best solution is 17".

[Aluonkel]

well i m on a roadser meeting at Como,maybe you know the site from the club.www.smartroadsterclub.eu

we stay at Como untill wednesday,so we can meet monday or saturday. If there is interest ,i send you my phone number.

[leopedro]

I saw that on some smart with 17" inch that somebody puts on the rear 225/35/17(the same size as brabus)and some other use 215/35/17, differences between the two??On the front the common solutions is 195/40/17.

 

Ciao

[r00t]

Hmm, I think the difference is to small to be noticed. Choose what you want and what's best for the ABS...