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#1
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What's with German cars and lug bolts?
Hopefully some of you guys from across the pond can help me with this conundrum.
Okay, Germany makes nice cars. Beemer, Mercedes, etc... Why do they persist with their stupid lug bolts? I work in a high end tire shop, so we get a lot of fancy cars coming in for their tires. This has given me a humungous dislike of German cars simply because it's so damn difficult to get wheels on and off. For anyone who sees me saying "lug bolt" and is confused, lug bolt: Instead of lug nuts with studs in the wheel hubs, the hubs only have threaded holes and the lug bolts screw into them. It makes it damn difficult to line up a wheel when you put it on. You have to get the wheel lined up with the hub, then hold it with one hand (difficult with the heavy wheels and tires of a Mercedes SUV), and start screwing in a bolt to hold it. Why do they not put the things that the wheel lines up with on the car?
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Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#2
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AAAArrrrrrghh!!!!!
So you are telling me that the Merc in the family will be a pain in the ass also.
We also have a BMW 540 and understand what you are saying. Was going to get a second set of wheels for the Merc to setup for winter. All I need is another set to store and frustration to install. Dave |
#3
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Quote:
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Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#4
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That lug bolt thing is one of the stupidest ideas ever. Makes just swapping rims even a big pain in the side.
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-Jason (8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95 Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod, svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar, silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear (1977-Present) 1977 Chevrolet Corvette (81k) Silver (12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k) I have a bad feeling about this. -Obi Wan Kenobi |
#5
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Although, Dave you might be in luck. There is a tool that makes the whole thing easier. It's a small threaded rob that fits into the holes in the hub. You can use this to keep the wheel from falling off the car when removing it, and to center the wheel when putting it back on.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...VWAUDI_pg1.htm In my experience, it's fairly common for Mercedes to include one of these in the roadside spare kit. If you have one, it'll make life so very much easier. If not, try swinging by the dealer and asking for one.
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Chris 92 Ebony Mica LS-L "A Rolling Restoration": 223,250 KM - Sleeping 2007 STi 6MT, Stance GR+ coilovers, PWR Rad, JDM hood badge, svxfiles 6000K HIDs, JDM Clear Corners, $15/15 min mod, $20/20 min mod, Energy Swaybar Bushings, Hella Supertones horns, Gold STi BBS rims, Group A lightweight crank pulley, A/C system removed, Custom header-back exhaust, Hybrid carbon/metal rear sway bar, restored headlights with CCFL halos 2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B - Diamond Grey Metallic - Sold 2020 Ram 1500 Longhorn - Red Pearl |
#6
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I've never had a probelm with the lug bolts I guess to me it's just second nature. Snap on makes a tool that is basically a threaded pin you screw in in one of the lug holes and slide the rim on it and all of your holes are lined up..
I've never used it. But snap on dealer tryed to sell it to me. Mercedes used lug bolt because they are stronger than a stud & lug. The only thing I hate about those damn things is when a tire shop hammers them on with an impact and stretches the bolt so much. that when I get it in I can't get the lug out. and end up break the head of the bolt. and have to drill it out. Pain it the A$$. what is so hard about use a torque wrench. |
#7
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you can get around that lugbolt pretty easy !! just buy a set of the smallest spacers you can get !!!!! but mind you over here spacers are 300 a set and the nuts just under a 100 so you have to decide.... bit of extra effort or bit less weight in the wallet lol
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#8
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they do the same thing on AG tractors too...talk about heavy and a PIA to get it to line up
I feel your pain (in my back)
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Matt 15 OBW premium w/eyesight A picture of an SVX in the garage |
#9
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I have a porsche, but they did not do the lugbolt thing luckily.
However, either porsche is an idiot or the idiot that owned the car before me put plastic lug nuts on it and I broke one the first time I took off a wheel.
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1992 Subaru SVX 5spd 1998 Pontiac Firebird Formula 1999 Chevrolet Camaro SS 2009 Subaru Forester - Mileage Junky 2009 Pontiac G8 GT 2017 Ford Mustang GT 6spd |
#10
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my 928 had alloy lugnuts that weighed almost nothing in your hand. very strange but cool. nothing but a torque wrench got near them - if i remember right, the torque spec wasn't very much.
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Alan 1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD! 1997 SVX LSi (Ebony) SOLD! 2005 Legacy GT (Silver) [Cobb Stg 2+] SOLD! 1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD! 2005 Forester XT Premium (Crystal Gray Metallic) SOLD! 2008 Lancer Evolution X MR (Apex Silver) [Cobb Stg 1+] 2015 Outlander Sport 2.4GT AWD (Mercury Gray) 2013 G37xS (Obsidian Black) |
#11
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Porsche's are fairly easy to work on. They aren't 1988 Subaru GL easy, but much easier then most near exotics.
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#12
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They are Definately the "cheapest" thing on the car I have found so far. And I dont see why they would use something so light to hold the wheels on.
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1992 Subaru SVX 5spd 1998 Pontiac Firebird Formula 1999 Chevrolet Camaro SS 2009 Subaru Forester - Mileage Junky 2009 Pontiac G8 GT 2017 Ford Mustang GT 6spd |
#13
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The lighter the wheels, the less inertia. That's why those stupid 20" chome wheels make a car handle like a truck.
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#14
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It isn't strange untill you take the wheels off a Vanagon
Front bolts Rear studs
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.Karl. Southwest members, click here to check in!CA,NV,AZ,UT,NM,OR,CO Wanted...your busted SVX! Watch out Earl, I'm comin to getchya Return of the Pissed Platypus! X2 My dream (other than a pearlie) 1.8 SVXi and a laguna blue spoiler...somewhere I decided to quit drinking, but I didn't like it so I quit not drinking. |
#15
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uh.....they aren't "cheap". they reduce unsprung weight, and they hold the wheels on just fine. they just aren't meant to be torn off with an air gun. i think they were only spec'd to 75-80 ft-lbs.
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Alan 1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD! 1997 SVX LSi (Ebony) SOLD! 2005 Legacy GT (Silver) [Cobb Stg 2+] SOLD! 1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD! 2005 Forester XT Premium (Crystal Gray Metallic) SOLD! 2008 Lancer Evolution X MR (Apex Silver) [Cobb Stg 1+] 2015 Outlander Sport 2.4GT AWD (Mercury Gray) 2013 G37xS (Obsidian Black) |
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