I found these wheels off a 190E on Ebay. The seller told me that his listing is in error and that the wheels won't fit on a W126. I was wondering if there are any tricks around this obstacle.

Here's the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7964899422&fromMakeTrack=true#ebayphotohosting

Thanks!

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

The bolt patterns are all the same and if you don't run into a clearance problem, you can install them , however, they won't be right. The 201, 124, and 126 wheels all look alike, but the offset is different which is why the lug nuts are different for all three. You're steering geometry will be off. If you are buying wheels of unknown application, clean the inside of the wheel and check the part #. The part # starts with the 3 digits of the chassis #.

Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

I'll look into that, thanks for the info. Regarding steering geometry, I currently have a steering wheel taken from a 190E in my 300SD and sometimes at high speeds the steering wheel has to be held in an angle to keep going straight. I had a four wheel alignment done to make sure it wasn't something wrong with my alignment. Is this related to the steering wheel somehow having a different "geometry"? Sorry if I sound ignorant here but that's exactly what I am with regards to these topics.

__________________
1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

Your "steering geometry" probably has nothing to do with your steering wheel being misaligned.
I highly doubt that the wheels from the 190 will fit your SD. The proper offset for an SD ('81-'85) is something like 22mm. You need to e-mail the guy and get the offset from the wheels in question.
As Autozen said, you need the part number from inside the wheel particularly the numbers followed by the letters "ET".

I see that the offset is listed at 35mm. This may work on your car but you may have to use small spacers. My wheels are around 30mm and I needed 5mm spacers in the front to clear the bearing dust cap. You may also need the longer wheel studs. They should work on your car.

__________________
'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Ok... thanks for the information, but I need your assistance with clarifying something. Can you explain what spacers are and how they work? I've read them mentioned here and there but never had a good understanding of how they work. Also, are they any disadvantages to using spacers?

__________________
1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

Spacers are kind of like washers for your wheels. They go behind the wheel to move it out. Once you see them you can visualize how they work. They are available from JC Whitney and several other sources.
There are a few pros and cons with using spacers. If you can avoid using them do so. But if you have to you can use small spacers without any trouble.

__________________
'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

If you do use spacers, make sure they have a lip that will keep them hubcentric. You don't want to introduce balance problems, etc, at high speeds.

Hubcentrics are a must when you have a large difference in offset. When using spacers as small as 5mm they can be lined up pretty easy.

__________________
'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Brave,
I wouldn't screw around with spacers and extended bolts and all that junk. There are plenty of 126 wheels out there for a reasonable price. Do it right. As to car drifting in one direction, swap tires from side to side and see if car drifts in the other direction. If there is no change, post a copy of the 4 wheel alignment printout so I can take a look at the numbers.. You had the car aligned, but maybe they couldn't reach the specs and didn't mention it to you. Negative camber on one wheel can cause yur problem. By the way save money in the future and get a two wheel alignment. The 126 chassis doesn't require a 4 wheel alignment.


Peter

__________________
Auto Zentral Ltd.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I really appreciate it. Now it's up to me to decide.

__________________
1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver