laneshift

Like many people in the other thread, my outer edge of the fronts on my '02 C240 are bald. I'm rotating the rears to the fronts and visa-versa. Are there any things I need to watch out for? I don't think the wheels are staggered. All fours are the same tires.

Bonus question for ya'll - I'm very afraid of my front emblem on my hood getting damaged. I'm forced to park my car outside and I'm afraid that a passerby may twist it off or this may happen: Skip on over to 1:34 to see what I mean. (Video isn't explicit, it's on YouTube for the love of god, but your mother/wife may not favor it. Heads up.)

I've searched for both and I thought I'd squeeze two questions into one thread.

Thank you for your time!

LILBENZ230

You should be able to rotate and thus slow down the outer edge wear on your tires. I thought your car came with new tires as part of your purchase? If it is eating them quickly you probably have an issue. Search the forum for "castor bushings" and check your's for leaks.

Also, while there is a chance of something happening to the hood ornament, I've not had this happen to me or anyone I know that drive Benz cars. Don't be paranoid.

laneshift

Thank you. Will do. The tires weren't brand spankin' new with the fuzz intact but are still "new" in my book. 85-90 percent tread left in the middle. I guess it's also my fault. You lose the chains when you find out that you can take a turn way faster in a small c-class than in an rx.

Any advice on amount of tightening to do on the nuts?

LILBENZ230

80lb-ft? That number sticks out in my mind but I can't be sure. Need to consult the manual.

laneshift

Oi, how could I? I'll go check the manual. And I'll be hand-tightening everything. Oh joy.

Glyn M Ruck

Regards rotating tyres. The W203 is very sensitive to tyre noise that sounds like a shot wheel bearing. If you have Conti tyres you can forget keeping them quiet - but if not.

Do not run directional tyres. Do not run tyres with big blocks in the tread, Do run tyres like Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 or Pilot Sport 2 with solid radial bands of tread with a few sipes & staggered shoulder blocks to break harmonics.

Rotate opposite corner to corner every 8000 miles max to change the direction of rotation of tyres to stop them from feathering & cupping & creating air pumping noise. You should never be able to run your hand over the tread of the tyre counter rotation & feel any lip feathering on the tread.

As Matt says - keep your castor bushes in good condition.

laneshift

The current tires are directional but they aren't as noisy as my mother's ML? I will remember this the next time I pick up some new shoes. Hopefully along with some 18's, and if I get lucky, some new springs!

Also, is it safe to use the wrench provided with the car under the trunk matt? How do I measure 80lbs/ft?

Excuse my newbiness- thank you.

LILBENZ230

You need a torque wrench to measure the appropriate force.

laneshift

Thank you, but I've read that they lose their precision because of the wear and tear. How long do you think a wrench will last?

LILBENZ230

Errr? Do you have an old one? The car itself loses precision due to wear and tear so I don't think the wrench is a problem.

laneshift

Ah, that's a great point! I will pick one up tomorrow or so. All the hardware stores were closed and Walmart stuff is crap.

Another question. Since I can only put the jack in the front corner or the rear corner of either side of the car, should I rotate wheels in this manner? - Take off front wheel, put spare to support the car, replace jack at the rear corner, remove wheel, replace with front wheel. Then come back and put the jack in the front corner and take off the spare and put on the rear wheel.

Is that the simplest method? I'd hate to call it quits to hand in my car to a shop to rotate tires, but for $6.50, it seems to be worth the time.

LILBENZ230

As Glyn mentioned, you should rotate from LR corner to RF corner to change the direction of the tire and reduce the wear. Maybe I don't understand your question, but it seems that you're saying rotate LR to LF? I'd just let a shop do it, it's not that expensive.

laneshift

That sounds better. I wanted to save a few bucks, but it's pretty cheap. Thanks for the other information, though, I know I'll need it in the future.

Glyn M Ruck

Looking at your sig. Are you sure that those tyres can only rotate in one direction? Do they have a rotation arrow on the sidewall or does it just say Outside on the tyre? If it just says Outside you can cross rotate. Otherwise you are stuck with a back front swap on each side.

Glyn M Ruck

BTW - a good torque wrench will way outlast your car. They can be recalibrated. Just don't drop the thing - That is what usually messes with their calibration.