Hardware, Bolts, Nuts, Stainless Steel, Sizes, Sources

[S. Jaworski]

Keywords: Hardware, Bolts, Nuts, Stainless Steel, Sizes, Sources

The purpose of this post is be able to find summarized Stainless Steel
Hardware information readily when searching the archives.

Syl
88 5kq
90 100q

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Sources of Hardware:

McMaster Carr, P.O. Box 4355, Chicago IL
60680-4355,
(630) 833-0300.


Totally Stainless
1709 Old Harrisburg Road
Gettysburg, PA  17325
Phone: 717 337 2151


 Concord True Value Hardware in Concord, NH
603-228-2050.....they carry the largest supply of grade 8, 10, 12
Hardware in steel and stainless in the area.......it's because of (us)


Maryland Metrics
http://mdmetric.com/
1-800-638-1830
1-410-358-3130


Fastener Warehouse in Portsmouth carries a lot of S/S at about 1/2 the
hardware store price, = to maryland metrics.
 ie, local industrial supply outfits might meet people's needs.  Maryland M.
kicks butt though.  They
can get ANYTHING eventually.
Huw Powell


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Where to use Stainless Steel hardware?:

1,1,1,1: Exhaust fittings.

2: any place where you find the old fastener was disgustingly rusty AND it
was not supposed to be high grade hardened steel (which is usually more
immune to rust anyway) or a "special" fastener like the brake caliper
mounting bolts that have built in locking teeth (and are hardened I think!).

examples - radiator support bushing nuts, fuel tray bushing nuts, voltage
regulator attachment bolts... headlight fastening screws, trim attachment
bits.

after this, everything depends on the users own sense of mechanical
competence.

3. Anywhere cosmetic - where the load involved is much lower than the
strength provided by the fasteners used it's ok.  IE cam covers, oil pans,
some accessory mounts - like where little bits of stamped sheet metal are
attached.  Items attached by big castings require more forethought and care.

Huw Powell

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Often used bolt sizes in Audis:

6mm x 1.0
8mm x 1.25 (NOT 8 x 1.0)
10mm x 1.50 (NOT 10 x 1.25!)

Common Lengths:
6 x 20-30
8 x 20-45
10 x 30-60

Get some spring washers for each size, and some flat washers, as well as
conventional non-locking nuts.

Many wholesale hardware places have assortments (Metric Man and Wurth).
Really long bolts of any size tend to be handy only rarely, and real short
ones just sit in the box.

HTH, John

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Quantities to have in stock:
lots and lots of 6 & 8 mm nuts and bolts
1/2(lots and lots) of 10 mm nuts and bolts
1/4(lots and lots) of 12mm nuts and bolts.

lengths?  prolly most in the 40mm range
then the rest in 60 or 80?  I usually order a bunch that I know are longer
than I need then just cut them with my chop saw as needed.

Marc Swanson

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it has been my experience that the "way to do it" is to PLAN your
work.   Look up the hardware in ETKA or elsewhere and buy it in
advance.  Get extra bits at the same time.  After time has lapsed you will
be used to what actually comes in handy.

I keep lots of 6 and 8 mm nuts, nylock nuts, washers, lockwashers
around.  10 mm, a few.  Bolts can be handy but ridiculous to "stock" -
you'll rarely have what you actually need.

IE, I have *never* had a useful 10mm bolt on hand already, some 8's and a
few 6's.  What I do is overbuy by say 10% on 6 and 8 mm bolts, that way at
least I do have some spares.

Also - since much of this is cosmetic, head style begins to matter.  I like
using acorn nuts - expensive, but pretty, and they protect the threads as
well.  I also like "button head" allen bolts for low torque aps - like
throttle linkage plates and the like.  very pretty.

Huw Powell

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Regarding tensile strength, etc of stainless steels vs alloy steel:

A286 is a very ductile, 160ksi ult. tensile strength and very corrosion
resistant steel used for fasteners.  It should be stronger than just about
any joint it is used on.  Unfortunately, typical SS hardware store fasteners
use 303 which has only 125 ksi ult. tensile strength.  This may still be
quite enough for most joints.

 Moving on to the thread specification:  English unit fasteners can be
obtained with some really crummy (sloppy tolerance and stress raising)
specifications.  Preferred thread spec for English is MIL-S-8879.  The
equivalent metric is ANSI B1.21M-1978, MJ profile, e.g.  MJ 10 x 1.25, for a
10mm dia, 1.25mm pitch fastener.  This will give the highest fatigue and
static strength.

Author unknown

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