When is 17mm not 17mm?

[Headhurts]

This is driving me nuts so please someone help me understand whats going on.

Everything I read online says I need 17mm size socket for the Mercedes wheel nuts, so when I had my S212 I ordered a decent wheel nut socket for my car on arrival it did not fit so I ordered another one but different make which arrived and this also did not fit despite both marked up as 17mm and for Mercedes cars.

Frustrated with this I ended up buying a jack and wheel brace set which was perfect.

I sold my S212 just before Christmas and the wheel brace was left in the car.

I now have an 2020 E Coupe and thought I would try the socket sets on my new wheels but they still do not fit and everything I read online says I need 17mm Grrrr!

Feeling a little frustrated I rummaged through my old tools and found a dual socket which has a 17mm one end and 19mm the other end guess what? The 17mm end fits perfectly.

I am aware that this will be something obvious I’m missing but please someone explain what is going on here, I can of course if necessary use the old 17mm if required but I would prefer a socket with the plastic protection.

Photos attached Including the old socket that does fit.

Robin

 

[Nicebutdim]

I suspect that the sockets which do not fit have an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of the wheel-nut-tunnels on the wheels.

 

[daveenty]

Are they not the "flower" type of wheel bolt on the new car?

Instead of hex type face it has a smoother type bolt as below: -



My last two cars have had this type, sockets are available from several outlets, mine came from a well know auction site.

 

[bob6600]

I suspect that the sockets which do not fit have an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of the wheel-nut-tunnels on the wheels.

Quite possibly but it shouldn't be that narrow, although sleeving does make it thicker. Perhaps the OP can take a bolt out and then see if the new sockets fit?

@OP if not, I'll take them off your hands if you're going to bin them

 

[Headhurts]

I suspect that the sockets which do not fit have an outer diameter which is larger than the inner diameter of the wheel-nut-tunnels on the wheels.

Not so I’m afraid I was using the spare wheel nuts with the locking nut box and they just do not fit the 17mm sockets but the 17mm socket that were purchased online but with my old tool kit socket it’s fine.

Robin

 

[Headhurts]

Are they not the "flower" type of wheel bolt on the new car?

Instead of hex type face it has a smoother type bolt as below: -

View attachment 124219

My last two cars have had this type, sockets are available from several outlets, mine came from a well know auction site.

No mine are these, the car is a 2020 E Coupe.
The old 17mm socket in my tool box fits perfect but the wheel bolts just don’t fit the newer ones despite both say Mercedes and one even specifies W212 models.

Robin

 

[Nicebutdim]

A 17mm socket will fit on a nut which has six flat sides. if you measure across the top of the nut the distance between two opposite flat sides is 17mm.

If this measurement is anything other than 17mm it is not a 17mm nut And a 17mm socket will not fit.

 

[BigJase88]

Could be worse VW M10 is a 16mm head

The older sockets probably work as they are worn. The 17mm new ones will probs go on with a bit of persuasion.

The original wheel bolts may be slightly distorted if they have been banged on with a torque gun

 

[alabbasi]

Are you sure you needed a 17mm socket and not an 11/16?

 

[Flyinspanner]

Are you sure you needed a 17mm socket and not an 11/16?

Pretty sure MB didn’t return to imperial sizes (post Brexit) in 2020

 

[E55BOF]

The older sockets probably work as they are worn. The 17mm new ones will probs go on with a bit of persuasion.

This^. The wheel bolts are 17mm; the unworn socket is the problem. You will find an 11/16 will also fit, but a touch sloppily.

 

[Wolfie1]

Are you sure you needed a 17mm socket and not an 11/16?

11/16 is slightly smaller than a 17mm

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, of course it is. I'm thinking of 16 mm. Doh!!

 

[Headhurts]

Could be worse VW M10 is a 16mm head

The older sockets probably work as they are worn. The 17mm new ones will probs go on with a bit of persuasion.

The original wheel bolts may be slightly distorted if they have been banged on with a torque gun

The bolts I am trying the newer socket on are perfect as per my photo these would have been taken off from new and replaced with the locking nuts.

The newer sockets don’t even begin to fit.

It is driving me nuts, don’t forget this is the second car I have tried these newer wheel sockets on.

Robin

 

[Petrol Pete]

As in post #7, get a vernier across the flats to find out exactly what size the bolt heads are.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Wierd.
When I bought my new torque wrench, I also bought one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KS-Tools-515-1073-Aluminium-impact/dp/B001NYT508
Fits perfectly straight out of the box, as does my Kamasa extending handle wheelbrace which I've had for a while but has next to no wear on it.
Not only do they both fit the pre-existing lugbolts on the car, they also fit the new genuine MB ones I bought to replace the lockers that I removed.

 

[kcsun]

Have you looked at your sockets. Some are 6 sided and some are multi sided, which are usually easier to slip on the bolt head. Maybe the reason???

kc

 

[Will]

Have you tried the sockets on the actual wheel bolts not just the spare ones in the boot?

Also have you got a picture of the inside of the sockets themselves - one of them says on the packet that it’s for the star profile bolts but both of the ones in your picture look very similar.

Just measure the bolts and the inside of the socket otherwise, I’m sure it will be those sockets rather than something amiss with the bolts on your car.

 

[ToeKnee]

Looking online at the part numbers of the sockets you've shown, show that they are not hex shaped but star shaped so both totally the wrong sockets!

 

[BigJase88]

Looking online at the part numbers of the sockets you've shown, show that they are not hex shaped but star shaped so both totally the wrong sockets!

That'll be the reason then