Penta wheel rim bolt seat type.

parkman

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Hi, I am in need of some assistance. I am away from home at the moment, and I want to order chromed wheel bolts from McGard, to fit my alloys, but I don't know what type of seat I need on the wheel bolts.

I have fitted a set of UK made Penta alloys to my 1983 W126, 500se, and I used the original bolts from the car. But I can't remember what type of seat the bolts had. I assume that they were a ball seat, as they held on Mexican Hat rims when I got the car, and they were definitely the original fittings.

I had to fit wheel spacers to the rear wheels, to get the rear to look the same as the front, and I am sure that the new, zinc plated, bolts were a conical seat.

What I would like to find out, if there is anyone with a definitive answer, is what type of seat is on the Penta alloy ? Does anyone know if it matters whether I use a ball seat or a conical seat ?

As I won't be back home, to check the old wheel bolts, for a couple of weeks I am hoping that some-one on the forum may know for sure what type of seat should be on the wheel bolts.

Unfortunately, I am buying the wheel bolts from McGard in the States, and obviously I can't just bring them back !!

parkman
 

JBell

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Does anyone know if it matters whether I use a ball seat or a conical seat ?

Off the top of my head they are a Radius (ball) head bolt
 

Craiglxviii

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Get some normal galv bolts for much cheapness, give the heads a good squirt of Dinitrol and put some chromed head caps on instead. Job jobbed for 1/4 the cost.
 

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parkman

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Thanks for the replies.

I think that this is one of those discussions that jumps from Billy to Jack, depending on who you talk to !!

I had hoped that the answer might have been "conical" rather than "ball" seat !

I asked in a different thread, and the answer I got from some-one was that the seat is conical, for the Penta rim.

I will have to wait until I get back to Blighty, in a couple of weeks, and actually check both the Penta rims, to see what the seat is like, and then check the original bolts from the Mexican Hat rims, to see are they cone or ball.

One guy did reply to my other thread, and his original wheel bolts, from an SEC are cone seats, and as he wants to fit Aero I rims he has to buy ball seat bolts. It seems he fitted the Aero I's but with the cone seat bolts the rims were still loose.

It is difficult to say why, without looking at the car, but as far as I am aware, and having spoken to a guy who breaks W126's, it doesn't seem to really matter if you use cone or ball seats, provided the wheel rim has the indented wheel bolt hole.

The length of the bolts, particularly on the rear, seems to be the main decider on the bolts. If the bolt is 10mm too long apparently it will foul on the brake caliper at the back of the hub, so you need to be accurate in the length, rather than the seat.

I had thought of fitting chrome caps, but I am fitting locking bolts, and the last thing I want is for the cap to get stuck on the locking bolt, if I have a puncture out in the middle of nowhere. I tend to prefer the expensive but safe choice.

parkman
 

Craiglxviii

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Thanks for the replies.

I think that this is one of those discussions that jumps from Billy to Jack, depending on who you talk to !!

I had hoped that the answer might have been "conical" rather than "ball" seat !

I asked in a different thread, and the answer I got from some-one was that the seat is conical, for the Penta rim.

I will have to wait until I get back to Blighty, in a couple of weeks, and actually check both the Penta rims, to see what the seat is like, and then check the original bolts from the Mexican Hat rims, to see are they cone or ball.

One guy did reply to my other thread, and his original wheel bolts, from an SEC are cone seats, and as he wants to fit Aero I rims he has to buy ball seat bolts. It seems he fitted the Aero I's but with the cone seat bolts the rims were still loose.

It is difficult to say why, without looking at the car, but as far as I am aware, and having spoken to a guy who breaks W126's, it doesn't seem to really matter if you use cone or ball seats, provided the wheel rim has the indented wheel bolt hole.

The length of the bolts, particularly on the rear, seems to be the main decider on the bolts. If the bolt is 10mm too long apparently it will foul on the brake caliper at the back of the hub, so you need to be accurate in the length, rather than the seat.

I had thought of fitting chrome caps, but I am fitting locking bolts, and the last thing I want is for the cap to get stuck on the locking bolt, if I have a puncture out in the middle of nowhere. I tend to prefer the expensive but safe choice.

parkman

The photo of my wheel above has 4 plastic hex chrome caps fitting on the standard bolts, and a stainless locking bolt which is the one that appears slightly more recessed than the others. You can't really tell unless you look closely at it.
 
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parkman

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JBell

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You are correct, I had forgotten about Jay's post, and I am supposing that a radiused seat is the same as a ball-seat.

The correct term is "Radius head"

What you refer to as a "Conical Seat" is a "Tapered Head"
 


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