Wheel bolts

220629

Well-known member
That is why just the pictures don't quite work for me. Currently, I have aftermarkets with a steel spare. I have appropriate lugs for this setup. But I picked up some alloys and would like to know if the aftermarket lugs would work or not with the factory wheels.
Can you dry set the bolts that you have into the different wheels and get an idea? Viewing the bolts set into place from both sides should give a reasonable view of the fit. I can't say for certain, but there are likely a few standard options.

Maybe cut some cardboard as templates to compare the tapers?

:2cents: vic
 
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derekhski

Member
Here are a few photos for all, and a rough estimated measurements, as I was using a Tailors tape for measuring and not a Caliper. These are from my T1N when I removed the 15" Mercedes Alloy's.

It's my understanding that the bolts are considered "acorn" or "mushroom" where they fit the Mercedes / Ronal rims. That bolt is 72 mm overall length and 51-52mm to the curved surface that sets in the rim. The mushroom section is 7-8mm. All measurements are plus or minus 1-2mm (maybe more)

see pictures. hope this information is helpful
 

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irvingj

2015 RT SS Agile (3.0L)
Great discussion! I had noticed in my owner's manual that there was a difference in torque specified for steel vs. alloy wheels, but didn't realize the difference in length. Good to know!

On my 2015 RT SS Agile, all wheels, including the continental spare, are alloy so I guess I don't need to worry too much.

Here's a pic of one of the bolts from the spare (RV is now in winter storage)-- looks pretty much like derekhski's, about 52mm:
 

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MercedesGenIn

Mercedes-Benz Resource
While I understand the issue, what I can't understand is this is not a problem isolated to Sprinter models. MB just needed to have a common 'thread' length and longer/shorter unthreaded portion. This way the longer bolt would butt up to the drum/axle before it projected too far into the assembly (as it would simply come to the end of the threaded portion) the wheel bolt would be so obviously 'too long' and subsequently the wheel so ill fitting that it would signal incorrect bolt use.

But I suppose the majority of the driving/wheel changing public would not be savvy enough to realise this and carry on with their journey with a wheel wobbling like crazy.. Damage before safety - an odd outlook for the thinking man.

All the best
S
 
Is it safe to assume that this discussion is for the "2500" owners? Our "3500" has lug nuts not lug bolts and as far as I know there are no factory alloys available. The aftermarket Alcoa wheels are thicker but that is a different discussion.
Our old '85 VW Westfalia had bolts on the front and nuts on the back and to make it more interesting I had a set of 15" Audi alloy wheels and a steel spare. I carried a spare set of nuts and bolts to use if I ever needed the spare.
 

1109

New member
I always put a warning " BOLTS IN WITH JACK FOR SPARE WHEEL "note in a plastic zip lock and use a zip tie to attach to the bolt pattern on the spare tire.
Just in case someone changing the wheel on the side of the road isn't familiar with this situation.

Happy motoring!!!
Mike
 

life8dance

New member
Guys
Please don't let this happen to you!
This exact thing just happened to me last week :thumbdown: and I really wished I've known about this. When my 2006 T1N had a tread separation on a freeway, a roadside assistant came to help put on the spare. He drove all 5 lug bolts flush into the hub. Afterward the van would not move, as if the parking break was on.

I called the roadside assistance again to arranged for a flat bed tow truck. A nearby Dodge dealer do not fix Sprinter, so had to tow it to another shop. The mechanic said the right rear axle shaft have to be replaced, along with axle repair kit with bearing, parking brake shoe set with springs and hardware, brake disk rotors, brake pad set and brake pad sensor, and dust shield.

