Ok so I am hoping I am not the only one with this problem and that someone here knows a fix. I have a 2004 C230 sport with aftermarket Zinetti rims using the aftermarket chrome cone seat wheel bolts. I am constantly finding one or two wheel bolts breaking off when I go to take my rims off. It is starting to happen about once a month now.....how can I fix this problem?

Is there better wheel bolts I can buy, made of a better grade steel? Any brand suggestions? Does ARP make bolts for our application?

I also understand that the fix may be made by ARP in the form of a kit to convert to extended studs which then allow you to use open ended wheel nuts like required on race cars....does anyone know if there is truth to this?

I will be forever grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction to fix this problem...since when it happens I can tell because at about 80 my tires act out of balance...I'm afraid one day I'm going to find one of my rims rolling down the highway past me.

Thank you in advance.

 

Oh and to eliminate some diagnosing, I am not over torquing the bolts and they are not cross threading or seizing up on me. I know this because sometimes I will go to check wheel bolts and I get them out in one piece but I can see stress fractures halfway through the bolt.

This stress fracture seems to be appearing right where the bolt seats at the hub.

And some other info it used to only happen on the passenger side and one would snap every 3 months...now it is happening on both sides and as I stated one or two per side per month.

I am so so hoping someone has had this problem and fixed it permanently.

I do NOT have my stock rims anymore so puting them back on is not an option.

 

sounds like your wheels are not hub centric and all the load is transferred to your bolts.

BTW Chrome bolts are much more brittle than steel bolts because of the process they go through

 

My rims are hubcentric

The chrome bolts were one cause I thought could be possible, because you are correct the process of preparing the metal for the chrome dipping weakens the bolt.


I really don't care if the bolts are chrome, does anyone know where I can buy regular black GRADE 8 bolts in that style?

I live in Southwest Florida, Naples to be exact, anyone know of a good fastener manufacturer that can just make me a set of 10 of these in GRADE 8 steel?

 

pm me your # i drive for D T Preformance & wheels, we have all lenghts ,chrome or not ,I am in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

I would suggest RAD industries.

http://www.radgmbh.com/eng_start.html

 

Search for stud conversion, it gets talked about often here.

 

My RAD bolt snapped while taking off my tires for the summer changeover (the MB bolts did not) and it cost me about $600 in repairs. New hub, bearings (can't reuse the old ones) and labour. They could not get out the other half of the RAD

Never again

 

Was this the first time you ever tried removing the wheels? Did you use anti-sieze lubricant when installing lug nuts?

I'm not trying to call you out, just curious if the failure could have been caused by something other than failure of the part due to the part alone.

 

Thank you all for the help and start in places to look, any more suggestions are welcomed, again thank you very much for the help.

 

I change the wheels twice a year (summer>winter tire; winter tire>summer tire) it was the third time when taking the wheels off to do brake work and install sway bars that the MB bolts came off albeit tight and the rad snapped.

Generally it is a rule not to use anti seize on lug bolts/nuts...or so I have been told. Maybe Glyn or Johnand can ring in on this

 

No, you're not supposed to use anti-seize.

I'm amazed that the RAD bolts snapped, honestly. Must have been defects; haven't heard of anyone else's RAD set being an issue.

 

Hence stud conversion, right Tommy I dont know how many times I take my wheels off in a week let alone a year haha. I just took my off yesterday morning because I heard a knocking noise when braking and found out it was the lower bolt on the caliper being a little loose. Had to torque it back down. Plus you dont have to hassle with having to try and line up bolt holes to put the lug bolts in. I bought some 10.9 grade bolts from a site www.ezaccessory.com before.

 

Damn straight!

I don't take mine off as much as you (I can actually make a decision on how high I want my car, and stick to it ), but things are so much easier when I do. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

I ended up ordering both, a set of 10 Wheel Bolts in GRADE 10.9 (BTW is my research right that GRADE 10.9 is just the european version of a GRADE 8 bolt?)

and I am also ordering a stud conversion kit from 034 Motorsports in Fremont, California.

