Do you guys re-use old bolts?

Just took a project apart and have a ****load of used nuts and bolts. I always thought once they are torqued, they are stretched and possibly not as strong. Do most of you toss em, or save em?

 

If they are still good i save em for misc stuff....But it all depends on what they will be used for.
NO suspension or critical engine, like head bolts, will get used hardware.
Just the way i do it, don't mean it's right..

Tony

 

I'll normally replace suspension bolts, head bolts and other "critical" bolt sets but generally reuse the others

 

same as above. try and reuse the original fender bolts and such, but anything with a critical load is new (sometimes i sand them down to take off the new finish and paint them so they don't stand out.

 

I'm of the opinion that most of the hardware on old cars was usually oversized, so less stressed, and can be reused, if not damaged or rusted badly.
Besides, with all the ****ty Chinese bolts coming here, I'd bet the old stuff is MUCH stronger than most of the new. If replacing, buy from a credited source!

 

I'm a little bit of a "bolt snob" late model hardware-store bolts on a car really look out of place to me. if they aren't visible, i don't care, but everything showing should match the look of the rig IMHO.

 

yes

 

Yep, all the time, but new(er) grade 8s go on the important "May Cause Doom" spots.

I have favorite bolts, too. I love the old Mopar bolts that have DPDC on the head, and the small block in my Model A had bolts with "LION HEAD" on the top. I love old stuff....

 

what he said

 

Unless it's a damaged unit, I keep almost all my OEM fasteners. They're already there, they're already the right size, and they have the required specifications for the task. Plus - they're free.

I try to get American made replacements when I need to, but even stalwarts like Fastenal are drinking the wonton soup...

 

Yeah thats a good point, new ****ty china bolts probably are weaker than old used bolts.

 

Depends on condition of the bolt and age .If its a 68 Id reuse a suspension bolt .If its a 30's bolt Id toss them all .Motor bolts I have reused .Just a financial decision .

 

I take all Henry Ford cast off nuts, bolts, brackets, and suspension I can get my hands on.
Kinda like an old vinyl album sounds better, a hotrod feels and looks better with Henry steel.

 

Yes I use all of the old bolts. I gl*** bead them when rusty and depending on there use I clear coat. Right or wrong thats just me.

 

My dad taught me not to throw away anything.I still have buckets of bolts he saved from 50 years ago.I use used bolts in places that it doesn't matter.You save a fortune that way.I strip a car of all the usable bolts before I junk it,especially the odd and unusual ones you can not find new.

 

Oh yes! mainly body bolts those mofos are spendy!!! But like all the posts above not for critical use

 

I like to save alot of old nuts and bolts, I have a tumbler i use for cleaning and removeing rust and paint.

 

Pretty much the same here as well

 

My Model A project is going well and I plan on using old fasteners in some areas. As such a little QA is necessary. I sand blast the fasteners with a fine or medium media and inspect them for unusual wear, heavy pitting or cracks. Discard the ones that do not meet the visual inspection. My other life (37 years) was spent working on or managing the construction of submarines.

 

100 pt restro. I might. On my F100 I threw everything away and went grade 8 or better. Proably not quite right, but Ive had enough of rusty bolts.

 

I keep lots of used hardware from parting out stuff. Since I do mostly GM stuff, I collect a lot of the special pointy body bolts and such. Those I inspect and reuse.

Anything I need to replace, I tend to buy the grade 8 hardware by the pound bulk at Tractor Supply. I'm sure it's Chinese Grade 8 stuff, but when replacing a cheap grade 2, I figure the import stuff in grade 8 should be sufficient.

 

i started my bolt collection in 1970

 

It depends what the fastener is for. Generally when I take a car apart, I'll use all of the old fasteners, if they are in good shape. This last summer I worked on my daughters O/T car and replaced the axle nuts on the front wheel drive; they were $12 each.

 

Like the others have said, it depends on the application. When I build engines I replace headbolts & rod bolts automatically and on my last build, a high perf Chevy smallblock, I also used Milodon main studs instead of bolts. On non critical stuff like body panel mounting, etc I will reuse old bolts if they're still in good condition or replace them with hardware store stuff. Having restored a few vintage Triumph motorcycles over the years I also have a connection at a plating shop that does cad plating of original British Whitworth hardware at a very reasonable price. Last time I had some done it was $80 to do 30 pounds of hardware and that's with me dropping off rusty greasy stuff and picking up the same stuff a week or so later freshly cad plated. The price may have gone up a little since then but you don't go into any hardware store in the US and buy Whitworth thread nuts & bolts.

 

I've reused bolts since I began working with cars (mid-fifties). If you're unsure of the quality, clamp an example in a vice and torque it until it snaps. If it meets (It may even exceed) the torque to snap a new replacement, use its brothers and sisters from the same vehicle teardown with full peace of mind.

 

I reuse most all old bolts except critical suspension bolts or if they're rusted/pitted bad. All the bolts on my flathead are original... never had any trouble.

I just use my own judgment on them.

 

I keep good bolts, nuts, and washers for mock up of parts.

 

Yes

 

This was perfectly timed post. My ol' man, who once taught me, it it ain't broke don't fix it keeps throwing my junk away. Bolts, Fuel Pump, Oil Pump, Engine Heater, Distributor, steering column and I keep fishing it out of the garbage behind his back, and stowing it away so it doesn't find it's way back into the garbage can. He also keeps throwing away my old bolts. I understand that head bolts etc. need to be replaced, but was unsure about the bolts for non-crucial stuff, like the radiator, front clip, fendres etc.

Thanks jalopy heads again for backing up my su****ions.

 

re-use when possible, I throw all no grades in the s**** drum.