Wheels, Tires - Mercedes-Benz 560 SL 1986 Owner's Manual

Wheels, Tires

Replace wheels or tires with the
same designation, manufacturer
and type as shown on the original
part.
Warning!
Do not mix different tire construc­
tion types (i.e. radial, bias, and
biasbelted) on your car because
handling may be adversely affect­
ed and may result in loss of con­
trol.
See any authorized MERCEDES-
BENZ dealer for information on
tested and recommended wheels
and tires for summer and winter
operation. They can also offer more
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Front tires should be replaced in
sets. If possible, the spare tire
should be used on the rear wheels.
We recommend that you break in
new tires for approx. 100 km
(60 miles) at moderate speed.
It is imperative that the wheel
mounting bolts be retightened after
approx. 800 km (500 miles). On
new vehicles retightening is carried
out during the 1st inspection.
Retightening is also necessary
when new wheels are fitted at a lat­
er date, e.g. when the spare wheel
is used for the first time or when a
new set of wheels with M+S tires
are installed.
Tightening torque: 110 Nm (80 Ib-ft).
For tire specifications, refer to
"Technical Data".
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated accord­
ing to the degree of tire wear while
retaining the same sense of rota­
tion. Rotating, however, should be
carried out before the characteristic
tire wear pattern (shoulder wear on
front wheels and tread center wear
on rear wheels) becomes visible at
a mileage of 5000-10000 km
(3000-6000 miles) as otherwise the
driving properties deteriorate.
Underinflated tires due to a slow
leak (e.g. due to a nail in the tire)
may cause damage such as tread
separation, bulging, etc. Regular tire
pressure checks (including the
spare tire) at intervals of no more
than 14 days are therefore essen­
tial. Keep in mind that hot tires
have a higher pressure than cold
tires. (See tire pressure chart on
fuel filler door and the last page). If
a tire constantly loses air, it should
be inspected for damage.
Use only genuine MERCEDES-
BENZ wheel bolts (identified by
Mercedes-Star on bolt shaft).
Thoroughly clean the inner side of
the wheels any time you rotate the
wheels or wash vehicle underside.
Dented or bent rims cause tire
pressure loss and damage to the
tire beads. For this reason, check
rims for damage at regular intervals.
The rim flanges must be checked
for wear before a tire is mounted.
Remove burrs, if there are any.