New 18's - Bolts are locking the rear brakes

[barki]

Hi

I've just fitted some lovely new 18's to by C320 Coupe ('53).

Unfortunately, the 'depth' of these aftermarket alloys is much shallower than the standard OEM wheels, and so the original wheel bolts where far to long.

So I got (had to special order) some 30mm bolts & locking bolts for it. The wheels slipped on fine, but unfortunately they don't allow the wheel to turn, the bolts are catching something behind the hud/disc.

How annoying - So I reluctantly fitted some 10mm universal spacers, which solve the problem (and I can still just get 6.5 turns on the bolt heads before they are tight). Great, except that the spacers bring the wheel off the hub by 10mm, so the spigot rings are now not resting on the hub, and the wheels are essentially putting all the weight through the bolts.

At the moment I havn't driving the car since im not convinced that its safe....

This cant be right, but i'm not sure what the solution is.

I'd rather not spend further £100's on hubcentric spacers - but perhaps I can used 20mm wheel bolts and no spacers?

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Tom

 

[brucemillar]

You need hub centric spacers.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[barki]

Cheers Bruce - but why hubcentric spacers instead of shorter bolts & no spacers?

 

[GP801]

Shorter bolts should be fine so long as you get enough thread to engage in the hub fully

 

[brucemillar]

You will be hitting the hand brake shoes with long bolts. Without spacers you need the correct bolt shoulders for aftermarket wheels. Mec use domes aftermarket are usually a taper. Make sure that when the correct length bolt is through the wheel you only see thread and no bare shaft. As you know allow a min of 4 to 5 turns befor tight.

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[ringway]

You will be hitting the hand brake shoes with long bolts. Without spacers you need the correct bolt shoulders for aftermarket wheels. Mec use domes aftermarket are usually a taper. Make sure that when the correct length bolt is through the wheel you only see thread and no bare shaft. As you know allow a min of 4 to 5 turns befor tight.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

You're correct, Bruce. I remember when I fitted AMG II's to my 210 after removing some copy AMG III's, I had the same problem as the OP.
The bolt shoulder part is important - same length bolt with the wrong shoulder fouls the handbrake shoes.
Even after I had everything correct, (I eventually ordered the correct bolts from Alloy Wheels Direct) some time later I lost/sheared a bolt and reached for a spare of the correct length from my collection. Wrong should and back to the grinding/crunch as I prepared to set off.

 

[hotrodder]

Hacksaw and a file is all that's needed to cut the excess off and clean up the thread lead in

 

[barki]

Yep cheers for your help guys.


I shorted my bolts by a couple of threads in my vice with a hacksaw and it's all fine now. They were indeed hitting the handbrake shoes.

I've got flat tapered bolts in aftermarket wheels (matching taper) cut down to about 25mm and i'm getting a good 7 turns on each.


Although i've owned loads of cars, I've never bought aftermarket wheels before....I feel like a bit of a rudeboy. If anyone is interested, i've put staggarded 18" BBS CH repllicas on my oriental blue C320.

Decent set of 17" evolutions (w/pirelli) will be for sale PM me if you're interested


Cheers again,

Tom