The estimate for the entire repair is $2500! :cry: Does that sound right?
 

rrm

New member
This is good to know, I'm heading to the MB dealer in Phx next week anyway, I assume they have an inner wheel bolt set in their parts catalogue. It will go right into my tool kit!
 

rrm

New member
Thinking more about this, my inner's are steel wheels, as are many of the "aluminum wheel" option Sprinters. So I would already have steel wheel bolts on the inside. But if I had to put the steel spare on the front, which obviously has an alloy wheel on it, I would need the steel wheel bolts. So one way or the other, if you have any alloy wheels you need a spare set of steel bolts.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
rrm,
You do NOT have this issue!
Your Sprinter is a 519/3500 series with the full floating rear axle (the axle just drives the rear wheel which has it's own bearing pressed and locked
onto the axle housing) so you have lug studs, which are pressed into the rear hubs which rotate on the rear hub bearings, not the rear axles.
You have dual rear wheels, but the studs pressed into the hub are long enough to accommodate both steel wheel or a pair of Alcoa Forged Aluminum wheels (so says Alcoa
since they changed their guidance on this a few years ago).
Your front wheels are mounted on the hub bearings and the hubs have the same studs pressed in as the rear hubs.
Only difference is how you install the off set on the wheels.
Fronts: offset goes in toward the center of the Sprinter.
Rear Inners: offset goes in toward the center of the Sprinter, same as the fronts.
Rear Outers: offset goes out so there is a separation between the inner wheels/tires and the outer wheels/tires.

319/2500 series Sprinters, like the one in life8dance's photo, with single rear wheels and much less load carrying capacity, DO NOT have the full floating axles but rather have bearings pressed right on the axles, which are then pushed/pressed into bores on the ends of the axle housing and retained by a bolted on cover/retainer.
This 319/2500 configuration DOES NOT incorporate dual rear wheels, and it becomes very important to have both types/lengths of lug bolts if you have
alloy or aftermarket wheels.
The short lug bolts are for the OEM steel wheels.....the longer lug bolts are for the OEM Alloy wheels. If you have aftermarket wheels, it's up
to the shop that fits them to get the correct length lug bolts, and provide you with the short ones so you can replace a blown/flat tire on the side of the
road.
Hope this helps,
Roger
 
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rrm

New member
Double thanks Roger, just saved me the $$ for a set of bolts, now I can blow it on some other do-dad for the Sprinter!
 

sailquik

Well-known member
life8dance,
Did you ultimately have the ~$2500 repairs done?
Have you contacted the roadside assist that changed your separated wheel/tire to see if their
insurance will cover a major mistake on the part of their mechanic/operator.
If the lug bolts were truly screwed in until they damaged the brake parts (not sure how that is possible),
but the Sprinter rear wheel was totally locked up, and the only distance was from the side of the road
up onto a roll back tow truck there should have done very little damage to anything.
Yes, ~$2500 estimate is far too high for a fairly simple job.
It looks like you have the alloy wheels on your Sprinter, is that correct?
Then you should have been supplied with a set of 5 short bolts stored down in the tool kit under the passenger side
floorboard with the service jack.
Hope this helps,
Roger
 
Thanks Roger. I checked my under the floor kit and found the steel wheel lug nuts for my steel spare. Whew. I only have four of the alloy five spoke, five lug nut wheels, and it is reassuring to know I can use the spare if it is needed.

I am still looking for a couple of the alloy wheels for my 06, as I always cary a sixth tire on the roof rack, and someone here on the east coast had one, but the shipping was prohibitive. Still looking for a local Socal option for the 5 lug nut alloy wheel. Thanks to that one poster, who had what I am looking for, but I will keep looking for a west coast wheel for the time being. Thanks to all here.
 

parkgt

2007 Great West Van on 2006 2500 T1N
Thanks for this post. New to us 2006 with steel wheel spare on back door did not have any of the short bolts there or with the jack. On order!
 

JoelAlbert

New member
All,

Great thread .....

Here is the MB part number for the short Lug Bolts for a Sprinter 3500 (2017) steel wheel.990-24-07. I suspect this will work on other similar models.

