Stainless nuts and bolts?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 25
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From: Virginia
Stainless nuts and bolts?
A few years ago I bought a 1981 I thought would be a quick summer project for my daughters and I. A few years later it runs and drives around the yard but that’s about all I can say. My problem is I do one thing then decide “since I have that off” so one of the problems I keep running into are horrible rusted or just seized bolts that I have to destroy to remove 7 out of 10 times. As I am finally going from deconstruction assembly I sure would love to only use fresh stainless steel bolts, nuts, and screws but other than “interior” kits I am having a very hard time finding new hardware. Even the specialty shops are very limited for common locations in the car. I have a stack of manuals include the assembly manual but so many of the sizes just aren’t listed and when remove it the hard ware I found such a crazy variety of SAE and Metric sizes. Was GM on a mission to make DIY people crazy? Any ideas on how I can Figure all the hardware out without buying the entire inventory of an ACE Hardware and trial and error each one?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
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From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Stainless may sound like a good idea, but be aware of the galling problems with stainless-on-stainless fasteners... a stainless nut on a stainless bolt will gall and seize worse than a rusted fastener unless you really lube things up well prior to assembly. The stock, steel, plated bolts will hold up just fine for you and your daughter's lifetime if the car is not driven in a corrosive environment. They will not gall, and they're a fraction of the cost. They're also available in the correct head styles and configurations for your car from all the major Vette parts suppliers. I have had good luck with hardware kits from Paragon Corvettes - they offer bolt and hardware kits for virtually every area and part on your car at a reasonable cost. If you really want to change things out for SS, set yourself up an account with McMaster and start ordering... 
Lars
Lars
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,406
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From: Napa Valley California
Standard bolt kits are really the best way to go as Lars mentioned.
You can use assembly lube on the threads when installing the bolts, nuts, washers etc, to prevent any corrosion in the threads, then clean any exposed area, shoot a little self etching primer and a good automotive paint or undercarriage coating to protect the exposed portions.
Another thing to remember is that all fasteners on your car have a torque value that the fasteners are required to be torqued to.
Make sure the material of any fasteners you use will not fail prior to the torque which needs to be applied.
Things like material, length, diameter and thread pitch are all factors in the torque rating of any fastener.
Last edited by OldCarBum; Mar 3, 2019 at 03:07 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,743
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I have been replacing bolts & screws with Stainless whenever I do a repair for most non-demanding loads for the past 20 years. It's relatively cheap when I do it that way (or I don't notice) and it sure makes things a lot more pleasant when I have had to disassemble later. I am always so glad to see that I have used SS at that point that I'm glad I did it.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 25
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From: Virginia
Thanks all some great information. I have rarely had issue with stainless steel and come from having boats and working on commercial ships in the distant past. However I fully agree that galling is always a possibility and their is a cost increase making both arguments very valid and I appreciate the reminders. I probably wouldn’t in hind sight use them in any location that required torquing to a very specific measurement. Thanks again and I will check out that vendor, I live only a few miles from Zip Corvette and was very sad to only find a few limited hardware kits with them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Chapel Hill NC
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I purchased a 1953-1982 Chevrolet Corvette Original Dealer Parts and Illustration Manual on Ebay for less than $100 with
shipping. This manual has great parts illustrations as well as bolt/screw sizes. I was paying a lot of $$ for bolts and shipping when I could have bought the hardware at Home Depot for less and no shipping. I have a 66, 68, and an 82 so it will get use. Not only do I come across rusty bolts but also incorrect and missing fasteners, especially on my Bubba owned 68
shipping. This manual has great parts illustrations as well as bolt/screw sizes. I was paying a lot of $$ for bolts and shipping when I could have bought the hardware at Home Depot for less and no shipping. I have a 66, 68, and an 82 so it will get use. Not only do I come across rusty bolts but also incorrect and missing fasteners, especially on my Bubba owned 68
Racer
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
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From: Il.
I buy my nuts and bolts at Mcmaster Carr by the box in the most common sizes ,they have any size that you would need and you can get them in a 25 or 50 box.The oddball bolts I go to Ace hardware and get just the ones I'll use. When I first started rebuilding old trucks and cars I used a lot of stainless but now I agree with Lars and use grade 8 or 5 depending on the application.
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Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
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From: SW Florida.
if you still have the car when the new fasteners are 40 years old, the car was probably kept out of the rain. also you can get too hard and not malleable enough for the stresses each fastener takes with stainless.
