Was about to ask, noones thought to paint the damn things? I've yet to have issues with painted black oxide cap screws rusting when I use them, seems logical to me but I usually use them for dash panels or anywhere else I'm trying to dress up. Eventually all hardware has to be replaced anyway, coatings help but still a finite life.
I switched all my bolts to SHCP (Socket Head Cap Screws)
- Thread starter ouroutdoorfamily
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Stainless SHCS
I restored both my cruisers with ss socket head cap screws - in every hole that uses coarse threads.
My local vendor doesn't carry fine thread bolts.
Now I have a 10kg bucket of original bolts in a bin.
SS socket head screws are a tad weaker but look good without bead blasting and painting, and will always stay that way.
That was a big decision driver.
Had no problem with galling but I know it's an issue in larger fine thread applications such as oilfield downhole tools.
By the way, I only had to drill out 2 bolts in both of my cruiser "down to the last nut and bolt" restos.
They were late model cruisers that lived here in the desert.
I guess the environment makes all the difference.
I restored both my cruisers with ss socket head cap screws - in every hole that uses coarse threads.
My local vendor doesn't carry fine thread bolts.
Now I have a 10kg bucket of original bolts in a bin.
SS socket head screws are a tad weaker but look good without bead blasting and painting, and will always stay that way.
That was a big decision driver.
Had no problem with galling but I know it's an issue in larger fine thread applications such as oilfield downhole tools.
By the way, I only had to drill out 2 bolts in both of my cruiser "down to the last nut and bolt" restos.
They were late model cruisers that lived here in the desert.
I guess the environment makes all the difference.
Climate makes huge difference.
Three Local hard tops that I've taken apart have had all 70% of the bolts break.
The bullet ridden top (from a rolled FJ40) I found in the bush in the Interior of BC came apart with only 1 or 2 bolts breaking.
Dry climates do make a huge difference.
Three Local hard tops that I've taken apart have had all 70% of the bolts break.
The bullet ridden top (from a rolled FJ40) I found in the bush in the Interior of BC came apart with only 1 or 2 bolts breaking.
Dry climates do make a huge difference.
- Thread starter
- #24
Well we are condusting a test now. I told wife about the comments and we've read through them all. I took a few of the BO SHCS and left them in a shallow pan with just a hint of water. I will leave them outisde in the rain and sun until were finshed pulling the new harness and cleaning up some other stuff... should be about another 2 months before the FJ is ready to be started up. if they look seriously bad at the point I will pull all the external bolts and use the Stainless Steel ones I have, if they are holding up okay, I'll try them for a while.
I painted one and left the others RAW, plus the ones I have already bolted one went on witha coating of chain olilon the threads.
Thanks for all the comments and honesty.
I painted one and left the others RAW, plus the ones I have already bolted one went on witha coating of chain olilon the threads.
Thanks for all the comments and honesty.
Well here's some black cap screws that I used in the lounge inside my house:
They looked nice and black when I fitted them about 5 years ago but they're clearly rusty now - and that's just from exposure to "humidity"!
PS We have healthy earthquakes here so I keep some of our furniture bolted down pretty well
(Those brackets - one at each corner - secure a very heavy 100-year-old pianola to the floor joists.)
They looked nice and black when I fitted them about 5 years ago but they're clearly rusty now - and that's just from exposure to "humidity"!
PS We have healthy earthquakes here so I keep some of our furniture bolted down pretty well
(Those brackets - one at each corner - secure a very heavy 100-year-old pianola to the floor joists.)
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2008
- Threads
- 24
- Messages
- 231
i bought a 40 series frame for my build first thing i did was cut off all the allen head bolts and some were hard to get out even with the frame bare...cut off and thrown out...just my opinion oh and stainless can be brittle and snap on you...
i use regular grade 10 for everything except spring hangers where grade 8 is the norm....peace
oh and stainless can be brittle and snap on you...i use regular grade 10 for everything except spring hangers where grade 8 is the norm....peace
Last edited:
grade 10? Must be some fancy bolts there
You know he meant class 10.9 metric.
Not a fan of stainless steel bolts myself and they are damn near impossible to drill out when they break. SS is a PITA to work with in general. Using standard zinc for my build.
yup
well your gonna be sayin it soon, and if you stripped that much of the bolts then it seems you have some sub par tools that couldnt properly hold onto the older bolt heads, but those allen heads will strip even faster unfortunatly, even with high quality tools as the surface area of "bite" isnt as great.
It was stated earlier, just get all your new bare metal bolts cad plated. That might be kind off cool looking and improve functionality 