Advice needed on wheels bolts for new alloys

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Advice needed on wheels bolts for new alloys
Topic Started: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:59 pm (266 Views)
WhatNot	Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:59 pm Post #1
Newbie Posts: 16 Group: Members Member #4,867 Joined: November 13, 2009	Hello, I'm a newbie just after a bit of advice please. I've currently got standard 8 hole alloys 15x7 as below: I've just got these KBA 16x8s from Germany, sorry but I'm unsure of the offset: When I fitted one, the existing wheels bolts would tighten but the wheels wouldn't, they would just wobble around. Now I'm sure it must be the wheel bolts that's the problem, perhaps not enough thread or it's too small at the head. Can anyone offer any advice? Here's the currrent wheel bolt: I know Mercedes do different size wheel bolts but how do I tell which are the right ones for my new rims? Thanks in advance



stwat	Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:04 pm Post #2
Stu Posts: 14,428 Group: Moderator Member #28 Joined: November 11, 2005 Colour / Year / Engine Smoke Silver / 1988 / 2.3-16	Hello and welcome. It's a bit difficult to see from the pics but it looks like the seats for the bolt holes on those lovely wheels aren't radius like the bolts are. The wheels look like they have flat seats which mean the bolts wont seat correctly.



WhatNot	Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:24 pm Post #3
Newbie Posts: 16 Group: Members Member #4,867 Joined: November 13, 2009	Ok yeah that makes sense. So if I bought new flat bolts is it better to have them threaded to the end or half way like my existing ones? Also, I see lots of bolts on eBay with ML10, ML12 etc and I've been informed this is the mm size. Do you know if I'd get the same to match the existing ones and if so, what is this for a 190? I'll try to upload some more images of the wheels later on. Thanks again



stwat	Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:47 pm Post #4
Stu Posts: 14,428 Group: Moderator Member #28 Joined: November 11, 2005 Colour / Year / Engine Smoke Silver / 1988 / 2.3-16	I sorry mate, i'm no expert when it comes to the wheels and bolts unfortunately so i'm unsure of the size etc. All i know is that the 190's use the radius type bolts. Hopefully someone else with the correct knowledge will be along soon to answer your questions. Stu



Richy190E	Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:04 pm Post #5
Sales Rep Posts: 2,411 Group: Members Member #1,387 Joined: June 9, 2007 Colour / Year / Engine Lambo. White/1993/1800 LPG	Wheel bolts are sized by the following: Head size Seat type Bolt length (threaded or shanked portion) Thread size and pitch. So a typical 190E bolt would read something like 17mm head Radius ??mm (varies) thread length M12 x 1.5mm The bolts you have shown above look like tapered seats to me....but it could be the angle. The new wheels however look like radius seats. The way I have measured in the past is this: Measure the thickness of the wheel mounting face from the rear face to the seat, measure the thickness of the car's hub (bearing carrier) and the brake disc bell and add 3mm. That should give you the right length of thread with enough threads in safety protruding through the back of the wheel lug hole in the bearing carrier. I hope that makes sense, i've just come off a 12 hour shift so it might not



kentronix	Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:10 pm Post #6
Admin Posts: 17,974 Group: Admin Member #147 Joined: January 20, 2006 Colour / Year / Engine Black / 1989 / 3.0 6cyl auto	Measure how far the old bolts stick out the back of the old alloys. The new wheels should have bolts that stick out the same distance. Generally you will find on the front long bolts will lock before the wheel is tight. On the rear the will do up but when you come to turn the wheel they will hit at the back and stop it turning. Given they are the existing bolts you should be ok with the pitch and size. You can get an idea if the seat type is wrong by making a paper washer, slip it on the bolt, push it in the wheel and rotate it, you should get muck and wear all over the paper, not just in one or two rings.



bolide	Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:19 pm Post #7
Bolide Posts: 304 Group: Members Member #3,828 Joined: February 11, 2009	Your 8-holes look like copies so the bolts you have may be non-standard Nick Froome Edited by bolide, Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:20 pm.



WhatNot	Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:31 pm Post #8
Newbie Posts: 16 Group: Members Member #4,867 Joined: November 13, 2009	Thanks for all the advise peeps but can I just clarify the difference between tapered and radius heads? Tapered is a straight (V) angle and radius is rounded (U)?



geeza	Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:46 pm Post #9
Waiting for xmas to eff off Posts: 108 Group: Members Member #390 Joined: July 7, 2006	WhatNot Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:31 pm Thanks for all the advise peeps but can I just clarify the difference between tapered and radius heads? Tapered is a straight (V) angle and radius is rounded (U)? yep ( I think )



charl44	Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:21 pm Post #10
Member Posts: 1,961 Group: Members Member #243 Joined: April 10, 2006	Radius bolt: Tapered bolt Hope this helps, Ian



WhatNot	Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:56 pm Post #11
Newbie Posts: 16 Group: Members Member #4,867 Joined: November 13, 2009	charl44 Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:21 pm Radius bolt: Tapered bolt Hope this helps, Ian Yes, very much so. Who'd of thought there was so much to learn about wheel bolts hey? Cheers for all the help



Snake	Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:45 am Post #12
Tattooed Mr Nice guy Posts: 7,005 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: November 2, 2005 Colour / Year / Engine Astral silver / 1990 / 2.5-16v	Remember that the rear bolts need to be shorter as the brake shoes for the hand brake can be jammed if the bolt goes in to far and you might not notice until you try to drive away and wreck the whole hand brake assembly in the hub.. The easiest way to do it is to push the existing wheel bolt through the wheel and measure how far it comes through and make sure the new bolts on the new wheels are the same measurement i ended up cutting the rear bolts i got with a 4" grinder with a s/steel cutting disc in it to get them the right length. Edited by Snake, Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:48 am.



geeza	Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:42 pm Post #13
Waiting for xmas to eff off Posts: 108 Group: Members Member #390 Joined: July 7, 2006	Snake Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:45 am Remember that the rear bolts need to be shorter as the brake shoes for the hand brake can be jammed if the bolt goes in to far and you might not notice until you try to drive away and wreck the whole hand brake assembly in the hub.. The easiest way to do it is to push the existing wheel bolt through the wheel and measure how far it comes through and make sure the new bolts on the new wheels are the same measurement i ended up cutting the rear bolts i got with a 4" grinder with a s/steel cutting disc in it to get them the right length. Glad I read this. may have to do this in a weeks time as swapping the alloys back.



WhatNot	Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:37 pm Post #14
Newbie Posts: 16 Group: Members Member #4,867 Joined: November 13, 2009	Snake Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:45 am Remember that the rear bolts need to be shorter as the brake shoes for the hand brake can be jammed if the bolt goes in to far and you might not notice until you try to drive away and wreck the whole hand brake assembly in the hub.. The easiest way to do it is to push the existing wheel bolt through the wheel and measure how far it comes through and make sure the new bolts on the new wheels are the same measurement i ended up cutting the rear bolts i got with a 4" grinder with a s/steel cutting disc in it to get them the right length. That's a very good piece of advice right there! So I'm thinking if I buy long bolts then I can just cut them down if needs be, it'd be really annoying to buy bolts that are too short as opposed to too long!



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