I am considering wheel locks for the benzy because i travel a lot and am often leaving my car in strange hotel lots overnight. I know MB sells some but thought I might reach out to all of you for opinions...

Thanks!

 

I'd say they're worth getting. Better safe than sorry.

 

I was going to get them but the dealer said that there had been reports of wheel balancing problems with them. He also said that the alarm system with Teleaid would give me good enough protection. I've always had them on other cars with nice rims and have never had balancing issues. Has anyone else ever heard of this being a problem?

 

I would not recommend the ones from the Mercedes dealer, they are just McGard locks and the quality is (IMHO) not that great.

I prefer to use the Gorilla brand small diameter lugs. Although they are not as secure as McGard locks, they provide protection from a casual thief. A determined or experienced thief is not going to be thwarted by McGard locks, anyhow.

To address BoSoxFan's concerns, the Gorilla SD lugs replace ALL the lugs that hold the wheel on, so no balancing issues could occur.

-s-

 

They come as standard in the UK and pose no problems whatsoever

 

I have the McGard locks on both my cars and have no problems with them. Since the lugs are recessed on the W211, I think it would be very difficult to remove a McGard lock without the key.

 

I would question whether something only a few grams off the weight of the normal lug, placed so close to the axis of rotation, would present a significant balancing problem, but who knows?

 

I believe the incidence of stealing wheels has diminished greatly in the last 10 years. Nowadays it just outright vandalism, or stealing & chopping/exporting the whole car. I don't personally share your fears of having your wheels stolen as much as losing the whole car, so I don't have the "club", wheel locks or any aftermarket alarm/lojac etc on any of mycars, since I wouldn't want a stolen & stripped car back anyway.

 

Recessed has nothing to do with it... it just takes some ingenuity. Or a 12-point socket hammered on.

-s-

 

talking from experience

 

I travel a lot and while I almost always stay in a nice, place, that is a relative term to the city. IN Houston - Nice is 5 star and has valet parking and I worry more about the damm valets than a thief- but in Midland Texas nice is a older Hotel in downtown and you park in an open lot across the street. Wheels can disappear from either.


What is the best wheel lock made? Why do you contend a particular one is best?

 

I know there are a lot of opinions on this and if you don't mind my sharing, here goes.

Wheel locks are meant to stop the petty thiefs. In fact, most anti-thief devices are meant to stop the small potatos.

Being said, I have placed wheel locks on all my cars with nicer rims. It is just for a piece of mind that I am protected from the small timers.

If someone is really determined to get my car, almost nothing will stop them.

I hope this helps.... GL with your decision.

 

I really want to prevent the small petty theives also. I know if I was going to steal wheels and found a set with wheel locks and without, I would go for the ones without for ease. It sure would suck to come out in the morning without wheels! Could you give me a brand recommendation? Would I be stupid to go to pep boys?

Thanks!

Dan

 

I still believe you are worried about a very unlikely event.

 

I really wouldn't worry about it if the car wasn't always sitting in dark hotel parking lots (especially the ones near Philly). Plus, you have to assume that at least some of these "hardly used" Mercedes rims on Ebay are hot. I agree that it is not that likely (after all my very attractive sports package BMW rims were never stolen in the same areas) but for $100.00 or so it is probably worth the investment in my opinion...

 

Look at it this way...They are covered by insurance (with no rate increase since it is not an accident & the car is parked & locked) and you get all new rubber!