holeeshht

need some advice guys.

I got a flat this morning and the screw was 5 inches long. punctured my rim.
What's your recommendation on what I should do? here are some of my options:

Re-weld the hole - Will this lead me to future problems such as un balanced and safety? :

OR

Purchase one new rim through my dealership - Not sure how much it costs. For sure it will be a pretty penny.

OR

A whole new set of some aftermarkets.

Thoughts?

MDMercedesGuy

One thing is for sure - do not try to weld the rim. If you could even find a place to do it I would be suspect - a shop that would take on that liability would make me wonder (coming from the child of a machine/fabrication shop owner who dealt with people wanting wheels repaired frequently).

Sportstick

1) I don't know what experts you can find, but trusting someone to weld a patch in aluminum alloy to the degree it holds air pressure would be beyond my confidence. Even perfect, undamaged alloy wheels can lose pressure due to osmosis through the porous aluminum.

2) One new rim at a MB dealer is expensive but would put you back in the same condition as before.

3) Four good aftermarket rims can be found for about the price of one new OE rim. http://www.powerwheelspro.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23

I would do either 2 or 3 based on preference. Of course, knowing the streets of NYC, whatever you buy will likely get damaged again, so alt 3 might make more long-term sense.

chewychiu

Not sure what your financial situation is right now but I opt for a new set of wheels.

Ben'sBenz

Try searching for one from a salvage yard that matches the rims you already have. I found factory rear door glass for my C300 that way. It would probably be much cheaper than buying a new one from a dealer.

snowmuch

My amg 18 inch was damaged by a nail too. There was a crack on the rim, a rim repair shop repair it for $100... Didn't know it was an bad idea...

MBSebas87

Sportstick....how reliable is that site you provided?

Sportstick

I bought two sets of wheels from them...great customer service both times, and all the wheels showed up in excellent shape, well manufactured...balanced with little weight, and a couple of years later are still very pleasing!

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...g-17-reps.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...50-wheels.html

MBSebas87

nice wheels sportstick!! and thanks!

E2233

On my E320 I had a bent rim about three years ago. Tire shop ordered a rim from one of there locations out of state. The rim was not in good condition.

I located a junk yard about twenty miles from the city the yard had about five rims we selected the best one.

It is better to visit a yard than have an item mailed to you.

Check out theses site for parts. The first site list all used MB parts sellers by state. The site also let you search by year and model for any parts. The information is sent out to all dealer that may have the parts. I received about dozen replies from all over the country on a wheel for my 2000 E320.

http://www.junkyarddog.com/usedmercedesbenzparts.htm
http://www.online-mercedes.com/
http://www.uneedapart.com/used-mercedes-benz-parts.php

I hit a pot hole with my front passenger side tire in my E550 exiting the freeway about two years ago replaced both front tires. About six months I had a slow leak in the front passenger side wheel. The tire shop said I had a fractured rim. I did the research on a new rim and replacing all the wheels.

I checked different websites about having the wheel repaired. There were posting about about individuals repair the rim in front of your house.

I located two repair shops near my city. I was able to repair it at a wheel franchise location. The franchise repairs and sell rims. http://www.awrswheelrepair.com/locator.html there are locations in many states. I think it cost about $150.00 and it took about four hours. The shop also sold used rims. I have not had any problems with the wheel and I have not lost any air from the wheel. I checked all my tires at least one a month to make sure that I maintain the correct pressure.

kevink2

Great post and worth reposting.

For starters, I found new take-offs for the 08 C300 at $35 ea (~shipping cost), so I bought 2 for spares. With the 2012 wheels (what size are on there?) being different than earlier wheels, a new wave of take-offs could be avaiable from dealers, tirerack, etc. The concept is some people with lots of $$ just want to drive away with their new W204 with the wheels they want. Or a place like Tirerack would sell the old wheels they removed for a local customer as "take-offs". They don't advertise these, and you must call and ask about them.

Junk yards are a legitimate option. You can drive there, or if none are near, you call one that is part of a network, where anyone in that network that has the part will ship it to you. Ask for pictures. A third variation, to some extent, is Ebay. Easy but the most expensive bone yard aproach.

Weld repair, depending on damage and the type of aluminum, has been done by one repair shop that I have known and delt with for decades, in Bath, Pa:

http://www.wheelcollision.com/

They were the place that all the local shops called for a truck to come down and pick up wrecked wheels for repair.


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