PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Upgrade 83 Mer 500 SEC from 88 Volvo GLE?

Jim B. · #**246** 08-29-2007, 10:48 PM

I asked about this for you at the tire store today.

the tech there told me that this happens often there. People lose their wheel lock keys pretty often, so it comes up a lot.

If they don't have wheel locks in the store that are generic and will unlock the car's wheels, they can steel do it, but it takes at least a half an hour to do it, without wheel lock keys, and can eventually get the wheels off the car.

Th price for that is $25-$50 per wheel, but they charge ONLY for the time it takes to actually do it

They can put "tuner bolts" back on the car, or provide another similar wheel lock kcy for the wheels if they have one around, sometimes.

He told me that with most cars, wheel locks aren't really needed. Come on, who is going to be outside your house at 3:00 am, with an air impact wrench, and steal the wheels, and leave your car sitting on plastic milk crates?

Most cases they would more likely steal the entire car instead; it would be easier.

However, it would be another situation if the car in qestion was a Honda Civic with VTEC, or the hot "ricer" cars which are HIGH RISK targets for theft

He was familiar with the SND brand, but any really good tire shop, either Big "O" or other savvy chain store in your area, would likely be able to help you out with this.

Basically, a minor issue, easily solved.

For this reason, I have elected NOT to buy wheel locks for this set of new wheels coming.

The new wheels I have purchased do NOT come with Mercedes Benz 3 point star logo center wheel caps,unfortunately. However, the tire shop is going to contact Mercedes Benz directly, and feels confident that they may be able to get some for me.

I am really looking forward to this; I think one of the rims on the car might be permanently bent in some small place which is why repeated trips to the tire shop for new valves and reinstallation & reseal have not eliminated the slow leak.

I took the Subaru Outback out yesterday and went to the AAA and paid next years license fees and got the '08 sticker for it, and noticed that the left rear tire was down a quite bit on THAT car also. It also has brand new tires and had a new valve stem put in once. I hope not to see that problem again; that car to me is an apliance, and I have no plans to soup it up - just to giv e it the maintenance it would need.

It would be cool to see pictures of the Volvo you have. I really, really
like those, and say so as a person that had owned one similar to it for many years, and thus feel well qualified to comment on them.