Joel
 

KandM

New member
Just a reminder to all. Don't forget to have the wheel nuts re torqued after a time. The guy at the truck shop said about 500 miles. I think sooner would be prudent. We escaped a disaster when after about 3500 miles on a road trip we heard a knocking noise in the rear. Pulled into a shop and the mechanic discovered all the nuts were only hand tight. Destroyed the bolts. Luckily the wheels were still okay. 6 bolts at about $40 a piece had to get them from MB plus two nights in a Hotel. Could have stayed in the MoHo but the neighborhood was a little shady.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
JoelAlbert
The 000 990 24 07 part number you provided is for a 316/319/2500 Sprinter with single wheels on both the front and rear axles.
If you do indeed have a 516/519/3500 Sprinter, with dual rear wheels, this part will not fit your Sprinter as ALL 516/519/3500
NCV3 Sprinter use lug STUDS...pressed into the front and rear hubs and special extended washer LUG NUTS to attach the wheels
to the hubs, single wheels with offset inboard on the front, and dual wheels with inner offset inboard and outer offset outboard.
If you check Part # 000 990 24 07 it cross references to a FEBI 44685 14 mm diameter x 1.5 mm pitch x 58 mm long.
Note that this is the lug bolt for stock Sprinter NCV3 316/319/2500 series Sprinters with OEM Steel Wheels and the unthreaded
length between the conical/radiused seat on the bolt head and the end of the threads is very short.
If using OEM Factory Alloy wheels, the unthreaded length is noticeably longer.
Wish someone would post a photo of a steel wheel lug Bolt and an alloy wheel lug Bolt with a 6" metric scale between the
2 bolts so the long time mystery about the bolt lengths could be posted as a sticky in the sticky thread on this topic.
Roger
 
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PLOUGHLIN

Member
JoelAlbert
The 000 990 24 07 part number you provided is for a 316/319/2500 Sprinter with single wheels on both the front and rear axles.
If you do indeed have a 516/519/3500 Sprinter, with dual rear wheels, this part will not fit your Sprinter as ALL 516/519/3500
NCV3 Sprinter use lug STUDS...pressed into the front and rear hubs and special extended washer LUG NUTS to attach the wheels
to the hubs, single wheels with offset inboard on the front, and dual wheels with inner offset inboard and outer offset outboard.
If you check Part # 000 990 24 07 it cross references to a FEBI 44685 14 mm diameter x 1.5 mm pitch x 58 mm long.
Note that this is the lug bolt for stock Sprinter NCV3 316/319/2500 series Sprinters with OEM Steel Wheels and the unthreaded
length between the conical/radiused seat on the bolt head and the end of the threads is very short.
If using OEM Factory Alloy wheels, the unthreaded length is noticeably longer.
Wish someone would post a photo of a steel wheel lug Bolt and an alloy wheel lug Bolt with a 6" metric scale between the
2 bolts so the long time mystery about the bolt lengths could be posted as a sticky in the sticky thread on this topic.
Roger
Can't help with the steel wheel bolts as I only have alloys, but the MB OEM Alloy wheel bolts are:-

Length under spherical seat - 53mm
Thread length - 24mm
Plain shaft length - 29mm
 

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windsurfskimtb

New member
Just switched factory-installed winter wheels with a new set of uplifter take off wheels. Both sets steel so I didn't have the lug bolt problem, but I did break the stock lug wrench. The wheels where torqued so tight that I needed a 3' breaker bar to loosen them. Only got 3 lugs loose before the wrench broke. Then cracked two of my own sockets. Sprinter SOS sent a tow truck. They had no problem removing the lugs but said they needed 400 foot pounds to remove. Had them loosen all the lugs and tightened to just 150 fp instead of the spec 177fp. Now I have put my own torque wrench in the van and ordered a breaker bar and impact sockets to carry. Glad I didn't get a flat and need to do this on the road or worse yet in the outback. My Sprinter is 2019 2500 4x4.
 

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