Mercedes Original 15" 8-hole Alloy Wheels - A Guide

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Moth

Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Messages
57
Location
London
Car
1996 S124 E220, M111.960, 108,000m
I've recently found and fitted a set of OEM 8-hole alloys to my S124. As usual, this little project turned out to be a bit more complicated than I'd expected, but I learned a lot along the way. So, for those looking to restore classic looks and ride quality to their 90's Merc, hopefully the following will save you a bit of time and effort.


5672-xl.jpg


History...​

W124 series cars could be ordered with the 5-stud 15" 8-hole style from c.1992. Early W202's and W210's could have been optioned with them when new, and (correct me if I'm wrong) late W201's as well. As far as the 124's were concerned, alloys were an extra-cost option on all models throughout the car's life, the Sportline specified examples being the exception. In practice most of the UK 6-cylinder cars left the show-rooms with them, as well as a fair proportion of the later 4-cylinder and diesel models. Alloys were added to many of the '95/'96 end-of-line cars by the dealers to help them sell before the new 210's arrived.

A beautiful, bright diamond-cut finish was available in addition to the standard silver paint finish. Careful of kerbs with these wheels - there's no way to do a quick 'touch-up' on the polished finish, they'll have to be re-ground and re-laquered. After-market replica offerings include a (hideous) chromed version, and a dual colour scheme can also be found with black apertures.

Sizes and specifications...

There are 4 sizes of 15" 8-hole wheels, all still available from MB. The off-set varies by 7mm which does make the versions model-specific. Sellers usually just quote tyre size in their adverts so you'll have to ask them to provide the correct details. Here are the sizes and part numbers of the genuine wheels:

1 - 15 X 6.5J ET 44 (W124 series, facelift option) PN: 124 411 13 02

2 - 15 X 7J ET 41 (W124 Sportline spec, standard fit) PN: 124 401 13 02

3 - 15 X 6.5J ET 37 (E Class W210) PN: A210 40 10 302

4 - 15 X 7J ET 37 (C Class W202) PN: A202 40 10 502

Standard tyre size: 195/65/R15.

Alternative tyre size for 7J wheels: 205 60 R15 (these wheels can also be fitted with 195/65's)

Bolt specifications: 12x1.5mm Ball Seat Head. 60mm total length, shaft length 40mm. Set of 20 required.

(The standard MB steel wheels take the same tyres as the 15" alloys, but it's worth noting that they take different bolts so you'll need to source a set. MB charge around £3.50 per bolt, so check ebay for cheaper options)​

Is it worth swapping to 8-holes?​

Three iconic wheel designs defined three generations of Mercedes cars. The 70's classics wore the lovely 'Mexican Hat' wheels, the 80's models were graced with the subtle 15-hole design, and the 90's cars were equipped with the elegant 8-hole alloys. To many, the older cars just don't look 'right' in anything else.

There are other benefits of fitting them besides classic looks. They'll add value to your car - most buyers prefer standard alloy wheels. There's a wide choice of affordable tyres to fit, and a 5th wheel can be carried as a matching spare. The 8-hole design is very easy to keep clean, too. Most importantly, the correct wheels will guarantee that your car is riding and handling the way MB engineered it to (especially if you treat your car to a 4-wheel alignment at the same time as fitting them). As time goes by these wheels are inevitably getting harder to find and prices are creeping up, so get hunting…

Where to buy…​

These wheels are still available new from MB and other suppliers. From £150 per wheel (pricey OEM centre caps and bolts excluded) most of us will be looking to source a second hand set from ebay, a Merc breaker, club members or small ads. Check the specialist dealers such as Cheshire Classic Benz too - they often have used sets for sale from stock. Four original tatty wheels, often sold with worn tyres, may cost £40 - £100+. The cost of refurbishment would be from £180 - £250 for the set. An easier (and often much cheaper) solution is to go for refurbished or very good original wheels - less likely to bear serious hidden damage, and they often come with good tyres, too. Such wheels may cost between £125 - £250+ per set if you can find them for sale, which makes for a cost-effective and hassle-free bolt-on upgrade. (Small areas of damage can be spot repaired later without a need for a full strip, often by mobile repair firms.)

Identification…​

Every genuine MB alloy will have a proper 10-digit part number with a star stamped on the back, together with the proper dimensions and tyre size. If there's no part number, then it isn't a factory-fitted Mercedes wheel - there are absolutely no exceptions, regardless of the seller's opinion.

