1977 240D Wheels are hard to remove. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

anghrist · #1 09-15-2010, 05:19 PM

I was wondering if anyone has issues with wheel removal. The wheels on my girlfriend's '77 are a pain in the backside to remove off the hub. Blots come out fine, but it seems that the hubs get "thicker" as I tyr to pull the wheel off.

Could the hubs on this car have deformed over time. I suspect that the spin-and-yank removal method that I have to use to remove the wheels is not healthy for the bearings or the suspension.

Time for new hubs or have the old ones machined?

gatorblue92 · #2 09-15-2010, 07:04 PM

I am guessing she has steelies and hubcaps? I had/have the same problem with one of my wheels on the same car. I suspect that the bolts were over tightened at some point deforming the opening for the hub. If you are able to get the wheel off try the spare in it's place and see if it's better.

johnathan1 · #3 09-15-2010, 08:19 PM

I've had the same problem with my front wheels. Nobody could tell me why it happens.

t walgamuth · #4 09-15-2010, 09:58 PM

You may have some 115 wheels. The center holes are about 1 mm smaller. They'll bolt on but they don't torque down correctly.

vstech · #5 09-15-2010, 10:29 PM

no chance you have a tad amount of rust is there?

barry123400 · #6 09-15-2010, 11:05 PM

Common problem on many cars with many solutions. Loosening up the bolts a very little and driving a few feet back and forth stabing the brake seems to loosen them up sometimes. This applies especially to rust between the wheel disk and brake hub.

I do not like physically hitting them on the metal rim. Sometimes a few good hits on the tire with a sledge will loosen them but have always wondered about possible belt damage.

Another aproach is to cut a length or wood and brace it against the other side using the car jack. It really usually does not require a lot of force. Our own physical strength is just so limited in comparison. When wheel is off just derust any problamatic areas to clean them up and I ocassionally apply something as a barrier too minumise future rust bonding.

Remember we up here live in the serious rust belt enviroment. The wheel centre hole and the stub it goes over have to be a reasonably close fit to centre the wheel acuratly and transfer any road loading rather than the bolts working a little to accomidate it.

I have never done it but if I ever get a flat on the highway if required I would brace a tire wrench on something and try using the cars powered movement as a pressure source to loosen a wheel bolt in desperation if I could not move it any other way at the time. . Possibly snapping the head off. This is say for example if you got the others loose and just had one you could not get off with the tools at hand. I am sure there are many other approaches people could list. When at home a simple propane torch sometimes helps a lot as well.

anghrist · #7 09-15-2010, 11:16 PM

I'm going to have to check the part number on the wheels to prove/disprove the w115 chassis wheels hypothesis. I will also try the spare for comparison. They are 'steelies' with hubcaps, and they had a fair amount of antisieze compound slathered on the hub and mating surface of the wheel. There is no rust. The hub opening of the wheel fits well over the very end of the hub and is loose enough to spin on the hub when "in place" with the wheel and hub surfaces against one another. It's as if the heat and wear of bearings have caused the hub to widen in the middle. The front wheels show this the most prominently, but the rear wheels do the same thing.

barry123400 · #8 09-15-2010, 11:38 PM

From your description when totally installed the centre of the wheel is not on the tight spot. You should be able to dress that tight area on the hub down with a file a few thousands. This without weakening anything for practical purposes to eliminate this problem. Very little material removal is going to make a difference.

anghrist · #9 09-16-2010, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barry123400

From your description when totally installed the centre of the wheel is not on the tight spot. You should be able to dress that tight area on the hub down with a file a few thousands. This without weakening anything for practical purposes to eliminate this problem. Very little material removal is going to make a difference.

Removing a bit of material was my plan. I will make certain that the bearing and race are not loose on the inside as well.