wheel size MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG 2005 W463 Owner's Manual

85 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a ESP equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner
which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.
!Driving the vehicle with varied size tires
will cause the wheels to rotate at differ-
ent speeds, possibly causing the ESP to
activate. For this reason, all wheels, in-
cluding the spare wheel, must have the
same tire outside diameter.!The engine must be shut off when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer.


the vehicle is being towed with one
axle raised.
Otherwise, the ESP will engage the
brakes and seriously damage the brake
system.
iThe ABS, BAS and ESP are automatical-
ly switched off when the differential
locks are switched on (
page 158).

248 OperationTires and wheelsSee an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. The operating safety of the
vehicle cannot be assured when such tires
are used.
Important guidelines

Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads.


If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as
required.


Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).


When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for fur-
ther information. If incorrectly sized rims
and tires are mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.


The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.

251 Operation
Tires and wheels
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.

The Certification label (Example B),
found on the driver’s door B-pillar, tells
you about the gross weight capacity of
your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR in-
cludes the weight of the vehicle, all oc-
cupants, fuel and cargo. The
Certification label also tells you about
the front and rear axle weight capacity,
called the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). The GAWR is the total allow-
able weight that can be carried by a sin-
gle axle (front or rear). Never exceed
the GVWR or GAWR for either the front
axle or rear axle.


Depending on production date, some
vehicles may also be equipped with a
Tire and Loading Information placard
(Example A). This placard tells you
about the number of people that can be
in the vehicle and the total weight that can be carried in the vehicle. It also
contains information on the proper size
and recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for the original equipment tires
on your vehicle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your
vehicle.
iSpare wheels may be mounted against
the direction of rotation (spinning) even
with a unidirectional tire for temporary
use only until the regular drive wheel
has been repaired or replaced. Always
observe and follow applicable tempo-
rary use restrictions and speed limita-
tions indicated on the spare wheel.

254 OperationTires and wheelsSteps for determining correct load limit
(only applicable to vehicles with placard
Example A)
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under Title
49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part
575 pursuant to the “National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1 (Vehicles equipped with placard
Example A)
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s placard.
Step 2

Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.Step 3

Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX lbs.
Step 4

The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400-750 (5 x150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5

Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)

If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 256).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 252).

261 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire labeling
Besides tire name (sales designation) and
manufacturer name, a number of markings
can be found on a tire.
Following are some explanations for the
markings on your vehicle’s tires:1Uniform Quality Grading Standards
(
page 268)
2DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(page 266)
3Maximum tire load (
page 267)
4Maximum tire inflation pressure
(
page 268)
5Manufacturer
6Tire ply material (
page 270)
7Tire size designation, load and speed
rating (
page 261)
8Load identification (
page 265)
9Tire nameTire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed rating
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.
For more information, see “Rims and
tires” (
page 369).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.

262 OperationTires and wheelsGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only.
Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 261) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm. Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (
page 261) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 261) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 263).Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 261) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating5 (page 261) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1 356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 267) where the maximum load
associated with the load index is indicated
in kilograms and lbs.

264 OperationTires and wheelsSummer tires

At the tire manufacturer’s option, any
tire with a speed capability above
149 mph (240 km/h) can include a
“ZR” in the size designation (for exam-
ple: 245/40 ZR18). To determine the
maximum speed capability of the tire,
the service description for the tire must
be referred to. The service description is comprised of the tire load rating5
(
page 261) and the tire speed
rating6 (
page 261).
If your tire includes “ZR” in the size
designation and no service
description5 and6 (
page 261) is
given, the tire manufacturer must be
consulted for the maximum speed ca-
pability.
If a service description5 and6
(
page 261) is given, the speed capa-
bility is limited by the speed symbol in
the service description.
Example: 245/40 ZR18 97Y.
In this example, “97Y” is the service
description. The letter “Y” designates
the speed rating and the speed capabil-
ity of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).


Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a
“ZR” in the size designation AND the
service description must be placed in
parenthesis. Example: 275/40 ZR 18
(99Y). The “(Y)” speed rating in paren-
thesis designates the maximum speed
capability of the tire as being above
186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the tire
manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.
Index
Speed rating
Q
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S
up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W
up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y
up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
(Y)
above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR
above 149 mph (240 km/h)

266 OperationTires and wheelsDOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations require each new tire
manufacturer or tire retreader to mold a
TIN into or onto a sidewall of each tire
produced.
The TIN is a unique identifier which facili-
tates efforts by tire manufactures to notify
purchasers in recall situations or other
safety matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify
such tires.
The TIN is comprised of “Manufacturer’s
identification mark”, “Tire size”, “Tire type
code” and “Date of manufacture”.1DOT
2Manufacturer’s identification mark
3Tire size
4Tire type code (at the option of the tire
manufacturer)
5Date of manufactureDOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol1 (
page 266)
which denotes the tire meets require-
ments of the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Manufacturer’s identification mark
The manufacturer’s identification mark2
(
page 266) denotes the tire
manufacturer.
New tires have a mark with two symbols.
Retreaded tires have a mark with four sym-
bols. For more information on retreaded
tires (
page 248).
Tire size
The code3 (
page 266) indicates the
tire size.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.

273 Operation
Tires and wheels
Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire and tube
assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Sidewall
The portion of a tire between the tread and
the bead.
TIN (T
ire I
dentification N
umber)
Unique identifier which facilitates efforts
by tire manufacturers to notify purchasers
in recall situations or other safety matters
concerning tires and gives purchases the
means to easily identify such tires. The TIN
is comprised of “Manufacturer’s identifica-
tion mark”, “Tire size”, “Tire type code”
and “Date of manufacture”.
Tire load rating
Numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.Tire ply composition and material used
This indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire manufac-
turers also must indicate the ply materials
in the tire and sidewall, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the
speed range for which a tire is approved.
Traction
Force exerted by the vehicle on the road
via the tires. The amount of grip provided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
“wear bars” that show across the tread of
a tire when only
1/16
in (1.6 mm) of tread
remains.
TWR (T
ongue W
eight R
ating)
Maximum permissible weight on trailer
tongue.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the
tire.
Vehicle capacity weight
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lbs) times the vehicle’s
designated seating capacity.

274 OperationTires and wheelsVehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.Rotating tiresTire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 251).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.
If applicable to your vehicle’s tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (page 251). Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure.
For information on wheel change, see “Flat
tire” (
page 346).
Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
97 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.