What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Stainless spring eye bolts

Blue85

Blue85

Yooper
 Premium
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Jul 26, 2000
Posts
16,760
Reaction score
9,774
Location
Keweenaw
So we all know that removing the bolts from the spring eyes and shackles SUCKS because the bolt rusts to the sleeve. The drilled bolts might hold it off a little longer, but then you just have more expensive rusted bolts. Why should changing a $16 set of shackles cost you $50 in bushings and bolts, 2 cutoff wheels, a sawzall blade and hours of your life?

Anybody try stainless steel bolts and sleeves?
 
its because grade 8 bolts are stronger than stainless bolts.
 
You can get high strength stainless - like Grade 8. I think the stock ones were Grade 5? Many of us have already +sized the upper shackle bolt, too. Looking at the catalog from http://www.totallystainless.com/, it looks like it might be $25 for each bolt/sleeve/nut combo.
 
Anybody try Never-seize, the paste stuff that's supposed to stop that? I worked in a factory that had some pretty gnarly conditions that promoted rust, so the mechanics used the stuff all the time on anything that might have to come back apart later.

Dave
 
teacher_dave said:
Anybody try Never-seize, the paste stuff that's supposed to stop that? I worked in a factory that had some pretty gnarly conditions that promoted rust, so the mechanics used the stuff all the time on anything that might have to come back apart later.

Dave
Click to expand...

I did that and my shackle bolts came out as easy as a boner in sweat pants three years after intallation.
 
teacher_dave said:
Anybody try Never-seize, the paste stuff that's supposed to stop that? I worked in a factory that had some pretty gnarly conditions that promoted rust, so the mechanics used the stuff all the time on anything that might have to come back apart later.

Dave
Click to expand...
I use it on everything, just like Chevy 305 said. LOL
Works great!
 
I use anti seize on stuff like that alot.

I thought about stainless bolts on a couple things but the cost is way more than I am willing to pay.
 
one of the power block shows just did this.

stainless is basicly grd-2 to 3

and if heavy duty and shiny is needed get chromed bolts.

and stainless must use lube on threads or thay will bind and lock up and snap off.
 
sweetk30 said:
one of the power block shows just did this.

stainless is basicly grd-2 to 3

and if heavy duty and shiny is needed get chromed bolts.

and stainless must use lube on threads or thay will bind and lock up and snap off.
Click to expand...


The link he posted from totally stainless has tons of actual grade 8 stainless hardware.

They came out with these about 7 years ago if I remember right it was a big deal in the hot rod world.
 
Stainless bolts is all they use in the food industry. Here at my plant we replace them after every use because if you dont they will gall and youll be cutting anyway. Use the carbon grade 8 and some antiseize. youll be money and time ahead. Also if you do use stainless use NICKLE antiseize only, the copper stuff will react and have the opposite effect.
 
Well if you can't reuse them several times, it's not worth the cost. Sure, cutting off the nut and then having the bolt slide out saves a set of bushings and a lot of work, but those bolts are too expensive. Maybe a stainless sleeve would slide out of the bushings even though the carbon steel bolt has rusted inside it.

I've always assembled them with liberal amounts of lithium or marine grease, but the sleeve always ends up rusted to the bolt and stuck inside the bushings. I've never tried anti-sieze in there, but will in the future. I've never had problems getting the nuts off the bolts, either.
 
I would be leery of using stainless bots on such a critical part--I tried putting stainless bolts on a friends Corvair ,his front axle beam rotted away,and he found a brand new replacement,and he grabbed a bunch of stainless bolts fro his work,which may have only been grade 2,and I popped 3 of them BY HAND with a 3/8" ratchet as we were instaling the beam!--I went to my bolt drawers and got some grade 8's and told him I would NOT trust those brittle bolts,stainless or not--its not like the beam would ever need to be unbolted again in our lifetime anyway...(sadly he died less than a year after we did that job,of heart failure,only 35 years old!:doah:)..

I've used never seize on things like exhaust studs,and they still always snap off 99% of the time..maybe it works better on spring shackle bolts,but since GM never used any when they assembled the truck,thats the only time we'll have to deal with seized bolts,when we remove them for the first time..for the 10-15 bucks each for a new spring eye bushing (included in the Dorman brand shackle kits),I just torch the bolts head & nut off them now and burn the bushing out,its not that difficult to get the new bushings in if you spread the spring eye open slightly with a pry bar and use a threaded rod and sockers to "press" them back in...and if you grease the bolts up good,chances are if they ever eed to be removed again they will come out no problem...

Know what I dont understand??--Why a ramp truck that carries 5 tons has the same 9/16" or 5/8" bolts on the springs that a 1/2 ton has,and they dont break!..you'd think they'ed increase the size along with the weight capcity??...shows how overkill most 12 tons are I guess...
 
I hit bottom with Heart failure three years ago. I just turned 29. Ignored the chest pain for months. Go to the doctor fellas, being hard headed almost got me killed.

Anyways back on topic. I am planning on using Stainless bolts on my xhaust manifolds to see if they last any better.

Wouldnt they handle the heat better?
 
Treeman587 said:
I am planning on using Stainless bolts on my xhaust manifolds to see if they last any better.

Wouldnt they handle the heat better?
Click to expand...

There is a grade of stainless for this. I have removed exhaust manifolds from FWD cars that came apart so easily after sitting there 15+ years. I've had stainless bolts on my header collectors for about 3 years and they are still perfect.
 
And I tried stainless steel studs in exhaust manifolds before,and they snapped off like they were peanut brittle next time I went to remove the Y-pipe!--couldn't drill them with any drill of mine either,they screeched and whistled and turned red,barely scratched the stainless studs--had to bring the manifolds to a machine shop to get them removed with an end mill in a milling machine!..:doah:...no more stainless bolts for me in my exhaust manifolds (or cylinder heads!)--better off using soft grade 2 crap,its plenty strong and easier to drill out should the bolts break off ---.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom