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Technical Nuts and Bolts

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Dave G in Gansevoort, Oct 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM.

  1. Sharpone
    Joined: Jul 25, 2022
    Posts: 2,767

    Sharpone
    Member

    One thing I’ll add is the Machinery’s Handbook is an excellent resource for fasteners and much, much more. Every car guy should have one or more.
    Dan
     
  2. bobss396
    Joined: Aug 27, 2008
    Posts: 18,687

    bobss396
    Member

    Back on my last job, we did lots of retrofit and the old hardware would get tossed. One guy in my group saved up quite a bit, plastic bins full of it.

    He was retiring and asked if I wanted any of it. Well, it took me a couple of weeks to spirit it out of the building. I have bags of it. All real expensive when it was new. Mostly fine thread high strength, nuts and matching bolts.

    I should sort it out one of these days.
     
  3. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,764

    earlymopar
    Member

    Allen's Fasteners allensfasteners.com
     
  4. MMM1693
    Joined: Feb 8, 2009
    Posts: 1,518

    MMM1693
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I agree with the Ziggster on CAT bolts. Also like the KAR brand. I also have to agree with Sharpone. The Fastenal store here in Lakeville hates walk ins.
     
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  5. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 3,656

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    I have bins of older fasteners but that supply is dwindling. I’m retired now and I don’t have access to stuff that has quality nuts and bolts that is being excessed. At the shop I worked at in the 70s the rule was if it got swept up at the end of the day, it was yours to keep. Oops, I dropped a few 3/8-16 Allen bolts on the floor earlier today, and just swept them up. Guess I’ll just have to take them home…
     
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  6. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 5,564

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've seen these guys' products on several YouTube channels. Never used them but I'd love to have the room and $$ for their mega shop sized fastener supply unit. According to their web site, no minimum order. They more than just bolts and nuts as well.
    BoltsandNuts.com - Quality Fasteners, Delivered!
     
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  7. RmK57
    Joined: Dec 31, 2008
    Posts: 3,082

    RmK57
    Member

    I try and save the factory fasteners as long as they’re rust free. Particularly the lighter duty stuff, like a fender bolt that has the built-in large flat washer. I just don’t like the look of a cadmium plated grade 8 bolt with a big washer just hold a windshield washer bottle to a fender apron.

    For heavier duty applications like bell housings and such I have a pretty good supply of Bowmalloy hardware.
     
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  8. RodStRace
    Joined: Dec 7, 2007
    Posts: 8,437

    RodStRace
    Member

    Judging by the way some aircraft mfgrs and subcontractors are run these days, I wouldn't trust their 'excess' or 'reject' inventory. There is a lot of talk about gov't waste, but you don't see mil surplus fasteners like you used to.
     
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  9. Doublepumper
    Joined: Jun 26, 2016
    Posts: 1,790

    Doublepumper
    Member
    from WA-OR, USA

    A very good reference book for fasteners is, Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook. It has everything you ever wanted to know about them. It's very informative, I highly recommend it.
    1fasteners.jpg
     
  10. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 22,127

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon


    Yep, I've had mine for many years, they are worth whatever $$$ they go for now.
     
  11. Ziggster
    Joined: Aug 27, 2018
    Posts: 2,793

    Ziggster
    Member

    Agree. Found several for sale on FB marketplace, with prices ranging from CAN$25 to $200!
     
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  12. Ziggster
    Joined: Aug 27, 2018
    Posts: 2,793

    Ziggster
    Member

    When disassembling both my C59A flatheads, I was amazed at how almost every fastener came apart effortlessly. The quality of steel used back then was way better than what they use today.
     
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  13. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 3,656

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    My copy is almost 50 years old, but that information hasn’t changed much, if any! Another reference is Marks’ Standard Handbook of Mechanical Engineering. It has similar features and for the techno-anal personal like me, and also has machine design information.
     
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  14. warbird1
    Joined: Jan 3, 2015
    Posts: 1,337

    warbird1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    For standard Grade 5 and 8 bolts I use Hardware Sales which is local. For more specialized stuff I go with ARP or McMaster-Carr. Metric & Multistandard is a good source for metric and BS fasteners if you need them. And I've still got some aircraft stuff left over from my last job for light-duty stuff, but the pickings are getting slim...
     
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  15. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,017

    jaracer
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Bowman Barnes had supertainium bolts. One winter I replaced all the chassis bolts on my race car as it was about 10 years old. I replaced everything with grade 8 bolts. I ordered all the bolts from Bowman which was a bit of a problem since they wanted to sell me everything in packages of 20 or so. But because the salesman took care of the dealeship I worked at, he managed to get me some of the more expensive ones in the quantity I wanted.
     
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  16. Harv
    Joined: Jan 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,451

    Harv
    Member
    from Sydney

    I like ARP bolts for their high strength. The stainless grades are good for 190,000psi. Their design is elegant - all sharp edges broken. They are expensive though, and it is painful when you need to buy a pack of five for a three-fastener job. You end up with a container of spares with a lot more value than my normal nuts-and-bolts tin.

    The ARP catalogue is well organised for bolts, nuts and washers (buying by thread size/length/head size), but is painful to use if you are looking for a specific size stud (unless you are looking for a vehicle they happen to list).

    Have had some help from Allan's Fasteners in the US when I needed some oddball ARP stuff (rocker cover studs for an aftermarket Repco crossflow head).

    Cheers,
    Harv
     
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  17. Memphis235
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 62

    Memphis235
    Member
    from Tennessee

    Allen's Fasteners. Ships quick, orders are always correct.
     
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  18. Ziggster
    Joined: Aug 27, 2018
    Posts: 2,793

    Ziggster
    Member

    When looking for head bolts for my flathead, I came across some really high quality flange head bolts from Hillman at the TSC in Ogdensburg, NY. They only had a few, and I tried to get them to stk more, but Covid then hit, and that was that. Here’s a link to their catalogue page.

    https://catalogues.hillmangroup.ca/BookshelfView/
     
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