Stainless or High Tensile??

Ok - so having spent a very sweaty afternoon hacksawing off the rusted leading arm bolts and shock absorber bolts I am thinking what should I use to repace them.
The bolts had rusted to the metal inserts in the bushes and could not be driven out (even with the BFH).

Now I know metal has different characteristics and I feel that stainless steel can be brittle? (No doubt there is a correct technical term) Is it suitable for using in these applications as a replacement for high tensile bolts?

I also know that stainless steel happily rusts if excluded from the air, will it therefore rust just the same as the high tensile bots when inside the bushes, defeating the purpose of putting it there?

Martin

When we used to fit the high rise access in brewery's we used stainless
and we always seemed to have trouble with the nut's binding, when trying to undo
they used to feel cross threaded.....

I have replaced lots of my nut's and bolts with stainless but nothing
that requires a good tensile strength, I always put copious ammounts of
copper slip on and never had a problem!!!!

Stainless bolts are usually A2-70 these are NOT suitable in areas of high loading like suspension bolts.

They will shatter under load rather than bend like steel.
The reason they feel seized when undoing is because they are cold welded together (galling). Stainless threads usually have moly paste smeared on them to reduce this.

You can buy stronger, but they are very expensive.


Stick to steel, try and get plated finish, and use loads of copaslip/nickelslip/anti-seize round them.

One other thing, some boys change all the nice plated steel fasteners on their alloy engines for stainless. They cause terrific corrosion of the alloy, which jams the bolt in place, usually shearing the head before it will undo.

I had trouble finding suitable replacement bolts from my local fasteners - South Essex Fasteners, who are one of the largest in the South. The length of the bolt was no problem but it was matching the shank in any type of bolt.

So I was left with no choice but to get them from the main dealers!

The Axle end bolts are part no: 09103-12044 and were £3.15 + VAT each!!!!!

The Chassis end bolts are part no: 09103-12048 and were £4.01 + VAT each!!!!!

Just to push me right over whilst still feeling giddy from the price, they didn't have them in and when they arrived they did so without nuts or washers!!!

So I then had to go to the local fasteners for those at more expense.

I agree with Jamie in using copious amounts of grease, but I know copper slip washes out in offroading, so how about waterproof bearing grease to give a heavier duty amount of lubrication and regularly undo the bolts one by one re-greasing them as a part of your servicing?

I reckon you possibly put your Jimny through more than anyone else on this forum for you to have an axle in that state!

I know you have it in bits regularly and service it well so you must give it some stick!!! That's a positive thing - that's why we own them!!!

I still reckon they are hardier than a Landrover in this respect!

Did you know KAP has not long started doing their own strengthened and castor corrected radius arms of a tubular design and that they are far cheaper than ORA or D+G?

Darren quoted me £210 + VAT + £15 delivery a pair.

Kirkynut