Accidental lesson learned...good outcome. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

bluestripe67 · #1 05-19-2009, 10:16 AM

In '96 we bought a used '93 300E from a private owner (Md. state inspection included) who had just (within 30 days) bought the car from a MB dealer. Fast forward to last Sunday. My 16 year old daughter goes to a social function about 16-17 miles away with the car and when returning hits a pot hole and blows the tire on the RF.

No other damage.

She calls me for help so I respond and arrive in about 30 min. The car was well off the road so I'm dressed for the job and get too it. I start breaking loose the wheel studs and they don't budge, so I stand on the wrench and they come loose except the last two. I stand on it and the wrench bends

but then comes loose. The last one was just as tight. Flashback...three months ago had the flex coupling replaced and out of courtesy they check my front brakes....yes, they used the impact wrench to put the studs back. Back to the roadside...I put the spare on and and tighten the studs, put everything away and proceed to leave....the car won't move

Flashback...10 years ago I put a set of correct 124 8 hole wheels on and have never had a problem or a FLAT TIRE. Why won't the car move, maybe the current studs for the 8 hole wheels are too long when used with a 18 hole spare wheel, and now are interfering with the hub. I jack the car up, go to my other MB and take a stud to see if it makes a difference...no way, too short. Now I have a bigger problem so I call my friend who has a tow service and sent my daughter home in my car. An hour later I get the car home, it's late evening so I'll deal with it in the morning. I take my other car and go to my indy MB man and in a very low calm voice tell him my "nuts ache". He looks at me thinking I've lost it. Then I show him the bent lug wrench

now he understands my pain. We talk about stud length and that it might solve the problem so he gives me two intermediate ones and I go home. Jack up the front and go through the motions again, each time trying the two different length studs finger tight. With the tire up in the air I go to rotate it and it makes this scraping sound

so I take it off and start looking for interference and what do I find....the caliper is scraping on the back inside of the wheel as evidenced by the 360 degree scrape....the 18 hole wheel DOESN'T FIT the car

. Somewhere in the previous life/ownership someone put a wheel in for a spare that fits a 190E

. The lesson learned, if you have a used MB and have not had a flat, go out and make sure your wheel is the correct one even if it LOOKS like the correct one. And don't forget to retighten your lugs studs your self. I'm buying a used CORRECT spare wheel today. My indy is make up for this.

Dennis

JRS · #2 05-19-2009, 11:06 AM

Excellent advice Dennis - after getting my car insepected, I always loosen and retighten the lugs to a torque that won't leave me stranded by the side of the road if I get a flat.

Those "tool kit" lug wrenches are no match for the air wrenches some places use to install the lugs.

Ferdman · #3 05-19-2009, 01:15 PM

bluestripe67, whenever I take our cars in for PA State Inspection I ask that the tech check the brake pad thickness without pulling the wheels to prevent the situation you described. I have sheared a 1/2" to 3/8" reducer in my garage attempting to loosen lug bolts after a MB Service Department tech tightened them with an impact wrench ... needed a 5-foot long cheater bar to get them loose. That's the last time I let a MB Service Department tech touch the wheels on our cars. When I have new tires mounted I take loose wheels and tires to our local MB dealer because they use the MB 2-piece balance weights. I always use a torque wrench and tighten the lug bolts to 80 ft-lbs. Larger diameter lug bolts may require 100 ft-lbs.

E150GT · #4 05-19-2009, 01:43 PM

I got a flat soon after I bought my car. The car had ugly chrome wheels and the spare was the original. I soon found out on the side of the road that the lug bolts did not match the two rims and I didn't have the proper ones for the spare. I had to leave the car and take the wheel to get it fixed.

MBeige · #5 05-19-2009, 08:36 PM

I have one of those extendable lug wrenches in case the lug bolts put up a fight, but you're right in preventing these things from happening. Always watch the techs when they tighten the bolts, and not just the lug bolts, but the oil drain plug too! My friend's 300SE was serviced at the local Sears a year ago for an oil change (synthetic), and we tried (in vain) to remove the plug come one year later. No luck - the thing was stripping and it has not yet budged.

bluestripe67 · #6 05-20-2009, 10:42 AM

Update....My indy mech was very apologetic and sincere. I have been taking the '93 there for 10 years, nothing but outstanding service when I can't do the job. He offered too replace the lug wrench but instead I worked a deal on a CORRECT 8 whole wheel and two more of the same wheels for my snow tires. Three wheels, mounting balancing etc. $150.00

I'm happy! Dennis

anziani · #7 05-20-2009, 11:00 AM

I am in the process of "saving" a '93CE. We decided to replace the front shocks. When my indie tried to get the wheel lugs off, two of them BROKE in half and had to be drilled out. The remaining ones all came out bent because of the torque needed to remove them. I ended up at the dealer buying 20 new lugs at $6 each. I cannot imagine the moron that tightened them in the first place!
Anziani
'93 300CE 172K
'95 E420 112K

Ferdman · #8 05-20-2009, 01:07 PM

anziani, it's possible that the lug bolts rusted in place if this 1993 300CE sat for a long period of time. I apply a light coating of Never Seez on lug bolt threads to prevent rusting. A local indie uses white grease on lug bolt threads for the same reason.

bluestripe67 · #9 05-20-2009, 02:39 PM

I use anti-seize on all my cars lug bolts/nuts, but it wasn't enought to prevent the orig. problem.

Dennis

anziani · #10 05-20-2009, 06:27 PM

No, the car has been in use continually, the last few years in San Diego where rain is an oddity. No, they were just installed poorly by someone who didn't know any better.
Anziani

neanderthal · #11 05-23-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferdman

anziani, it's possible that the lug bolts rusted in place if this 1993 300CE sat for a long period of time. I apply a light coating of Never Seez on lug bolt threads to prevent rusting. A local indie uses white grease on lug bolt threads for the same reason.

Be extremely careful in applying any lubricant to the threads on your lugnuts as that can affect the clamping force that holds the wheels on.

toomany MBZ · #12 05-23-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neanderthal

Be extremely careful in applying any lubricant to the threads on your lugnuts as that can affect the clamping force that holds the wheels on.

I'll see that and raise you a don't do it.
Torque values are different as well.

G-Benz · #13 05-24-2009, 12:28 AM

Good point about the lug bolts.

I have aftermarket rims on my 300E and the lugs are shorter than the OEM bolts that I keep in the trunk for the spare (18-hole OEM) rim.

Also make sure that the aftermarket lugs don't interfere with the emergency brake system on the driver's side rear hub.

Ferdman · #14 05-24-2009, 06:30 AM

neanderthal and toomany MBZ, if anything using a lubricant on lug bolt threads ensures the intended wheel clamping force is achieved. Imagine the case of severely rusted lug bolt & hub threads ... it's possible that at the proper lug bolt torque value there is little to no clamping force on the wheels. If you're having difficulty imagining that scenario consider a nut rusted to a bolt at a loose connection. Achieving a certain torque value on the bolt would be meaningless and and the nut/bolt would not allow the connection to function as designed.