Importance of OEM nuts/bolts

[ElJimo]

Honestly, if I could just nab a part-out car I definitely would. Get all the hardware I needed and probably be able to swing a profit. I just don't have the space to hold an entire extra car. I ordered an oem nut and washer/spacer through blunttech and the price wasn't too bad, but there was like a $30 shipping fee for "bmw specialty item" ended up costing more in shipping than what I was buying. That's why i'm trying to look at options other than oem.

[nando]

stainless doesn't have the yield or shear strength of a 10.9 bolt.

[jalopi]

yeah but come on man... it's a sway bar link bolt, not a head stud

OP did you really pay $31 for one M8 bolt?

[WhatWentWong]

When my friend didn't want his spun M42 anymore, I took it from him and completely ripped it apart for parts. Stuffed it into a few rubbermaids and saved all the bolts for future spares. Now I have a full large jam jar of OEM M6 M8 M10 hardware. Came in handy more than a handful of times.

[rturbo 930]

yeah but come on man... it's a sway bar link bolt, not a head stud

OP did you really pay $31 for one M8 bolt?

Seriously, You can get a brand new endlink that comes WITH the bolt, for about the same price.

[jeffnhiscars]

stainless doesn't have the yield or shear strength of a 10.9 bolt.

Stainless is actually not very well suite for automotive applications except perhaps for exhaust pipes. As durable as it is it tends not to stay put unless you double nut it.

[///M42 sport]

I was really surprised that tischerbmw online was cheaper on all hardware parts than aftermarket sites like ecstunining blunt tech etc

[Seawolf]

There's nothing special about the BMW parts other than their cost, right?

It's not just bolt strength - you also need to factor in thread tolerances or what is known as Fundamental Deviation - all thread tolerances are not equal.

So though you could have the right strength from ACE the thread tolerance may not be up to snuff if you're bolting up an E30 diff for instance, those bolts have a very high tolerance of 6g and are almost an interference thread fit - I know for a fact that the ACE equivalent has a greater deviation or tolerance.

I use ACE stuff for bolting an exhaust system together or temporarily in an emergency - I wouldn't use ACE stuff for securing my caliper mounting or anything else that is likely to kill me or someone else if it comes apart.

[TobyB]

...you mean, fit class/ fit tolerance?

http://www.boltscience.com/pages/screw8.htm

ifor those who really wanna geek out on it...

That's why I don't like chasing block/head threads with a standardly available tap-
you discover (from the metal chips) that BMW had a tighter fit tolerance than the
hardware store taps do...

I particularly dislike most grades of stainless because, like titanium, it loves to gall just when you don't
have time for that bullshit...

t

[Seawolf]

...you mean, fit class/ fit tolerance?

Exactly that (exactly within tolerance of course).

[DesktopDave]

I'd definitely buy stuff at Ace or other specialty stores if it's a similar spec...but it's rare to find aerospace grade stuff there. BMW is pretty reasonable about their parts prices in general, considering the quality of their parts. The OEM spec passivated and Parkerized parts are outstanding in cars; definitely stay with those types of fasteners if possible.

IIRC the original plating process (hexavalent chromium passivation) is being phased out due to valid safety concerns, so newer fasteners are typically protected with a different process. I've pulled original parts out of flood cars from the rust belt that still look like new. That frankly amazes me, and it's one of the big reasons I stick with BMW.

If you're lucky you'll have a good plating shop in your area. Their prices are usually very reasonable for a single batch of parts, and they should be able to make used parts look factory brand-new.

I usually avoid stainless fasteners with the exception of hose clamps. They're more expensive and substantially weaker than high strength steel.

I hoard old fasteners too. It's a shame that another E30 had to die, but at least it'll keep another few rolling. I take my time & pull everything from any rust victim heading to the scrapper. Pick-n-pulls are a good place too. They usually charge outrageous prices for relays & switches, but if I'm buying something big they only charge me a few bucks for pounds of OEM fasteners.

[ElJimo]

yeah but come on man... it's a sway bar link bolt, not a head stud

OP did you really pay $31 for one M8 bolt?

no

[fight4life28]

Very good idea to save bolts, nuts. Wish I would have saved more tearing cars apart and what not. Thanks for the idea's guys.

[nando]

fellow bolt nerds ITT <3

I should post a pic of my collection.. I spent some time organizing it last year because I got sick of not being able to find something, then buying a new bolt/nut/whatever, and then realizing I already had a bag of 10 of them sitting in a box somewhere.