retrofitted alloys on a Vito

[Coulsdon Eagle]

replaced the steel wheels with alloys a few weeks back, (pic in the photo gallery) tried to get a set of wheel bolts from MB, the set they gave me were far too long, upon tightening up, the thread in the hub started to cut into the shank, and nearly stripped out the hub threads, took them back, but they said they were the right ones for the job, the only other ones they offered me were the same size as the steel wheel bolts, so i declined them, i am at present using the original steel wheel bolts, they hold the wheels on ok, but i know they're not long enough to be 100% secure, anyone have any ideas where i can get longer bolts from? i did think about getting a set of the longer bolts again, and cutting them down, and re-threading them, is that an option?

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Hi Coulsdon Eagle

I had seen the pic's of your wheels and couldn't decide if they were genuine MB or aftermarket. Presumably they are aftermarket or else MB would be able to provide the correct bolts. The only options I can think of are to source bolts from another manufacturer, surely the thread can't be unique to MB and if you can find an alternative with the correct shape head and the right length or longer then you can cut it down providing it doesn't have an unthreaded shank. I wouldn't reccomend cutting a thread onto your own bolts as I would worry about weakening a critical component. Have you kept a steel spare and if so have you kept a set of the original bolts for when the inevitable puncture occurs. Your bolt problem sound remarkabley close to the other thread about steel/alloy wheel bolts on this forum at the moment.

Good luck

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

that's what made me ask Steve, the wheels are genuine Merc wheels from a 2000 plate ML, i got them as a set of 8, so put 5 on the van, and have another 3 'spares', i'm using the steel wheel bolts at the moment, but would like to put proper alloy wheel bolts on, the ones MB said were the right ones, were about half as long again, but when bolted into the hub, the thread on the bolts goes right through and out the otherside, then the hub thread tries to cut a thread onto the unthreaded shank, this is what made me think about getting them cut down about an inch, and continuing the thread further up the shank.

 

[Blobcat]

I would get the longer set and cut the ends off. A few have already done this when fitting different wheels on their cars

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

will certainly keep this option open, i can cut them down myself, and i guess any engine engineering place should be able to do the threading for me

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

Hi Dave

I think you already know the answer to this problem really. You will have to source a set of the original ML bolts that were used for the wheels you have. If they worked on the ML hub then they must work on the Vito hub (unless they have different threads and I can't imagine they would). Did you get the last set of bolts from a Merc commercial dealer or a passenger car dealer? I would think if you managed to corner a knowledgeable parts person at a passenger car dealer and describe your problem and what wheels you have and which car they came from then you should get lucky.

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

Did you get the last set of bolts from a Merc commercial dealer or a passenger car dealer?

i got the first set from a MB commercial dealer, those were the long/wrong ones, so i went to the passenger car dealer, he gave me one stud to try, but it was exactly the same size/thread as the steel wheel bolts i had on the van already, only difference was that they were for alloy wheels, not steel ones.
might enquire about the ML studs, didn't think of that..... DOH!!!!