Warning - Wheel nuts - W210 - Expensive lesson

[MPK]

Be careful how you tighten front wheel nuts on your W210 !
Tried to replace front tyres on E300TD last week.
Tyres fitter (Costco) called to say could only release 2 of 10 wheel nuts.
I arrived and with the largest bloke in the fitting bay could not shift the other 8.
( Drove home, scaffold tube as a lever got next 3 off - with near hernia force)
Then - Next 1 snapped.

Drove to George Fraser.
George broke 4 more wheel nuts and 4 sockets before eventually removing all.
Cost - £78 labour plus £48 for sockets - £136.

It appears from talking to Costco fitters and George;s mechanics
that this occurs rather frequently on this model MB.

Lesson - Do not overtighten - airguns particularly bad and consider copper grease on studs.

Could have been worse - Puncture on hard shoulder of M1 in the middle of the night,rainy,cold with wife and kids in back.

You have been warned.

Mike.

 

[Shude]

Tell me about it!

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=3029

Moving thread to wheels/tyres section

 

[Alps]

A few months back i realised that one of my front tyres was mangled, so i tried removing the bolts... no chance! they were on solid! I had to drive down to a wheel & tyre place for them to loosen them using a torque wrench.

A few weks later I went to have my wheels replaced, and the other 3 wheel nuts were seized solid and the tyre place warned me they might snap whilst removing them, luckily they didnt!

I still havent got round to it yet, but after hearing this I will be coppergreasing them when i get a chance!

 

[Satch]

If you have aluminium hubs, better to use this stuff?:

http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/loctite_uk/index.cfm?layout=6&productline=8060&disp_language=en

 

[Brian WH]

If you have aluminium hubs, better to use this stuff?:

http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/loctite_uk/index.cfm?layout=6&productline=8060&disp_language=en

Loctite always means to me "Lock Tight", but this stuff appears to be OK for what you suggest it for. I personally just use grease and have never had any problems over many years of use of various cars, its cheaper too.