In the absence of a part number, there's another number you may find stamped on either side of a wheel that begins 'KBA…'. This indicates a legally licensed product of good quality, sometimes even supplied by MB main dealers originally. That KBA number is a certification earned by passing Germany's strict quality / safety tests. Also expect to find the manufacturer's name / logo and country of origin stamped on the back, along with the specs. These wheels are properly made and safe to use, though they can differ very slightly from OEM in design and finish. These will probably cost the same as originals, unless you can convince a seller to cheapen them for the lack of MB star…

The absence of part numbers or KBA number will alert you to the third type of wheel… the 'replica'. MB charged a lot of money for their wheel options when new, so the market for cheaply-made unlicensed copies thrived. As the supply of genuine wheels is still good, it would probably make little sense to refurbish older replicas of unknown origin. Be aware that no replica will have been made, finished or tested to the standards required by MB, though some are worse than others. They can also vary from the standard sizes and off-sets which may pose more problems when it comes to fitting.

Some sets of wheels for sale may be a mixed bag of all the above, so it's worth checking that all 4 wheels match exactly before buying if you can. I found one 'set' for sale that contained four different wheels, including various makes, off-sets and widths…

All OEM MB 8-hole wheels take bolts with ball-seat heads. Check that any licensed or replica versions (including spares) have the same design of bolt seat - you may find they have flat or tapered seats which will mean hunting for non-standard bolts to match.

Which tyres?

This subject is covered at length in this forum of course, there are plenty of options to suit all budgets and tastes. My W124 was fitted with Continentals from the show-room according to the spec sheet, and their products are still highly recommended by those in the know as comfortable, quiet and grippy tyres that suit the 90's Mercs well. I am currently running Pirelli P6000's which suit my 'relaxed' driving style - ultimate wet-weather cornering grip isn't important to me in my old estate! Their key feature is excellent durability coupled with decent all round performance and a big name at a good price. If you have a favorite I'd be interested to hear about it - feel free to add it to the thread.

16" wheels

There were also several 16" versions of the 8-hole wheel available, fitted as standard to the W140 and R129, and optionally on other cars. The W140 versions have an off-set of ET 51 and use a wider bolt so are not suitable for direct fitment to other models. However, many have found the R129 version will fit 124's and 202's without modification. Factory Sportline cars were sometimes equipped with these wheels as an expensive option, though 15" was the standard-fit throughout the W124 model life. If anyone has full details and part numbers of the genuine 16" wheels, please feel free to post them here…


Thanks, good luck with your wheels…

Tim​
 
What about 'W' rated tyres?

I'm becoming aware of an issue with high speed tyres. My 300CE-24 Sportline had 205/60 R15 W tyres fitted from new. I've always fitted the same and currently have Fulda Carat Progresso. Everything's fine.

When I was in the UK last year, I asked for a quote for 4 new tyres of that spec. "Don't exist guv, can't get 'em".

Well?

So, when I got back to France I went on to Delticom (123Pneus) and, blimey, he was right. Nothing listed. I could only find one online source.

I checked just now and Delticom now lists 3 examples in that size so things may not be that bad.

Anyway, the point is this. Stocks seem to be getting thin on the ground and the only answer, if they stop supplying, is to change the rims - my son says that's not a problem and that I should just get the AMG 17" rims and appropriate tyres for around £1600 and all will be well. The car now spends all its time with him so maybe he's biased.

Anyway, the UK guy said he could get V-rated tyres. But here in France, they won't fit them. We had this recently with my son's VW Gti and the guy flatly refused to fit V-rated replacements that his boss had given him. No way matey!

Any views on this situation from your side of la Manche?

Anyone else suffering?

RayH
 
Excellent write up. According to my price list the 320 had 15 hole as standard. All others had steel wheels. The 8 hole wheels cost more than the 15s.
 
My 1989 300TE had them from new , so at least some pre-facelift cars had them . I have also seen 8 holes on some W126 models , although 126 cars run a different offset from 124's , and of course they were also available on the W140 range , although in 16" diameter if I recall correctly .
 
Just to add a few points to clarify some of the info.