If the RAD Bolts don't fail I will just keep the stud conversion kit and inlcude it with the car if I ever decide to get rid of it.

Truth is the C230 has been so much fun I have kept it even though I have owned 3 different big bodies since buying this car. Never thought for $30k this car would be this much fun!!!

As for the ease of lining my rims up....I just use the alignment tool my car came with, I never have an issue lining up bolt holes.

 

Thanks again for the help everyone.....oh also long term I am just going to invest in a higher quaility set of rims. I think I just learned my lesson paying less than $4k for a set of rims.

 

I paid less than 4k for my CCWs. It all depends on if the company you're buying the wheels from make their own or get it from a different company that makes them. now I've seen expensive wheels break and cheap ones break. I think it all depends if the wheels are hubcentric or not. I see a lot of top road course drivers use Rotas without problems even though a lot of people say they'll break of fall apart.

 

My rims use a separate ring.....there is no play when I check the hub or rim....but could I have bad rings? Should I also contact the manufacturer for a newer set of rings?

I never thought this could be a problem because I check for play and if there is any play we are talking thousandths of an inch....

As for Rotas, I have used them several times going all the way back to 2002 when I was into the import scene....alot of people bag those rims but I have always found them to be good quality, nice design and in some cases a very light rim. Always gave them a two thumbs up review.

 

BTW for anyone curious, here is the C230 you are all helping with.

I know she is basic, but I'm a simple less is more guy....I even opted to trade out my AMG kit for the "Executive" kit I believe was it's name. Don't get me wrong the AMG kit is nice...but this kit had a subtle tone I liked more at the time.

 

so you have hub ring adapters to make the wheels fit our hub size right? it might be the issue but it sounds like bolts are cheaply made. Now when you install the lugs are you torqueing it down with a torque wrench to 80lbs or are you using a impact to remove and install the bolts. its ok to remove them with the impact and you can impact them down just a bit but you'll want to torque it to spec with a hand torque wrench to the proper torque.

 

Yes I have the rings to match my rim to my hub size correct. But when the rim is off and I put the ring on the hub and try to "shimmy" the ring...I can't feel any play between hub and ring, and as for the ring to the rim it takes a good push to get the rings into the rims so clearly no play there.

Always remove by hand, and install by hand....I don't even like using impact to remove. And I do use a torque wrench to 80ft/lbs yes.

For now I have ordered stronger bolts, should be here in 3 days I will post back in a week or so and give an update.

Also just because it couldn't hurt I emailed Zinetti and explained my problem and asked for new rings.

 

Boy, you're a marketing department's wet dream.
I have no clue how you assume that (well, especially combined with your comments about Rotas, too).

I would say that large, heavy rims that don't mate up to the hubs as MB intended are just asking for trouble in general, honestly, no matter how tight they might feel.

But I would be very surprised if the new bolts don't fix your problem completely.

I've heard both sides of the Rota debate. Having just gotten rid of a set of real SSR Type X's (hated seeing them go, but they were out of round after 8 years with no chance of being fixed), I find the Rota copies to be repulsive, but I understand people getting the Rota knockoffs to an extent. I wouldn't do it myself, but some of these kids don't appreciate honoring the original the way that I do.

 

more a matter of preference, I rarely find sets of rims I personally like that are under $4k, but yeah I have always had expensive taste....but at the same time I make a good living and can afford what I want so I guess it works out for me and the marketing side of the house too.

Not to say there aren't good rims out there sub $2k

And I miss SSR!!!! They made a few really awesome set of rims, Type X's were one. Memories.....

 

They're still making rims - there are some nice 3-piece professors out now.

Can't figure out why they don't make the X's anymore, though.

 

i've only own one set of rotas from there I had a two sets of Volks GT7 and GTP, one set of Work Wheels VS-XX, a set of Advan RS (my favorite wheel of all time, dunno why), set of Eneki GTV, and my CCWs. Plan on getting either some Rotiforms or JLine for the S4 or some BBS. I'm a wheel ***** haha