Mercedes-Benz 230 1978, Owner'S Manual

Page: 61 / 91

Wheels Tires Changing Wheels
Wheels, Tires
In case of replacem ent we recom ­
mend you use tires of identical
design, version and brand.
See any MERCEDES-BENZ service
station fo r inform ation on tested
and recommended wheels and tires
fo r summer and w inter operation.
They w ill also offer more advice
concerning tire service and pur­
chase.
Mount newly acquired single tires
on the fron t axle. It is advisable to
break in new tires over a mileage of
approxim ately 60 m iles (100 km)
at m oderate speeds.
To prevent damage to the valves,
vehicles equipped w ith steel rims
must only be driven w ith the hub
caps installed.
For tire specification, refer to
“ Technical Data” .
Rotating wheels:
The wheels can be rotated a ccord ­
ing to the degree of tire w ear
w hile retaining the same sense of
rotation. Rotating, however, should
be carried out before the charac­
te ris tic tire wear pattern (shoulder
w ear on front wheels and tread
center wear on rear wheels) be­
comes visible at a mileage of 3,000
- 6,000 m iles (5 ,0 0 0 - 10,000 km)
as otherw ise the driving properties
deteriorate.
S lowly leaking a ir (e. g. due to a
nail in the tire) may cause damage
to the tire such as pealing tread
or breakage of cleats. Regular
tire pressure checks at intervals
of no more than 14 days are there­
fore 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 whether foreign
objects have penetrated the tire
o r if rim or valve allow the a ir to
leak.
Caution: Use longer wheel bolts
fo r light alloy rims than those re­
quired fo r steel rims (see illustra­
tion on page 61).
T horoughly clean the inner side of
the wheels any tim e you rotate the
wheels o r wash vehicle underside.
Dented, bent or corroded rims
cause tire pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads. For this
reason, check rims for damage at
regular intervals. Derust steel rims
and spot paint, if required.
Check rim flanges of ligh t alloy
rims fo r w ear p rior to mounting a
tire. If necessary, remove burrs.