Wheel bolts rust

[th3h1ghlander]

After going through two sets of original MB bolts in four years, I finally changed the rustly MB bolts to new Febi bolts and so far so good - no rust.

I need to take all my wheel bolts out and refurbish them (wire brush etc) as when I needed to take the wheels off earlier this week and couldn't! Rusted on tight, I even bent the Merc supplied bar trying to take them off. Anyone have recommendations on refurbing the bolts?

I had to take car to a tyre shop and they used a 4ft bar with two guys standing on them to get them undone! In the process I bought 4 new tyres >_<


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[wu56Shoozz]

Chroming Works

Look on line for Stainless M12 Wheel bolts...

 

[markjay]

The issue was that I wanted to keep the original silver matt look. Chrome bolts, Chroming, or Chrome-like plastic caps just don't look right with the original wheels... the Febi bolts look jut like the original MB bolts did (before they started rusting, that is).

 

[hotrodder]

Chroming Works

Look on line for Stainless M12 Wheel bolts...

The common stainless steels used for bolts (A2-70, A4-70 which are 304 and 316 respectively) don't meet the strength properties of a class 8.8 carbon/alloy high tensile steel fastener. Wheel bolts (along with many fasteners used on brakes and suspension components) are usually class 10.9 which is stronger again. The higher strength (hardenable by heat treatments) stainless steels are less corrosion resistant which is why decent stainless knives etc can kinda rust if neglected... they 'stain - less' than carbon steels but don't have the corrosion resistance of the low carbon austenitic flavours so make less sense than plating/passivating carbon/alloy steels much of the time
Stainless is also more prone to galling (a nasty type of seizing) than carbon steels, especially when the carbon steel has been zinc passivated or whatever for corrosion resistance

Chrome plating high strength steels can cause hydrogen embrittlement, this is fixable but obviously complicates manufacture and puts the price up. Cheapnese plated wheel bolts should be avoided like the plague for both this reason and because they often plate the entire thing including the threads which inevitably flakes off all the sharp edges. Decent quality chrome plated wheel bolts typically only have plated heads with the threaded portion being zinc passivated etc.
Dunno if anyone bothers making them as most people are magpies but 'satin chrome' is doable and less blingy

The above is why, in the old days, MB used to bond/friction weld a stainless cap to the head of a class 10.9 wheel bolt like

but that's obviously also expensive hence them not bothering anymore

 

[RichardF]

Audi use natty little bolt covers.

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Jeep do chrome ones too... that don't rust..

 

[SteveBless]

My V70 Chrome wheel nuts are stunning. On a 59 plate.
Also had a Rover 75 that everyone makes fun of. Wheel nuts were also stunning. Lots of Japanese cars have good quality wheel nuts as well.