New taillight chrom bezel doesn't fit...

[Stuttgart68]

Hi there,
Just bought a new re-chromed bezel for my 230 SL Pagoda but now the threaded rods are too short... Just too bad..
To correct this issue I bought rods and connection hexagonal (six-edged) couplings but the position where the rod must be extended and later screwed together with the internal socket is just not a convenient position.
Does anybody understand what I am talking about?

Thank you Enzo

[w113dude]

Hi Enzo,

You could re-drill the holes so the extenders could fit, but Why not replace those rods with new longer ones? I think with the hex extended pieces will be too far out in the trunk side & you wont be able to use the small nut to tighten them in place properly.

changing those rods are fairly easy, to take them out apply a little bit of heat with a heat gun to the rods then you should be able to take them off with a pair of pliers, DO NOT use a lot of force when unscrewing the rods as it may damage your threads, put the new rods back in using a bit of two part epoxy glue for a tighter fit.

[Stuttgart68]

changing those rods are fairly easy, to take them out apply a little bit of heat with a heat gun to the rods then you should be able to take them off with a pair of pliers, DO NOT use a lot of force when unscrewing the rods as it may damage your threads, put the new rods back in using a bit of two part epoxy glue for a tighter fit.
[/quote]

Shaun,
Thank you for your early morning response..I think the rods had been partially in the chrom bath, so I am not sure whether there will be something left "to screw" in, also I don't want to create a bigger mess. I bought the two bezel from the Netherlands and paid a quite fair €-amount for it...
I am just worried about the fact that there are different sized rods on such a bezel..Why would that be?
Rookie mistake, I should have measured before buying.

[w113dude]

If you are going to use the extenders be sure to drill the holes from inside the trunk, you don't want to have lager holes where the bezel seats against the body there isn't much room there and they will show, so basicly put on your extenders on the rods after you have placed the bezels in place on the car, this way you'll need to enlarge the holes from inside trunk only and not all the way through.

[Garry]

Maybe you have different backs for these lights and you have a mismatch with the rear now that you have new bezels.

Also be careful when you do finally tighten them up not to make them too tight as it is quite easy to distort the taillight that will end up as cracking in the bezel.