Clean out those wheel arches

[dino]

I've had the pleasure of owning my 300ce for 9 years out of its 15 and I ignored signs of bubbling on the front wings near the wheel arch. Now i have a perforated wing (ouch!)

whilst i've washed the car maybe once a month on average and power hosed the mud off the wheel cavities, i've never, until now, felt around the inner sill of the wheel arches. Having dug out enough mud to fill a flower pot from all four arches i was amazed at the dumb design of the inner wheel arch sill...it's just designed to gather as much muck as possible. All that moister retention is bound to end in a mess.

Maybe i'm the last to realise, but get out there on the weekend and make sure your inner wheel arch sills are clean :? Use your fingers because just spraying around with a power washer will not do the trick unless they're clean already.

Dino
300ce-24 coupe 1990
E320 cabrio 1994

 

[stwat]

Indeed, i run the hose and my fingers round the arch lip every time i wash the car. I just wish the previose owners had donr the same as both my front wing are bubbling

Stu

 

[LNM]

Ditto. Crap design; someone must have been on the lemonade the night before that one got through.

I was thinking, once totally cleaned + rust proofed, of filling them with a bituminous mastic or hot melt glue or something?

Hanging baskets worth of gear also collects inside the wheel arch liners. These are quite easy to get off.

 

[dino]

I read somewhere that the bubbling happens because the wheel arch liner rubs against the metal work on the inside and it rusts through from the inside with the dirt providing the moisture - any confirmation of this? any solutions?

Also had the idea of filling the inner lip with something - but what - underbody sealant would break off if layed down too thick.

Dino
300ce-24 coupe 1990
E320 cabrio 1994

 

[LNM]

Did Spike do anything to prevent this after that amazing paint job you had done?

 

[Geoff_Slade]

Dino

Good tip. It's not just Mercs that suffer with this although the design does seem to be particularly poor on the 124. All cars collect mud inside the wheel arches particularly the rears although MB seem to have gone for the worst of all worlds not only are the rears badly designed but the front liners don't adeqautely seal the front arches so on a 124 you can have rusting front and rear arches! So you're dead right clean them out and keep them clean. Once they are clean a good dollop of Waxoyl should keep rust at bay and can be topped up annually. Far better than silicone, that could end up sealing moisture in whereas the Waxoyl will let it breathe.

 

[numbnuts]

Can you tell me where my wheel arches are and how I would get them cleaned?

 

[landover]

Can you tell me where my wheel arches are and how I would get them cleaned?

They look clean enough to me

 

[dino]

waxoil

thanks geoff, i'll give the waxoil a go.

numbnuts...is that what the americans call a compact car? I may try this since it will be easier to immerse the whole thing in waxoil and avoid any possibility of rust.

 

[LNM]

easy to park at any rate.