Spare tyre issues

[old man Logan]

Good morning all ,got a strange issue,just pulled the spare tyre out ,it doesn't look like it has ever been used ,she's a 1998 w210 e280 but trying to fit spare doesn't work,holes line up but bolts too big and I being thick?

 

[ajlsl600]

Are all others alloys?

 

[old man Logan]

Yes all alloys

 

[star]

There should be a set of shorter bolts in the car, just for the steel spare.

 

[sonic]

They are normally in a plastic insert inside the spare wheel.

 

[EmilysDad]

They were in a long slim zip top polly bag in my R Class .... can't remember what they're in in my ML

 

[old man Logan]

Oh I see that makes perfect sense, Guess what's missing in my car ,yup the shorter bolts,where in the Dickens can I buy these

 

[old man Logan]

No I found them in a rolled up cloth bag complete with some original tools there's a plastic bag with some very short bolts inside looks like never been opened

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

You can always buy yourself a spare MB alloy (as I did with my 210) it also fits the space for the spare

 

[old man Logan]

Yes that's a damn good idea then no need for short bolts , thank you

 

[Doug1234]

You’ve been lucky , if you fit the spare with the long bolts then those bolts wreck the parking brake mechanism

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Yep, one of MBs not so clever mistakes from a design and engineering point of view, quite a few owners wrecked rear hubs because of it.
I can imagine some red braces accountant got involved and came up with the ’smart’ idea of fitting a steel spare and not an alloy to save
a few ££

 

[EmilysDad]

Yep, one of MBs not so clever mistakes from a design and engineering point of view, quite a few owners wrecked rear hubs because of it.
I can imagine some red braces accountant got involved and came up with the ’smart’ idea of fitting a steel spare and not an alloy to save
a few ££

As you say, an ill thought out idea. My Vauxhalls had steel spares too, but all used the same bolts as those used for the ally road wheels. Likewise EmilysMum's Citroen, though it uses a different idea .... the standard bolts have a shoulder that seats on the smaller dia bolt hole of the steel spare.

Citroen Wheel Bolts | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Citroen Wheel Bolts . Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[old man Logan]

Yes for a Mercedes it isn't very well thought through, easily missed for a novice Merc owner ,that bag of short bolts is a sure fire way of misplacing them during multiple ownership then new owner not realizing and in desperation putting in longer shoulder bolts with disastrous consequences, definitely a own goal Mercedes ,as you say a "bean counter" design

 

[Blobcat]

My W210 had shorter bolts for the steel spare, my W211 used the standard bolts - they modified the steel wheel design so the standard bolts fit.

 

[old man Logan]

That's sounds like a much better plan than 2 sets of bolt's

 

[ajlsl600]

Yes for a Mercedes it isn't very well thought through, easily missed for a novice Merc owner ,that bag of short bolts is a sure fire way of misplacing them during multiple ownership then new owner not realizing and in desperation putting in longer shoulder bolts with disastrous consequences, definitely a own goal Mercedes ,as you say a "bean counter" design

A sign of other similar designs in benz that only make sence to d, h bean counter, not owner, not tyre change guy or service guys.

 

[old man Logan]

Having a steel spare doesn't bother me as it's a visual incentive to get alloy with a flat or similar repaired asap ,just having 2 sets of bolts is doesn't make a lot of sense