Wheel fell off

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Rick - 17 Mar 2007 20:56 GMT

1984 500SEL. I was driving at night, and I noticed my passengers side
rear wheel was making a bumping noise. I pulled over, thinking maybe
it blew out, but it was fine, so I kept driving. It got worse, so I
pulled overr again, and I noticed that I had no lug bolts at all. I
jacked it up, took 2 nuts from the front wheel, and tired to tighten
them, and they wouldnt tighten. The threads on the bolts and the hub
were stripped. What do I have to do to replace the wheel hub. I see
the wheel flanges online, is that what I need to get and install, or
is it a more extensive repair. Please help.

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RobP - 18 Mar 2007 01:21 GMT

Replacing the axel flange is not very easy. The nut holding the flange
is on the inside and the axel shaft has to be removed. You may buy a
used flange if the treads are good.
An other option is to have a qualified shop put new treads in
(helicoils, http://www.helicoil.com/ ), these are inserts that are
supposed to be stronger than the original treads. Putting them in as
rather easy, but if you have no experience is may be best to leave it to
a specialist. I have never repaired all treads on a wheel, so I would
seek advice first. You don't want your wheel to fall of (again).
If they are suited for this repair it would be a cheap and easy fix.

Rob

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Gordon Hudson - 18 Mar 2007 16:56 GMT

> Replacing the axel flange is not very easy. The nut holding the flange is
> on the inside and the axel shaft has to be removed. You may buy a used
> flange if the treads are good.
> An other option is to have a qualified shop put new treads in (helicoils,
> http://www.helicoil.com/ ), these are inserts that are supposed to be
> stronger than the original treads.

I would be very wary of this. I had a bad experience after this was done to
a stripped stud hole on an exhaust manifold.
In the end I had to rethread it to a larger size.
This is not a realistic option on a wheel flange so I would replace the
whole thing.
Its a major safety issue after all.

A lot of these problems are caused by garages over tightening the bolts with
air powered tools with no torque control set on them.
A friend of mine had a back wheel come off and overtake him in a tunnel
because of damage done when a wheel was changed.
I also saw a wheel come off a acar once and bounce right through the front
window of a house.
Also a local bus here lost a wheel last month which hit a house and just
missed injuring a passer by.

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RobP - 18 Mar 2007 22:28 GMT

In the past I used Helicoils on my racing catamaran (Tornado), they were
very good. Also used them for repairing worn plug treads, worked great to.
If the old tread is drilled out to the exact diameter required and
rethreaded with the special tool the inserts are indestructible. I have
no experience with wheel bolds. One of my rear wheel treads was worn, I
drilled it out and threaded it for 14mm bold used in a newer Mercedes
(shorter and about the same weight).

Rob

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Tiger - 18 Mar 2007 03:58 GMT

Let the shop do it for you. They will replace the rear bearing at the same
time and that solve your problem... because eventually your right rear
bearing will start to clunks

Not an easy job for diy.

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Rick - 19 Mar 2007 00:11 GMT

If I have the Heli-Coils done, what size would I need to get? I think
the bolt is a 1/2 inch, but Im not sure. Your assistance is greatly
appreciated

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Chas Hurst - 19 Mar 2007 01:19 GMT

> If I have the Heli-Coils done, what size would I need to get? I think
> the bolt is a 1/2 inch, but Im not sure. Your assistance is greatly
> appreciated

Mercedes wheel bolt will be metric, not inch. In your case, I recommend
replacing the damaged hub.

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Rick - 19 Mar 2007 01:26 GMT

Yeah, Im prolly going to end up doing that. A new one is like $359!
But I guess thats what it costs i guess.

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Stupendous Man - 19 Mar 2007 01:27 GMT

> If I have the Heli-Coils done, what size would I need to get? I think

It should be 14 x 1, same as a spark plug. I would replace the hub with a
used unit rather than use a thread repair, but if thread repair is what you
will do, at least use a solid repair like a Time-sert
http://www.timesert.com/ or KD insert.

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Stupendous Man,
Defender of Freedom, Advocate of Liberty

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Chas Hurst - 19 Mar 2007 01:36 GMT

>> If I have the Heli-Coils done, what size would I need to get? I think
>
> It should be 14 x 1, same as a spark plug. I would replace the hub with a
> used unit rather than use a thread repair, but if thread repair is what
> you will do, at least use a solid repair like a Time-sert
> http://www.timesert.com/ or KD insert.

Neither a spark plug nor the wheel bolt is 14x1. But I do agree with
replacing the hub.

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RobP - 19 Mar 2007 02:03 GMT

>>If I have the Heli-Coils done, what size would I need to get? I think
>
> It should be 14 x 1, same as a spark plug. I would replace the hub with a
> used unit rather than use a thread repair, but if thread repair is what you
> will do, at least use a solid repair like a Time-sert
> http://www.timesert.com/ or KD insert.

They are 12mm not 14mm like in the newer models. They also have a rather
coarse tread (x 1,5).
Timse-serts are not necessary better than Helicoils, Helicoils have a
better grip on the outside and are very strong. Both require some skill
to apply properly.
Some people call Helicoils “rubbish” ,this has more to do with their
(lack of) technical knowledge than the product. Boeing uses a lot of
Helicoils in their aircrafts, I trust them to have tested their safety.

I would not buy a new hub. If you can find a good used hub and are able
to replace it, that would be te best option.

Rob

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frank133 - 28 Mar 2007 06:25 GMT

hi what i would do go to a breakers take the wheel off then centre nut
pull the hub off put it on yours job done helicoil would work,would
cost more ,more off road time replace the bearings at the same time if
you want cheers frank

> 1984 500SEL. I was driving at night, and I noticed my
> passengers side
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> install, or
> is it a more extensive repair. Please help.

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weelliott@gmail.com - 28 Mar 2007 15:07 GMT

As far as the quality of helicoils, and their suitability, I think
that hey are fine if installed properly. you need to have enough
material there for it to dig into, and you need to drill it out with
the proper size bit. If you do these correctly, you will be fine. I
worked with an engineer that had worked for Boeing, and I don't know
if this is where he got it from, but he was a big proponent for using
them wherever you had a bolt threading into a soft material like
aluminum if it were ever to be dissassembled and reassembled.

Since torquing down a bolt puts stress on the threads, and there is
friction there, you can wind up wearing soft threads. Repeatedly
loosening and tightening a fastener can eventually kill the soft
threads. So he would design it to either use a stud, which isn't
torqued in, it is only screwed in with no force, then put under
tension, or he would use a helicoil. The helicoil(if installed
properly) would not spin, and would take all the wear, which would be
minimal since it is much closer to the hardness of the bolt, and I
think they may even be harder than most bolts.

Prior to his shpeil on helicoils I also thought that they were the
equvalent of duct tape. But I think they do have their place.

Bill

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