A couple of years ago I had new tires installed on my 190 and since it was a tire shop (not MB dealer) that installed and balanced the tires they used the typical lead weights that you see on all the American cars. When I first purchased my 190 it had the two-piece plastic weights that are installed by MB dealers.

As I'm sure many of you already know, those lead weights that are typically installed by tire shops can cause significant corrosion over time. The factory rims on my 190 are in extremely good condition with no corrosion from wheel weights, and I want to make sure they stay that way. I have a full set of the two-piece weights that the MB dealers use. Is there a way that I could remove the cheap lead weights that the tire shop intalled and put on the correct two-piece weights? I would assume I could simply deflate the tire, push the bead down slighty to take off the old one and put the new one on, and re-inflate the tire. Would I need to re-seal the entire bead to do something like this? Thanks!

if you have a full set of weights, i would just take the weights and your car to a shop and have them replace them for you. then have all the proper equipment. and you don't want to risk unbalancing your tires.

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Current
2006 E320 CDI, 57K bought at 67K "Liesl"
1986 190E 2.3-16, 198K bought at 56K "Brigitta"
1987 300TD (Chuggin Along), 292K "Friedrich"
1995 E320 Wagon, 200K "Louisa"

Past
1987 300SDL, (sold) 125K, bought for 1$ "Kurt"

In those few years your tires your tires probably need to be rebalanced let MB do it. I doubt you have the identical weights that are on your wheels. When tires are balance the weights are added as determined by the machine, and then re-checked. The machines used by most dealerships are "road force" that also checks the roundness of the tires as the tire spins, most tire outlets dont have them including the chains. The tires dont need to be deflated, the clip slides between the rim and bead they have a tool to slide it in, the weights come in various sizes, at least a dozen and sometimes on both sides if too big.