So many discussions about the reuse of bolts. Read it to the end. Then make your own decision.

 

Damn, That's a keeper file right there........

 

Read what? Maybe it's the app, but there's no link or nothin' in your post. Just Sayin'.

 

It's there for me, a link to a PDF.

I'm not in full agreement with that, I'll reuse unless there is a profound reason not to. One thing that I'll point out is that reference to the last two sentences...they speak of using grade 5 bolts there. I expect that our head bolts are at least grade 8 and I do not expect them to stretch out of spec.

I did not buy new head bolts for my 400 hp Cummins engine back in the 1980's and I'm not about to start now. Those bolts would have been at least $10 ea. and nobody recommended replacing them unless the head of a bolt popped off, which was not unheard of.

 

Good read. I had better not forward it to my dad, or he might stop re-using the 106 year old bolts in his 1910 Model T.

 

 

Oh, I don't know about that either, I've got 3 IH Tractors at home 2 diesels and a gasser, none of them have grade 8's.....I realize, Apples and Chickens, but most Motor Manufacturers put in what works....and is the cheapest to pump out Millions of Engines..... that being said, if I had any reason to doubt the integrity of my bolts, especially the heads, I'd swap them out. I had to replace too many broken ones. The uppipe bolts come to mind.....

 

I'll reuse the bolts unless the manual says not to or if threads are galled.

The stretch head bolts that require an extra turn after torque are the only ones I usually replace unless the heads are worn or too rusty.

 

It basically reiterates what most people know already, good quality fasteners that haven't been stretched past yield by some dumb **** and aren't corroded or scored, are fine for reuse. If not, not.

Torque to yield fasteners are (technically) one time use; lots of people break rules and get by but they should make that call on an informed basis.

Interesting they point out that to get the same clamping force the torque has to be increased significantly once a fastener is reused, and that nuts are designed to deform being of softer material. So it stands to reason that for general applications the nuts should always be replaced, even if the bolts are not.

 

This is why I am so **** about my wheel torque, then while travelling I had to buy a tire in nowheresville NM and I went over the torque specs with the tire guy only to watch him thru the window crank them down with the impact never even got out a torque wrench. When I asked him why he didn't use a torque wrench he said "that impact gets em tighter than any torque wrench"

 

I had new tires installed on my car and the guy used a impact wrench. Took the car into the Mercedes dealer to have brakes checked and they could not get the wheels off. Ended up having to replace the hubs, lug bolts and wheels. All that expense and the tire dealer offered me a 10% discount on my next set of tires..WTF???

 

Long time ago watched a guy drop a torque wrench about 15 feet working off a tail rotor onto the nice hard concrete below. I was walking right by at that moment and picked it up to sent it off for inspection and recalibration. They would get tagged "dropped" and sent off along with the rest for calibration.

"Sarge, that's the only 0-150 we got right now!" Yeah, OK. So let's keep using it, even if it's completely buggered. The tool room guy mentioned later, that it was way out.

 

Many tire shops use torque sticks on their impact guns. I don't know how long they hold their accuracy.

 

If they can at least keep 'em down below the 250 yard/tons torque range that'd be good.

There is a method to their madness, lugnuts are required to be periodically checked, especially after the first 50 or 100 miles after wheel reinstallation.

How many people actually do this?

So they reef 'em down good, and the wheel doesn't fall off two months later. They don't want to see you come back esp. with an attorney.