The 16" version of the 8 hole wheels for the r129 SL and 500E version of the w124 are the same size, 16x8 et34 with 225/55 r16 tyres and when used on the w124 should really be used with the wider flared 500E front wings due to the low offset. I bought a set with 124 part numbers assuming they would be O.K but they do stick out a bit far and rub the cladding panels on the front wings when steering under load. There is an AMG wing spacer kit available but I haven't tried fitting it yet so can't confirm. Thanks to d_w124 for the tip. Smaller tyres would be an easier fix of course. Perhaps of interest is that with standard 195/65 15 tyres my w124 speedo is quite pessamistic reading 5%-10% too slow when compared to a garmin sat nav. With 225/55 16 tyres the speedo is spot on with the garmin.

There is also a 16x7 (et42?) set of the 8 hole design that were used on the early w210s that fit the w124 well.

The w126 version of these wheels is et25 so will probably stick out a bit too far. There is often a set on ebay but I've never been brave enough to try them on a w124.

I've seen a few sets on ebay with the KBA part numbers, often visible on the front of the wheel in one of 8 holes, but they never look as good. The "Spokes" look too skinny somehow.

As someone else pointed out in another thread, most, if not all MB replica wheels seem to put the tyre valve in the wrong place. On genuine wheels it is inline with one of the holes for a wheel bolt. In this case, having 5 wheel bolts and 8 holes, only 1 wheel bolt will line up centrally with one of the 8 holes. On replicas it is normally on the opposite side of the rim 180 degrees from wheel it should be.
 
GP801, Pontoneer and Millo777 - thanks for your additions, very useful info.

Great information about the 16" versions, thanks for sharing it. Interesting to hear about the W210-spec wheel, that must be the type I see on 124's most often if it's the easiest / safest upgrade. Lots of owners want bigger but OEM-style so it seems this is what they'll be looking for.

I'm running standard 195/65 tyres and, according to my sat-nav, my speedo actually reads high rather than low - 70mph on the speedo is about 64 measured by satellite. How odd. Perhaps my cable or mechanism is at fault... I get '124 wobble' on the needle up to about 35 or so. I treat the discrepancy as a speed-camera safety net...

As for the replicas, you're absolutely right about the subtle changes in design including the valve placement (spotted this on a car in London today) and aperture sizing. Making exact copies would not have been difficult, so I'm wondering if the subtle changes were deliberate, perhaps in order to avoid violating MB's design rights (and possible court cases)?

Another obvious difference between 'real' and 'fake' is the finish - I've seen 20 year-old un-restored MB wheels still looking good, and nearly-new reps with horrible peeling laquer and other issues.

I never knew the 8-holes were available as long ago as 1989, or that they were seen on the mighty 126 either. So the correct history should read:

"Before becoming the standard MB alloy wheel upgrade option c1992, the 8-hole alloys had been on the dealer's price-lists since the late 1980's as a more exclusive alternative to the 15-hole design."

Also, good to know all E320's should have a set fitted as standard - this isn't a surprise, I've never seen one without alloys.

Personally I quite like the steels with the correct wheel-discs - there's something honest and unpretentious about them which fits well with the 4-cylinder and diesel cars. I can't imagine any E-Class leaving the show-rooms today without alloys!

Thanks again

Tim
 
I'm becoming aware of an issue with high speed tyres. My 300CE-24 Sportline had 205/60 R15 W tyres fitted from new. I've always fitted the same and currently have Fulda Carat Progresso. Everything's fine.

When I was in the UK last year, I asked for a quote for 4 new tyres of that spec. "Don't exist guv, can't get 'em".

Well?

So, when I got back to France I went on to Delticom (123Pneus) and, blimey, he was right. Nothing listed. I could only find one online source.

I checked just now and Delticom now lists 3 examples in that size so things may not be that bad.

Anyway, the point is this. Stocks seem to be getting thin on the ground and the only answer, if they stop supplying, is to change the rims - my son says that's not a problem and that I should just get the AMG 17" rims and appropriate tyres for around £1600 and all will be well. The car now spends all its time with him so maybe he's biased.

Anyway, the UK guy said he could get V-rated tyres. But here in France, they won't fit them. We had this recently with my son's VW Gti and the guy flatly refused to fit V-rated replacements that his boss had given him. No way matey!

Any views on this situation from your side of la Manche?

Anyone else suffering?

RayH

Ray - I have no extra information to offer you but this issue is obviously going to be causing others some problems in due course. I imagine the demand for these smaller high-performance tyres has dropped dramatically since the trend (a very profitable trend for dealers) for ever-larger wheels. Even low-powered hatchbacks seem to come equipped with 17" wheels from the show-room now... hope someone else can advise.
 
