Mercedes-Benz 1984 300SD, Owner'S Manual

Page: 71 / 101

Wheels Tires Changing Wheels
Wheels, Tires
In case of replacem ent we recom ­
mend you use tires and rims of
identical design, version and brand.
See any MERCEDES-BENZ service
station fo r inform ation on tested and
recom m ended wheels and tire s fo r
summ er and w inter operation. They
will 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 recom ­
mend that you break in new tires fo r
approx. 100 km /60 miles at moderate
speed.
A fter a wheel change, it is imperative
that the wheel m ounting bolts be
retightened after approx. 800 km /
500 miles. On new vehicles retig h te n ­
ing is carried out in the course of the
1st inspection. R etightening is also
necessary when new wheels are fitted
at a later date, e.g. when the spare
wheel is used fo r the firs t tim e or
w hen a new set of wheels w ith M + S
tires is fitted.
For tire specifications, refer to
“ Technical Data” .
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated according
to the degree of tire w ear while
retaining the same sense of rotation.
Rotating, however, should be carried
out before the characteristic tire wear
pattern (shoulder w ear on fro n t
wheels and tread ce n te r wear on rear
w heels) becom es visible at a mileage
of 5000— 10 000 km /3000— 6000
miles as otherw ise the driving p ro p e r­
ties 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 he th e r foreign
o b je c ts 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
o r 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 m ust be checked fo r
w ear before a tire is m ounted.
Remove burrs, if there are any.