New wheels- new bolts required?

[Craiglxviii]

Dear all,

as some of you may know I have recently bought a new set of wheels for my W215. These are ET35 8.5J fr and 9.5J rr replacing ET44 (same width) originals.

Will the increased offset require me to buy new bolts x 20? If so, can someone please tell me what length? I understand they are M14 x 1.5mm, from what I remember they have a cone style taper.

All advice gratefully appreciated as always!

 

[JBell]

You will, the OEM bolts have a radius head and as you said the new wheels have a tapered head, they should be about 28mm long (thread length)

They are 14 x 1.5mm thread with a 17mm HEX head

 

[Craiglxviii]

Hi JBell,

Just to clear up, the bolts as fitted to the car (originals presumably, on the standard 5 spoke 18" allows it came with) have a conical taper, not a radiused one.

I don't know what the new wheels need as they've not yet turned up. Will advise further when they do... chasing now.

I presume I'll need bolts 9-10mm longer to account for the increased offset.

 

[hotrodder]

Changes to offset/ET doesn't directly effect bolt length... 'deep dish' designs move the entire wheel centre relative to the rim, another way to change ET without effecting bolt length is to machine the bolt holes to different depths to account for ET changes. Different brands/designs of wheel occasionally effects bolt length regardless of ET and obviously there are various different designs of bolt seat

As said MB/AMG oem stuff uses radiused bolt seats and the seat radius is the same as the bolt major diameter i.e. M14 bolts = 14mm seat radius, M12 bolts = 12mm radius. If the bolts you currently have are a 60 degree conical taper then either the wheels are aftermarket/repros or something hinky is going on

 

[Craiglxviii]

Eek OK to clarify further...

(are you American? Using the word "hinky"..? Just curious!)

The wheels I have bought are presumably repros at the price I paid. I've no idea what bolts go with them and was waiting on the wheels turning up to see.

The wheels currently on the car are the standard 18" 5 spoke monobloc MB alloys the CL500 C215 originally came with; they have what look to be the original wheel bolts and those have a conical taper...

I'll wait to see what the new wheels look like!!!

 

[Naraic]

Eek OK to clarify further...

(are you American? Using the word "hinky"..? Just curious!)

The wheels I have bought are presumably repros at the price I paid. I've no idea what bolts go with them and was waiting on the wheels turning up to see.

The wheels currently on the car are the standard 18" 5 spoke monobloc MB alloys the CL500 C215 originally came with; they have what look to be the original wheel bolts and those have a conical taper...

I'll wait to see what the new wheels look like!!!

He spells "centre" correctly though.

 

[JBell]

Hi JBell,

Just to clear up, the bolts as fitted to the car (originals presumably, on the standard 5 spoke 18" allows it came with) have a conical taper, not a radiused one.

You need to check what wheels were on the car, take one off and look for MB markings on the back of the spokes

Really, MB bolts should be a radius head, if you have aftermarket wheels now on then you may be able to use the same bolts for the new wheels

I presume I'll need bolts 9-10mm longer to account for the increased offset.

The offset does not affect bolt length

 

[television]

A little more to this.

Mercedes use a hub centric wheel, that centers on the hub and the bolts just hold the wheel to the hub using a radius head bolt. Taper bolts are used where the bolts do the centering.
14mm Mercedes wheel bolts with a radius seat come in 2 lengths, that is with a 28mm and a 42 mm shank.

It is important that the correct length is used as too long bolts can damage the parking brake shoes.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thanks guys. That is interesting indeed.

OK, I'll have to wait for the car to come back to determine what's currently on it. The wheels look like this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&f=47&t=1058538

Maybe they are repro or maybe someone just whacked the wrong bolts in. it is second hand and looking through the MOT advisories today doesn't look like it was too well-cared for by what looks to be the second owner, the same corroded pipes (that I had changed straightaway) were shown on advisories for several years.

 

[television]

They look like the DIFDA wheels used on the 220 and 215 with ET of 44

 

[JBell]

They look like the DIFDA wheels used on the 220 and 215 with ET of 44

Correct TV, OEM MB wheels that should have radius head bolts in

 

[television]

Correct TV, OEM MB wheels that should have radius head bolts in

Yes and only radius heads at that.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thanks for the advice chaps. I'll wait on the wheels and the car to check what's needed and what's there.

 

[AMGeed]

The correct bolts for your 215 are Bolt Pack 2 in the link below. All the dimensions are there.
http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/option/bolt_packs

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thank you very much.

 

[hotrodder]

(are you American? Using the word "hinky"..? Just curious!)

No i'm not a Septic (or a cockney), just find a few Americanisms like hinky or FUBAR useful occasionally

 

[Craiglxviii]

Oh well each to their own! The Americans do have some amusing words.

DILAC is my favourite acronym. Those who served in green of a certain age will remember the DILAC hat.

(Don't I Look A C*** in this is what it stands for!)

 

[JBell]

Just find a few Americanisms like hinky

Thanks Thelma

 

[Craiglxviii]

Right... so to cut a long story short the wheels turned up and at the same time I got the car back. A quick trial determined that the existing bolts (which ARE radiused seat, not conical taper) are too long- I measured 45mm. So, looking at the alloywheelsdirect website link posted, 28mm it is by the looks of it!

 

[television]

Yes 28mm is the other standard wheel bolt length.