Moth " you're absolutely right about the subtle changes in design including the valve placement"
How come your image has two valves? Or have I had too many coffees today?
 
thank you for your interesting and informative post:thumb:
ive got option 1 fitted with Goodyear excellence 195/65/15s - they seem to work well and i expect them to last quite some time
i have the polished finished and as you identify they are easily damaged and corrode too

not only is it a good post its nicely laid out too:D

Tim could we see some pics of your car/wheels please?
 
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Moth " you're absolutely right about the subtle changes in design including the valve placement"
How come your image has two valves? Or have I had too many coffees today?


Good spot!
 
Eagle eyes Tonywashere...

Oops! Truth is, I stole this image from a website and photoshopped it - I duplicated the top half of the image and used it to replace the bottom half, which had a superimposed company logo across it originally. Hence the double valve... have to take more care in future, can't get away with anything 'round here!

Now I mention it, the website in question is a leading supplier of OEM wheels and they carry the full MB range for all models. They also have a fantastic wheel application guide with model by model sizing info to help with fitment. Hope they don't mind me stealing their picture.

Mercedes E Class 124 alloys | Alloy Wheels Direct Ltd


Mika - thanks for your comments and your tyre review. I have one shot of my wagon on the site (linked below). I'll take some better wheel pictures when the sun comes out...

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/new-...estate-looking-parking-space.html#post1398322

(I'm suffering with very limited image allowance at the moment. Do I have to pay for a larger upload limit?)

Tim
 
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Mika - thanks for your comments and your tyre review. I have one shot of my wagon on the site (linked below). I'll take some better wheel pictures when the sun comes out...

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/new-...estate-looking-parking-space.html#post1398322

(I'm suffering with very limited image allowance at the moment. Do I have to pay for a larger upload limit?)

Tim


Oh ! i remember it now, fantastic vehicle probably one of the best w124 estates on this forum imho

its a beauty:thumb:
 
Mika - thanks for that. The only unusual thing about my car is probably that it's a lowly 4-cylinder that's somehow avoided big miles and rust... there are hardly any decent 220 estates left now. All the nice cherished ones have proper engines, like yours!

I meant to mention your polished wheels. I am not an expert on wheel refurbishment by any means... I once did a DIY wheel refurbs years ago - the result was acceptable, but it was too much hard work and I won't be attempting it again. I have only comissioned one professional complete refurb, but I asked lots of questions and tried to learn what I could from the experts.

I really wanted to diamond-cut my wheels - I think they look great, but I had noticed that they lose their finish sooner than painted ones for obvious reasons. The company that did my wheels were equipped to produce that finish and happy to do it, but they did warn me that: 1) a fair bit of material is removed from the face of the wheel in the cutting process, and it probably wouldn't be advisable to get them refurbed this way more than once, and 2) it might be a better finish for a weekend car, rather than a daily-driver parked on the street like mine. With regret I opted for the sensible option in the end.

I'm already glad I did - my wife kerbed 2 wheels a month after I'd fitted them! A mobile guy spot-repaired them with no trouble, but the polished ones would have been ruined. Maybe one day I'll have a 124 cabriolet to put them on - with no additional drivers on the insurance ;)

I had a friend with an E280 like yours - what a great engine that is. His came from Nick Froome, well-known specialist dealer, who always seems to fit freshly polished wheels to his cars for sale. Four years later, they looked terrible, but then my friend never cleaned his car at all. Great car though, my favourite 124 motor.

Tim
 
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If anyone interested I have a set of 15,s which are powder coated metallic black with an original steel spare also in the same colour used to look awesome on my W124 300d comes with full set of bolts and were only on car for less than 9 months.Location Ayrshire call 07866093853
 
This is the 8 hole bible! Interesting, thanks! :thumb:
 
Don't know if anybody mentioned it but the 16", 8 hole for the 124 had a 46 mm offset. This is the correct offset for 16" 8 holes for the 124.

I have a part number if anybody is interested....??
 
(Thread resurrection....really useful info here)

That's very interesting WDB....I'm chasing a set that advertises them as ET34 (on an 8x16)

I thought that this was the correct wheel that the 500E ran...so is the ET34 an aftermarket job?

Many thanks,

Dave
 
16" 8-holes like the one below with ET34 are normally on 129 SLs.
4403-l.jpg

Ask the seller for the part number, found stamped on the inner side to ensure it is a genuine part.
 
B6 647 0069 is the approved 16" 8 hole for the 124's except the 500's
 

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