Wheels, Tires, Changing Wheels; Wheels, Tires - Mercedes-Benz 380 SL Owner's Manual

Wheels Tires Changing Wheels

Wheels, Tires

In case of replacement we recom ­
mend you use tires of identical
design, version and brand.
See any MERCEDES-BENZ service
station for information on tested and
recommended wheels and tires for
summer and w inter operation. They
will also offer more advice con­
cerning tire service and purchase.
Mount single newly acquired tires
on the front wheels. If any tires are
replaced and the spare tire is new
and of the same make and version,
mount the spare wheel on the
vehicle as road wheel. We recom ­
mend that you break in new tires
100
for approx. km /60 miles at
moderate speed.
On new rims it is imperative that
the wheel securing bolts be retigh­
tened after approx. 800 km /500
miles. On new vehicles retightening
is carried out in the course of the
1st inspection. Retightening is also
necessary when new wheels are fit­
ted at a later date, e.g. when the
spare wheel is used for the first
time or when a new set of wheels
with M + S tires is fitted.
60
For tire specifications, refer to
"Technical Data" .
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated
according to the degree of tire
wear while retaining the same
sense of rotation. Rotating, how­
ever, 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
5 00 0-10 000 km /3000-6000 miles
as otherwise the driving properties
deteriorate.
Slowly leaking air (e.g. due to a nail
in the tire) may cause damage to
the tire such as tread separation.
Regular tire pressure checks at
intervals of no more than 14 days
are therefore essential. For the tire
pressure checks, keep in mind that
hot tires show higher pressure than
cold tires. See tire pressure chart
on last page.
Should the tire pressure decrease
constantly, check w hether foreign
objects have penetrated the tire or
if rim or valve allow the air to leak.
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.
Observe wheel bolts!
1 For forged light alloy rims only
2 For steel rims only
Caution:
Do not use the long wheel bolts (1)
intended for light alloy wheels to
mount steel rims. Use only the
2
shorter bolts ( ) for the steel rims.