Stainless bolts to replace body mount rivets?

[Blmpkn]

Yay or nay?

I know better than to use them for shackle/spring hangers and stuff.. but what about body mount brackets? Imma be replacing the drivers side bracket here soon.. want something that'll last 'forever'

Rust belt sucks. Even grade8 hardware store stuff gets more or less destroyed after just a few years..

 

[Roert42]

Stainless is super soft, but Body mounts don’t get they much regularly applied force on them. Probably would be fine, but I wouldn’t use ss for them anyway.

paint the bolts before installing. Use ricks patented method of thinned out rustolem, then full strength rustolem after everything is installed.

should get you another 20 years out of ‘em.

 

[Blmpkn]

Stainless is super soft, but Body mounts don’t get they much regularly applied force on them. Probably would be fine, but I wouldn’t use ss for them anyway.

paint the bolts before installing. Use ricks patented method of thinned out rustolem, then full strength rustolem after everything is installed.

should get you another 20 years out of ‘em.

My figuring was that with 6 bolts.. they look like they'd be 1/2" shank.. would probably be fine..


I do like an excuse to break out the rustoleum though.. hmm.

Yeah.. Unless someone comes along to verify their stainless body mount bolts have held up fine I'll probably just use grade 8 and channel my inner Rick. Better safe than sorry!

 

[Roert42]

I honestly wonder if you would even be able to torque them down without breaking the head off.

Especially if they're only 1/2".


I've broken a lot of 8-18 bolts before is what I'm saying.

 

[Blmpkn]

Yeah.. super good point. I've been surprised how easy It's been to break bolts bigger than these on multiple occasions.

Definitely scrapping the stainless idea.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

IIRC, body mount stuff is usually grade 5

Stainless is around a grade 1.75, if such a thing existed, I want to say. I know that the common 18-8 and 316 (possibly 410) stainless is around a 70,000 psi.

Grade 9 is 180,000 psi

Metric 12.9 is 170,000 psi

Grade 8/metric 10.9 is rated 150,000 psi tensile strength.

17-4 Stainless is 130,000 psi

Titanium is 130,000 psi

Grade 5 is 120,000 psi

Bumax 88 stainless is 110,000 psi

Metric 8.8 is 110,000 psi

18-8, 316 Stainless is 70,000 psi

Ungraded is 60,000 psi

I’ve been trying lately using general duty grease thinned with used motor oil to a paintable consistency for on things. I’m also experimenting with soaking steel down with WD-40. Rust sucks. I like using stainless wherever I can, but it’s not suitable for everything. You can buy hardened stainless bolts, but you won’t find them in the local hardware store and they are not cheap. There’s also a pretty limited variety available.

 

[bobbywalter]

what year chassis? not sure i am following your issue


older riveted units are generally 7/16 but i drill them them to half.


when using stainless definitely 304 bolt and 316 nut and good antisieze to keep them from galling. waste of money for chassis mounting anything.


but for typical body brackets grade 5 or grade 8 will be fine...by the time they even remotely have an issue its time to disassemble and redo it anyway.

 

[bobbywalter]

IIRC, body mount stuff is usually grade 5

Stainless is around a grade 1.75, if such a thing existed, I want to say. I know that the common 18-8 and 316 (possibly 410) stainless is around a 70,000 psi.

Grade 9 is 180,000 psi

Metric 12.9 is 170,000 psi

Grade 8/metric 10.9 is rated 150,000 psi tensile strength.

17-4 Stainless is 130,000 psi

Titanium is 130,000 psi

Grade 5 is 120,000 psi

Bumax 88 stainless is 110,000 psi

Metric 8.8 is 110,000 psi

18-8, 316 Stainless is 70,000 psi

Ungraded is 60,000 psi

I’ve been trying lately using general duty grease thinned with used motor oil to a paintable consistency for on things. I’m also experimenting with soaking steel down with WD-40. Rust sucks. I like using stainless wherever I can, but it’s not suitable for everything. You can buy hardened stainless bolts, but you won’t find them in the local hardware store and they are not cheap. There’s also a pretty limited variety available.

17-4...... wow..... had those in 1/2 in for chain adjusters and they were like 30 bux for a 1/2 in 3 inch long bolt. 1 bolt..

 

[bobbywalter]

it was in the bottom of an auger tank though......so it swam in corrosive shit all day.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

17-4...... wow..... had those in 1/2 in for chain adjusters and they were like 30 bux for a 1/2 in 3 inch long bolt. 1 bolt..

Currently $33.77 each plus tax and shipping from McMaster-Carr

 

[pentode]

Rust belt sucks. Even grade8 hardware store stuff gets more or less destroyed after just a few years..

At the risk of sounding like a broken record... Fluid Film? I've adopted a new routine where every bolt I replace, I torque it down and then douse it with the Film. Yeah they collect dirt and crud but it's a lot easier to clean that off than having to torch off rust seized bolts.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I think part of the problem is that our metal quality is terrible anymore. I put a new bolt on a truck and in 10-15 years if it’s not stainless or covered in oil/grease, it’s rusted to the point where it’s either junk or I make it junk removing it. My 1950 farm tractor that has likely spent most or all of it’s life outside has threaded studs in the cases and bolts all over that are likely original… well, all of those are in either perfect condition or close to it. There’s an obvious difference in metal quality there…

 

[racsan]

Ive been happy with the por-15 product, if youve ever used it you know it has to wear off your skin if you get it on you. And when something is that hard to remove it usually stays on. Anytime I do frame or floor pan work I use it, eastwood products has a similar coating, Ive never used it but it might be good too.

 

[pentode]

I think part of the problem is that our metal quality is terrible anymore. I put a new bolt on a truck and in 10-15 years if it’s not stainless or covered in oil/grease, it’s rusted to the point where it’s either junk or I make it junk removing it. My 1950 farm tractor that has likely spent most or all of it’s life outside has threaded studs in the cases and bolts all over that are likely original… well, all of those are in either perfect condition or close to it. There’s an obvious difference in metal quality there…

You raise a good point and remind me of a question that’s been on my mind for years. I’ve noticed that some OEM hardware - I usually see this on Asian cars - seems to have a coating that resists corrosion much better than typical stuff. It’s usually a sort of gold color, occasionally black, as though it were anodized, and weirdly the threads are usually a perfectly clean dull grey. I just saw this on a Hyundai - the bolt heads were heavily corroded but the threads and under the bolt head were brand new looking. Anyone have any idea what this coating/process is?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ive been happy with the por-15 product, if youve ever used it you know it has to wear off your skin if you get it on you. And when something is that hard to remove it usually stays on. Anytime I do frame or floor pan work I use it, eastwood products has a similar coating, Ive never used it but it might be good too.

I haven’t used it, but I do have a couple cans of the stuff Bronco Graveyard sells that’s supposed to be similar that I’m gonna use on something…