Does anyone know if there is a source for stainless steel body bolts? These are the bolts with the tapered nose and the integral washer. It would be a shame to use old nasty bolts to put all of those nice painted parts back on my front end!

Thanks for any advice you can throw my way.

 

national parts depot ...i just found them myself with some help from guys on here ....not sure if they will have them in stainless ,,,,but if the bolts you are lookin for came stainless then i bet they have the same ones....cheack it out they have everything it seems

 

Locally check your nearby Napa, each store is a little different and may have it...

If not, look for a Fastenal. They can get just about anything. Although they can be pricey.

If you're daring look in the book for a fastener or screw store. A company near me called CB Fastener has EVERYTHING and dirt cheap too.

I know Ace Hardware sells regular black oxide body bolts. Myabe yours will have stainless, it might be worth a look if they are close.

Personally I can't bring myself to ordering bolts over the internet.

Josh

 

Look to the industrial fastener world, like stated above fastenal is a good one, but there are mom and pop operations like them all over the place too. Stainless is always used in any sort of food industry for sanitary reasons, so an industrial supply place should have what you need.

 

I have looked into this (want stainless) as well. I checked www.McMasterCarr.com as they typically have EVERYTHING and I couldn't find any stainless flange bolts.

I then went over to a local nut and bolt place. He has or can get pretty much anything and he couldn't get them, so I was planning on just ordering standard 7/16" shoulder bolts in the proper length and throwing a washer on them. I'd rather have the no rust properties of stainless than the "original equipment" look of the flange bolts.

Has anybody searched the online places listed in this thread and found the bolts in stainless? If so- post up a direct link so others searching this later can have a direct answer

 

prescott sells a kit with the Ford logo on them but there chrome

 

I am not 100% convinced that SS fasteners is entirely the way to go here. AS you may or may not know, the charecteristics of SS has some advantages with regards to corrosion protection, but stainless has a tendancy to gall (cold weld) when used. Sure anti seize can be applied, and should be prior to the interface between the nut and bolt.
We all know how tough carbon steel fasteners can be to remove from the hard to get to places, and stainless steel would add an additional level of frusteration.
Carbon steel bolts can last quite a long time as long as they are treated, and should not be much of a problem.
Ever try to drill a stainless steel bolt, or try to cut one with a blade without damaging the body or frame?
Carbon steel looking better yet????

 

I've though of the galling Ed and I have yet to have a really bad experience with it, so I was still planning on doing the stainless. I will of course use anti-seize (always do - no problems yet) and have in the past with good luck. Yes drilling out stainless is HORRIBLE - but the point is you shouldn't have to drill Drilling is caused by the years or rust created by using a non coated bolt in the 1st place. Even then zinc. coated bolts aren't lasting long (5 years maybe) here...

 

I've seen the stainless bolts galling first hand, messy stuff. It was a mounting bolt for a PIAA light. He had to replace it when he caught it on a low tree limb. He ended up bending the light tab up so bad he just cut the whole mounting tab off the roll bar, and welded a new one on. But I know he didn't use anti seize compound either.

 

ANd I'd bet it was a stainless nut AND bolt. More galling occurs (from what I have seen) when you run stainless/stainless. I often run zinc plated steel nuts on the stainless bolts. Sure they will rust faster - but the do not gall. Plus you can then heat the nut (slightly different expansion rates) to get the nut off if you HAVE to.

 

I had been told by a large bolt supply house here in Denver a few years back that a lot of the automotive bolts, some with the flange have a patten on them so that is why no one else makes them.

 

Now you are cooking with gas! However then with these metals, you loose some of the advantages of the stainless steel, and as you know from welding and grinding, that SS will rust. Bringing carbon steel around the stainless is similar to just using carbon steel anyway.
In many of the SS instruments, and the food equipment I use daily, we use different grades of stainless fasteners. If one can keep the carbon content in the SS bolt less than the nut, it has less of a tendancy to gall. Of course anti seize is mandatory, sometimes, it is just not enough. Some cleaners, and time eventually render this stuff useless, and while the fasteners can be torqued, removal is a pita.
Truth be known these carbon fasteners have lasted about 30 years, so in reality if new fasteners last that long, it would be safe to assume that they might outlive the rest of the truck. Heak the ones that I have removed from the last two trucks have been cherry. I mean clean as a brand new bolt.
SS bolts are not cheap, and machining some to be used for the body, like the bed bolts is rather costly. Hmmm, bed bolts might be cool.

 

Damn boards - I had a nice reply going and "blip" away it dissappears for NO reason.

Let me start over...



I will start off by saying you know waaaay more about the SS stuff than I ever will, so keep cathing me if I goof - but here's my answer

True, SS on steel will eventually rust. BUT - no where near at the same rate as regular.
We both know finding (and paying for) anything above a 316 grade nut/bolt combo for this application is going to take some time and $$$


BUT - you are assuming the bolts of today are made with the same quality/care that they used to be - and we BOTH know that ain't so

 

Yep, sure was.

 

The is a company called Totally Stainless (Google it), sorry I do not remember the guys name, but he is very nice to talk and deal with. I have used his suspension kit, vey nice and good quality. You do not want to use common hardware store SS it is actually weaker than a grade 5 bolt. As long as you anti-seize you will not have any problem with galling.