Last edited by derekderek; Mar 3, 2019 at 07:03 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
Bolts should be replaced with the same 'grade' as what was removed. There are good reasons why the different grades are used; and substituting another grade may not be a good idea. For example, suppose you removed a grade 5 bolt in a suspension member and replaced it with a grade 8 bolt. Sound OK, right? Well, a grade 8 has a higher tensile strength, but it doesn't have better shear properties. So, a higher grade bolt may not be a "better" bolt, depending on its application.
In general, a grade 5 bolt can be substituted for a lower grade bolt...but it will cost more.
P.S. I prefer to de-grease/clean all new bolts and paint their exposed areas, before installation, with a metallic colored paint or a clear coat. This prevents further corrosion and makes the undercarriage pretty easy to keep clean. NCRS may not approve....but I like it.
In general, a grade 5 bolt can be substituted for a lower grade bolt...but it will cost more.
P.S. I prefer to de-grease/clean all new bolts and paint their exposed areas, before installation, with a metallic colored paint or a clear coat. This prevents further corrosion and makes the undercarriage pretty easy to keep clean. NCRS may not approve....but I like it.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Mar 4, 2019 at 01:02 AM.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 657
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From: Picton NSW
I use out of the box caterpillar grade 8 on every thing I can, cat have bolts designed for tension and shear. the bolts used in a tension situation have a thinker head. T here good for 40/50 or so years in normal operation, use cat ant seize and it will all be go when your gran children do there first tear down.
note grade8 will be better in most situations to replace grade 5 except where there is repeated shock loading . Don't use grade 12 to replace any other grade bolt.
bfit
note grade8 will be better in most situations to replace grade 5 except where there is repeated shock loading . Don't use grade 12 to replace any other grade bolt.
bfit
Last edited by bfit; Mar 4, 2019 at 01:40 AM.
Drifting
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Drifting
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From: perth Aus w.a
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If you use s/s bolts and nuts ,it is best to use anti seize on all the threads but this can make torqueing the bolts a lot harder due to the lubrication that the anti seize has in it .
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Rotonda FL
The stainless you get in the hardware store are grade 5 - generally OK for non-stressed fasteners and generally available in Florida for marine applications. I've used these on my 77 where applicable, ALWAYS coating the threads with anti-sieze. For Grade 8 and specialty fasteners, I've found http://www.totallystainless.com/ to be a diverse and helpful supplier oriented towards automobile applications.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Hillsborough NC
I went through this on my 78 as well, and also have a background working on boats when I was younger, so I am partial to stainless steel hardware. Never experienced the galling issue, but you can't argue with Lars, he definitely knows his stuff so I'm not doubting it.
I found that Allen's Fasteners was a good place to get hardware. They have a great selection and carry ARP fasteners that you can buy in single quantities. I was partial to the SS ARP bolts with the reduced head size. website is www.allensfasteners.com
I found that Allen's Fasteners was a good place to get hardware. They have a great selection and carry ARP fasteners that you can buy in single quantities. I was partial to the SS ARP bolts with the reduced head size. website is www.allensfasteners.com
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,765
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From: Catlett VA
Get one of those plastic or metal bolt size gauges that you usually see in hardware stores near the bolts. They are only about $5 and will make it easy to determine the bolt size. The better ones also have thread sizes and SAE and metric sizes on the tool. If you live near a Tractor Supply Company store, their hardware section has a good variety of SAE and metric fasteners sold by the pound and you can browse without a salesman bothering you. For $20 you can stock up on a variety of sizes for future use. I always buy extra, so I now have several ammo cans of bolts and rarely have to run to the store to get a pesky bolt that broke when I removed it from the car.
Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,097
Likes: 4,027
From: New Braunfels Texas
Be aware of the quality of Stainless fasteners......there is some cheap stuff out there.
Hop on McMaster Carr and look through their stainless bolt......there are several different grades......
The high dollar stuff from them is actually ARP......
Jebby
Hop on McMaster Carr and look through their stainless bolt......there are several different grades......
The high dollar stuff from them is actually ARP......
Jebby
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,314
Likes: 697
I've had good luck with Fastenal for various bolts. We have Fleet Farm stores in our area so that's where I buy the bulk grade 8 bolts and nuts.
Also if you want the typical black bolts with the built in washers NAPA has a pretty good selection but if you are at the counter you have to ask for their bolt catalog.
Also if you want the typical black bolts with the built in washers NAPA has a pretty good selection but if you are at the counter you have to ask for their bolt catalog.
