Rusty wheelbolts - the final solution ?

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geoffd

Active Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Messages
103
Location
the wilds of Lancashire
Car
2006 SL 350
As a lifetime member of the "eradicate rusty wheelbolt" club (I've tried greasing them, painting them and plating them - all failed), I was interested in a C class at the petrol station yesterday with what looked like chromed covers over the wheelbolt holes. These were definitely not plastic covers over the bolt heads (I've tried those too), but were slightly domed caps fitting flush with the wheel surface and completely covering - and presumably sealing - the bolt hole. Unfortunately, the guy drove off before I could ask him what they were and where he got them.

Has anyone else seen these or know what they are or where to get them ?

Geoff
 
There are a number of threads about rusty bolts, and I think this type of cover has been mentioned. Alternatively you can just get some better bolts e.g.

http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/option/bolt_packs

The vendor above is a member here - "Murray Systems".

My SL has bolts with a stainless steel end cap (the right hand one in the pic below), but apparently M-B discontinued them :(

wheelbolts.jpg
 
So it makes you wonder why MB can't supply rust resistant bolts when this other outfit can :confused:
 
Cost cutting.

Neither of my M-Bs came with anti-theft bolts either.
 
geoffd said:
As a lifetime member of the "eradicate rusty wheelbolt" club (I've tried greasing them, painting them and plating them - all failed), I was interested in a C class at the petrol station yesterday with what looked like chromed covers over the wheelbolt holes. These were definitely not plastic covers over the bolt heads (I've tried those too), but were slightly domed caps fitting flush with the wheel surface and completely covering - and presumably sealing - the bolt hole. Unfortunately, the guy drove off before I could ask him what they were and where he got them.

Has anyone else seen these or know what they are or where to get them ?

Geoff
Click to expand...

Geoff, im interested to know what you had your bolts plated in to stop them rusting, if the material that MB use is that rubbish then they will rust through any plating as the rust is already there before the bolts are plated, I assume you had them chromed, maybe some aftermarket bolts of a higher quality than MB, maybe MB should take a leaf from Fords book, never had rusty wheel bolts on a Ford (I think they heated up and chucked in oil but this needs to be done in the same factory at the same time to stop the elements getting to the bolts and starting the rust process,) and also while im on the subject Ford also use wheel nuts not bolts, makes aligning the wheel so much easier!!!!!
 
Funnily enough, I got some of these yesterday at Halfords, polished alloy domed. They were only £5.00 for the set of twenty but I think they are on run out stock. I'm going to try a few other local Halfords and maybe buy a few spare sets.

Portzy
 
Slight thread creep (that's written thread, not wheel bolt thread :rolleyes: ), but what's the verdict on locking bolts?

Wife had a puncture last night and the standard pin-type bolt/key has shredded. The same thing happened when I last renewed the tyres on her car. This means:

1. I've got to get the car recovered and get the bolt drilled off :mad:
2. Either I replace the other locking bolts with standard bolts, or
3. I invest in some better locking bolts. The McGuard Ultras look pretty tough and were the Auto Express Best Buy.
 
I've not used the Ultras but we had a set of normal McGard locking nuts on until earlier this week

Our local garage lost the key when they changed the brake pads for us.

It took me less than 20 minutes to remove all 4 wheel bolts - no I'm not saying how :) but it was using a tool you can buy in Halfords. The metal they were made of was so soft it made it as easy as undoing a normal wheel bolt :(

We've since replaced them with a set we bought from our local motor factors.

I'm no fan of the wheel bolts with rotating collars either - they serve no real purpose and just make your wheels rattle
 
more on rusty bolts

1 Howard - Are you saying you've seen the sort of caps I was describing on EBAY ? If so what were they called ?
Oh, and I agree that taper seat bolts won't fit Mercs.

2 I've looked the the alloywheelsdirect stuff too. These are described as 'rust resistant' - which might be the same as the Merc ones which are zinc plated. Even if they're better plated/sheradised or whatever they'll still suffer eventually. The only real solution I can see is to use a bolt made wholly from a non-rusting material like stainless steel, but I've never seen any. Or, next best should be to prevent water/road grit/salt etc contacting the bolt - which is what the caps I saw might just do.

3 In answer to the question about plating, I used a brand new set of bolts which came from Merc in a sealed bag. These were grit blasted to take the zinc off, then solvent washed to clean off any oils etc. They were then electroplated with firstly copper, then with nickel and finally with bright chrome. The plating was then removed from the threads with a die.
When they were first done they looked a million dollars (but actually only cost 35 quid to have plated), but sadly started to rust after only about four months. After a full winter they looked as bad as unplated ones.
The problem with any coating/painting/plating solution is that use of a spanner cracks or damages the coating. So...

...Maybe I'll buy a lathe and make some stainless steel ones.

Geoff
 
BTB 500 said:
Cost cutting.

Neither of my M-Bs came with anti-theft bolts either.
Click to expand...


Bit of an embarrassing disgrace really for a top prestige vehicle manufacturer.
 
Maybe not the final solution

Howard - thank you for the link.

Having looked at the pictures I think I tend to agree that they do look a bit odd. I think it's because the caps are bright chrome and the wheels are at best shiny grey. They'd probably look better with a highly polished wheel - the ones on the C class I saw were quite well polished.

Unfortunately both of my sets of wheels (6 spoke Lucida and 7 spoke Pictor) are dullish grey so I don't think I'll be using these caps.

Never mind. Back to the drawing board.

Geoff
 
BTB 500 said:
There are a number of threads about rusty bolts, and I think this type of cover has been mentioned. Alternatively you can just get some better bolts e.g.

http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/option/bolt_packs

The vendor above is a member here - "Murray Systems".

My SL has bolts with a stainless steel end cap (the right hand one in the pic below), but apparently M-B discontinued them :(

wheelbolts.jpg
Click to expand...

Bill, I must have the same on my car as my bolts haven't the slightest bit of rust on them.
 
Yep, my old W202 had those type bolts as well - they were great, a bit of autosol on the ends and a cloth had them sparkling like new!

Shame they don't make them anymore.

On another note - can I ask if anyone on here has any old/spare MB wheel bolts knocking around? I still need a set for my runaround 124 300TE - don't mind cleaning them up/painting them etc to make half presentable!

Cheers,

Will
 
geoffd said:
3 In answer to the question about plating, I used a brand new set of bolts which came from Merc in a sealed bag. These were grit blasted to take the zinc off, then solvent washed to clean off any oils etc. They were then electroplated with firstly copper, then with nickel and finally with bright chrome. The plating was then removed from the threads with a die.
When they were first done they looked a million dollars (but actually only cost 35 quid to have plated), but sadly started to rust after only about four months. After a full winter they looked as bad as unplated ones.
The problem with any coating/painting/plating solution is that use of a spanner cracks or damages the coating. So...

...Maybe I'll buy a lathe and make some stainless steel ones.

Geoff
Click to expand...

that is some effort there!!!!! the only problem with making your own is that stainless wont be strong enough, then they will need heat treating as the crystal structure will be wrong, anybody got any cryptonite? or maybe titanium, that doesnt rust and its strong,
 
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