RLE

Before I mounted my new winter tires and wheels on my C300 the other day, I looked in the (very modest) toolkit for the threaded rod to screw into a bolt hole to locate the wheel on the hub. It's always shipped inside one of the cotton gloves. But, it was not there, apparently another piece of equipment missing in the stripped down W204. My W203 and most past MBs had this little tool and I knew I had to have one.

So I installed the wheels sitting on a folding chair in the garage which made it easier, but I can imagine a wheel change in the rain at night would be a real as-they-say challenge. A rear 18" wheel and tire weighs 54 pounds, unbelievably. A wheel/tire combination from my W203 C320 weighs 38 pounds, for comparison.

So I stopped by my dealer today and bought the threaded rod, called a "tool" for some reason.

I would strongly advise that anybody with a W204, regardless of wheel size, should buy one of these because the first time you mount a wheel, you will need it.

The part number is A 126 403 00 74 and the price was $6.50. See the photo below.

chilledbenz

They took that out of a lot of the models for 08, I was looking at in ML in the show room and it too was missing it. I found it quite handy myself, that is if you change or rotate your own tires.

earlybird

Thanks for posting this information. When I installed my winter tires, it was a real pain trying to line up the holes for the wheel bolts. I definitely was not looking forward to struggling with the heavy rear summer tires in the next few months, but the "tool" should make the switch over a lot faster and easier.

peabers

Thanks, RLE.

I wonder why MB uses bolts instead of nuts, which would then render the $6.50 "tool" obsolete.

mosquad

THANKS FOR THE INFO!!

MBTex

+1. That is one of those things you probably wouldn't realize until it is too late.

RLE

<<I wonder why MB uses bolts instead of nuts, which would then render the $6.50 "tool" obsolete>>

Saves them money.

Savage c-300

thanks for the heads up, I wouldnt even think about having that tool!

jrct9454

I posted this piece of information back in August, but obviously it is still news to some.

My dealer's parts guy was taken aback by the fact that this was no longer part of the tools in the trunk, and in fact gave me the "wheel hanger" [which is what I call it] for free.

This is also how I became aware that the W204 has a different thread diameter than the W203 - we almost ordered the wrong one, but the parts tech caught it.

I have no idea what they're saving at the factory level by leaving this out, but it can't be more than a buck....I suppose the argument is that nobody is supposed to change their own tires these days, but I do all of my own tire rotations, so it was completely out of the question to do without it.

For perspective, this has been part of the tool kit of every Mercedes we've ever owned - going back nearly 40 years.

MBTex

<<<I posted this piece of information back in August, but obviously it is still news to some.>>>

I believe most, myself included, may have made a mental note of it in August when you posted, but forgot about it between then and when our cars arrived. Now that more members actually have their cars it is good to be reminded.

RLE

<<I posted this piece of information back in August, but obviously it is still news to some. My dealer's parts guy was taken aback by the fact that this was no longer part of the tools in the trunk, and in fact gave me the "wheel hanger" [which is what I call it] for free. This is also how I became aware that the W204 has a different thread diameter than the W203 - we almost ordered the wrong one, but the parts tech caught it.>>

You are absolutely right (i just tried it) which means the part number I previously posted is the wrong one.

My dealer's parts man thought they were universal so that's clearly not so.

Can you supply the correct part number for all of us that did not see your previous post? We still need them.

430752

couldn't figure out why I needed that until I read they use bolts instead of nuts. Is this a MB thing or a German thing? Nutty, if you ask me.

So, now I see why trying to mount a tire roadside at night (or any other time for that matter) would be difficult withut this.

THe problem is that by itself it ain't worth a trip to the parts counter, so will I remember the next time I'm there on other business?

kfm999

I have not tried this but how good is MB's roadside service? how long does it take for them to rescue me in case of a tire problem?

earlybird

I also ordered the tool assuming that the part number number quoted in this thread was correct. Today, I picked up the part, and tried it on my wheel, but it is too small. The wheel bolts on the W204 are 14 mm. Tomorrow, I will try to see if I can get the correct part from the dealer.

mac911

It seems like there is potentially a lot of fees with the MB roadside service though, isn't there? I read the flyer on it, and it seemed like just about everything was a fee. I think I'll stick to some of the complimentary services of auto club.

chilledbenz

Depends on where you are and what service you need. If your out of gas or need a tire changed I'm guessing it depends on how far away you are from the nearest Mercedes Benz dealer. If its something major that requires towing, they just use a contractor in the local area your at to flat bed you to the nearest dealer.

earlybird

I just picked up the correct "wheel hanger" tool for the W204 from a MB dealer in Toronto. The part costs C$ 11.32 plus taxes.

The part number is: A 140 403 00 74.

RLE

<<I just picked up the correct "wheel hanger" tool for the W204 from a MB dealer in Toronto. The part costs C$ 11.32 plus taxes.

The part number is: A 140 403 00 74>>

I just got off the phone with my dealer's parts counter and they say the number has been superceded by 204-581-00-74 and he has ordered one for me. When it comes in next week and I have done a fit check I will report success or failure.

earlybird

As soon as I got home, I took a wheel bolt off my car and tried the tool to ensure that I bought the correct part. It worked perfectly. The number on the plastic packaging states: A 140 403 00 74 - "Made in Germany".

I hope your dealer has ordered the correct part for you.

jrct9454

Yeah, obviously I lucked out because the parts man at MB of Portland [OR] had it right, from the beginning.

Since he, in effect, gave it to me for free, I paid no attention to the part number - I don't think I have an invoice. Now, it's been posted above.

And yes, the bolt diameter for the old C was 12mm, but for the new C is 14mm - same as some of the others in the line. Thus, the W140 [S-class] part number. The Portland parts guy mentioned that it was the same tool as used in the S....whether the one he gave me was a 140 or a 204 part, of course, makes no difference. Same piece.

Another small thing - the recommended wheel bolt torque is much higher now - on the W203, it was something like 76 lb-ft....for our cars, it's 96 lb-ft.

Again, this is important to me because I do my own tire rotations, on a much more frequent schedule [2500-3000 miles].

jstaneff

I ordered my "wheel hanger" today from Phil Smart MB in Seattle. Before the parts guy would sell it to me, he and a mechanic grabbed a couple of different diameters and tried them on the car. He ordered the one that fit. And with the admonishment: don't tighten the rear too far since it could scrape the brakes, causing an unncessary sratch on the braking surface.

Very friendly and helpful.

Yes, the part number I brought in, from this tread, was the correct one. It is listed for most of the 2008 cars, but not for the C-Class in his microfilm. Probably because it's not included in the toolkit.

thanks

rebel_mtc

Is this the one? I wonder why it's threaded on the other end.

am2121

Thanks for the info on the wheel hanger tool. It was a pain changing my 18" summer wheels to my winter wheels and this tool will certainly make the change back to summer wheels easier. Thanks for the info calling my dealer today.

RLE

<<Is this the one? I wonder why it's threaded on the other end.>>

It isn't threaded, it's knurled on the end you grasp with your fingers. And, that is the tool with that part number that I also picked up today at Smart MB in Seattle. $6.31 with my MB Club discount.

jstaneff

Having received the tool and noticed how the one end is designed for fingers to grip and twist, it occured to me that this might be difficult to do on a cold wintry night (yeah, call the auto club!).

So, I added yet another tool to the growing collection that this car has in it's trunk: a small vise-grip plier. This can lock on and provide a leverage when needed to remove that tire hanger.

Tools: tire gauge, tire hanger, vise grip, torque wrench, breaker bar, 17mm socket, short extender, canvas roll-up to house it all, and a nice shop cloth.

Anything missing?