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DO NOT buy bolts and nuts at a hardware store unless you are bolting 2X4's together. Hardware store bolts are too soft to use on metal. They are designed for wood, not metal...
This is not true at all. You can find strong grade 8 bolts at most hardware stores as well as Fastenal, Sears Hardware, Lowes, etc. Bolts for seat belts I would definitely buy from a dealer; the majority of bolts used on vehicles can be found at the above mentioned stores. I do a good deal of side work on cars and keep many boxes of different sizes of nuts, bolts and washers in my garage.
Of course, head bolts and similar items I would either buy from the dealer or from a company such as ARP.
Ill have to disagree. If you don't know what you are looking for in bolts (strength or grade), stay away from home depot. A car store (napa, auto zone, etc) may be ok, provided someone there can help you (this i dont usually assume). A ace hardware or whatever store goes with the you or someone else has to know what you are needing scenario.
I was given the wrong grade bolts when i TOLD the people at a store down here that does nothing but hardware i was doing a suspension upgrade. This needed to be strong, and they gave me crap. My mechanic buddy wouldnt let me put them in the car, and i understand why. You have to know what the dots and all mean for some jobs (suspension, seatbelts, holding on body panels), but some hardware is more forgiving. When i went back to the bolt place they showed me their bolt grades (somehow a little different markings than my original vw bolts), and sold me some more expensive bolts that did were acceptable.
p.s. original question, for specialty stuff, i go to the same fastener place, i just spent some time learning more about what i want vs taking their word for it. There are also places online that you can get the stuff from provided you now what you want and want enough of it to be economical.
I don't know about you guys, but every single time I go to Home Depot they never, ever have th right bolts or nuts needed. Whenever I have gone to a dealer to replace a bolt, they won't sell me just a bolt. They force me to buy the entire part or assembly that includes the bolt. If all you need is a bolt, head to the junkyard!
If your going to buy at the Home Depot or the Local hardware store make sure the bolts are at least Grade 5 (they will be marked on the box) or grade 8 for engine/transmission bolts.
I worked at a GM dealership and most of the standard nuts and bolts we sold were made in China even though they came in GM packaging. The specialty bolts were made here and in China.
Most hardware is made out of the country, just another industry that we gave to Asia to help improve their economy.
A grade 5 bolt from a hardware store meets the same quality specs as a Grade 5 Bolt from a Dealer. Likewise, a grade 8 Bolt from a hardware store meets the same quality specs as a Grade 8 bolt from a dealer.
Similarly, the grading system for Metric hardware is the same, 8.8, 12.9 ... and dealers use the same bolts as supplied through the aftermarket, wherever you find it.
Home Depot and Lowes, for example, both have high quality Grade 5 and Grade 8 nut and bolt assortments, with standard washers as well as many specialty washers, lock washers, fender washers, etc.
In my shop, I was called on by many industrial hardware supplier reps for my nut and bolt and specialty fastener assortments, electrical connectors, etc.
Everybody from Dorman to Wurth to World Metric to Curtis Industries to Lawson to many many others. These are the same, identical, route salesman and suppliers that sell hardware assortments to the dealer network. Much of this stuff was OE supplier manufactured, although some suppliers had lower quality items to sell, too. It was easy to spot the difference, and as a quality shop, I only bought the german OE stuff for the cars I worked on.
The car dealers do not buy their standard hardware items from the manufacturer, and that includes many specialty trim screws, fasteners, retainers, nuts/bolts/washers. They buy from the same sources that supply the other retailers. And a high-grade bolt to safely install seat belts is going to come from the same suppliers there as you'd find in other sources. Even many of the "odd" bolts used in the engine compartment come from the same sources that the aftermarket buys from. Many engine fasteners, including head bolts ... are readily available in the aftermarket, although these items are rarely found in a hardware store, but in an automotive parts store.
You can buy low-grade hardware at a commodity price in a box store, but it's the stuff that's sold for $2.99/lb in bulk ... and has no markings on the bolt head to identify it's strength. Obviously, this stuff has no place in an automotive application except for bolting on license plates ... and that's what most dealers use for that application, too ... or for aftermarket radio installations, etc.
while sunsprit is right about hardware stores selling quality bolts, nuts, and other fasteners, you do have to know what you are looking for. if you dont then you need to go to places like copper state, fastenal, your local parts store, your local hot rod shop, etc.
when i buy fasteners, it depends on what i am using them for as to where i get them. for instance when i build engines, i always spec out ARP fasteners. for suspension i use either oem grade or better and i get them from either the dealer, or places like national parts depot. wheel studs can be bought from an parts store or most tire shops.
I need some assistance. I have a 2000 Ford Expedition, the screw for coil pack #7 is a little stripped at the beginning of the head, and isn't holding down the coil pack. I went to Home Depot and picked up screw a little longer ( #7 is smaller) and it works fine in regards to holding down the coil pack. My question is what grade should the screw be for the coil pack ? thanks.
I need some assistance. I have a 2000 Ford Expedition, the screw for coil pack #7 is a little stripped at the beginning of the head, and isn't holding down the coil pack. I went to Home Depot and picked up screw a little longer ( #7 is smaller) and it works fine in regards to holding down the coil pack. My question is what grade should the screw be for the coil pack ? thanks.
for that application grade five is fine as it is not holding down anything under tension. all you need it to do is just hold the coil pack in place. where you need the heavier duty grade eight and higher bolts is where teh bolts themselves are subject to wear, such as in a suspension component, or where the bolt is under heavy tension, such as a cylinder head bolt.
All good hardware stores have grade 5 and 8 and good grades in metric, NAPA, Pep Boys, VIP Auto, Auto Zone, O' Rielly's etc etc.
Sunsprit is right...
My local hardware store has stainless fitting and chromed fittings too. Motorcycle quality, and better than oem.
The only place I got better quality hardware than Home depot, Ace, etc was when I was in the Air Force and could get aircraft grade bolts off benchstock :-) Just remember not to use Titanium bolts to connect metal with cadmium alloy in it (most good quality tools have a cadmium alloy in them).
Seriously the main thing (as others have stated) is to make sure that the hardware you are using meets or exceeds the standards of the original hardware. There have been occasional problems with counterfeit hardware entering into the supplychains but your best defense against that is to buy from known reliable sources and the Major chains have as good a program to protect their reputation as anyone in that regard.
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