Can anyone confirm the OEMs are R14? Also what's the stock shank length? 26mm?

Asking because I confirmed with the wheel distributor (usarim) my wheels take an R13 ball seat. I currently have them bolted in with the OEMs. Going to have to order a set of R13s and wonder if a 31mm shank would be too long.

 

Yeah stock might be the wrong seat. MB uses a ball seat. Most aftermarket wheels use a ball seat as well but it's the smaller Audi/VW ball. The MB lugs will bolt up but not seat fully. Do you still have the bolts that came from your previous car?

I'd shoot a message to your wheel vendor and have him sell you a set. He should know the correct ball size and shank length.

 

I'm not really convinced my wheel vendor is very knowledgeable to be honest. They shipped the wheels to me with conical lugs. Just from feel and test fitting them by hand I knew they weren't correct. Instead of having them send me a set of garbage quality lugs I ended up ordering a set from otis inc. but tossed them in the recycling bin last year thinking I wouldn't need them again.....

When I emailed him last night his response was "all our wheels are ball seat." That's it. So I responded, asked him for a second time what the correct radius size and shank length I needed only for him to respond "R13."

I feel like this guy just threw out a number at me without really knowing wtf he's talking about. That said, I didn't bother asking him for the correct shank length for a third time.

 

I ran into the same problem with aftermarket wheels. Tire shop installed the wheels with conical bolts, but in fact, the wheels actually have ball seat. Asked the wheel vendor, they said the wheel take R14 bolts, but R14 bolts only makes contact on the top of the ball seat. Then tried R13 bolts, and only making contact at the bottom of the bolts. I ended up still using R13 since it is making full contact at the bottom of the ball seat.

 

the length of bolt depends of the specific wheel.

 

i can tell you this. the oem lug bolts are r14 ball seat, m14x1.5 thread and 27mm shaft length. in mercedes benz part system its listed as a 30.7mm length for unknown reason. but the official mercedes benz c class lug bolt size for both the w204 and w205 which i have owned both and confirmed this is m14 x 1.5 x 27mm with r14 ball seat. anyone that tells you other wise is misinformed or shootin ****. i have bought all the bolts to compare. you can also test this by using each bolt and seeing where it contact on the wheel and lug. the r14 ball seat is correct for max surface area contact to the wheel.

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread. I'm fitting some spacers in a couple of days (w205 saloon). I've struggled to get bolts of the right length in the UK. I've bought some that will be fine on the rears but will pertrude 3mm deeper than the originals ones on the front (13mm spacers and using 43mm bolts). I have had a front wheel off and can't see/feel anything that they will hit. Will they be OK and I'm worrying about nothing, or could they be an issue? Any advice very welcomed. Thanks