stainless steal vs 5 grade bolts...

TURF1-RYC

i just did a 8'' lift to my cc carry all.. all the spring and shackle bolts on the rear end were corroded and rusty.. i desided to replace them with stainless steal 6 1/2'' bolts.. so the question is now.. how much better or worse is stainless than a grade 5 bolt?.. or should i take them off and go with grade 8?... i dont plan to be rough on my cart,, but one never knows...i went with stainless because it looks better and i could not find grade 5 at my local hardware store.. i know my local machine shop has grade 8.... whats your input? thanks

BGW

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scottyb

The harder a bolt is the more brittle they are.....it is not always appropriate to use a harder bolt. And stainless steel is stainless because it has nickle in it. There are any strengths and grades of stainless.... Sorry this doesn't answer your Q directly just giving some bolt information....My gut feeling is your choice is probably just fine. Keep an eye on them for a while

jmz

What he said .

TURF1-RYC

thanks, that what i figured.. i should be fine.. it it was on an f350 ford,, then yeah,, grade 5 or 8 what ever it calls for. this cart will make it to the redneck yatch club here in central florida, but im just gonna watch other people tear up their trucks and buggies, mine will just get a lil splas of water or mud at the most,, i dont plan of being rough on it..

KRAZYMATT

where is this yacht club at im in cfl and like to raise a little hell every once in awhile... haha

TURF1-RYC

It's 44570 Bermont Rd. Punta Gorda Fl, 33982......http://WWW.REDNECKYACHTCLUBFL.COM

MikeJohnson

Just a FYI.

Grade 5
1/4 thru 1
Proof Load(psi) 85,000
Min. Yield Strength(psi) 92,000
Min. Tensile Strength(psi)120,000

Grade 8
1/4 thru 1-1/2
Proof Load(psi) 120,000
Min. Yield Strength(psi) 130,000
Min. Tensile Strength(psi)150,000

18-8 Stainless
Steel alloy with 17-19% Chromium and 8-13% Nickel
1/4 thru 5/8
Min. Yield Strength(psi) 40,000 Min. 80,000 – 90,000 Typical
Min. Tensile Strength(psi)100,000 – 125,000 Typical

So S/S is just under a Grade 5 bolt.

I'm Nuts about Bolts.....

TURF1-RYC

WOW. Mike, thanks a lot.. that's some great info..

kellys~hotrods

While this is true, the shackle bolts are in double shear, effectively doubling each bolt's shear capacity. Failure due to fatigue is not likely here, and as a rule I like to use grade 8 hardware for suspension components. Failure due to fracture, hole elongation, or unzipping may be more likely with the harder bolts but it all depends on what they are subjected to. As for the corrosion, most of the grade 8 bolts I find locally have a protective rust inhibiting coating. Even if you select the stainless bolts, they too can eventually corrode especially where they contact mild steel (the mild steel can impregnate the stainless steel matrix and help to start a localized corrosion site). With a shackle bolt on a golf cart, I don't think you could go particularly wrong with stainless or grade 8. Good luck with your project and let us know what you decide!


Kelly

rocko

Ironic I read this thread today as I had to buy 1/2 by 7 stainless steel bolts yesterday for a project , I didn't talk to the salesman about tensile strength, but did get into a coversation about quailty , being a boat owner I have bought a lot of stainless over the years and noticed that some would attrack to a magnet and some didn't , I asked why and the answer was that there are many different combinations of alloyies that make up stainless and the percentages of different mixes makes different quailities , for non- corrosion purposes 316 is high on the list , the 440 and so on , and the tensile strength changes with the mix --------------------from past experiences I have noticed that cheaper stainless bolts break off very easiliy , and better bolts tender to bend first -----------------I once tried putting stainless bolts in the leaf springs and tthey bent up and almosted sheered off -----------I think you would be ok , if they failed I don't think nothing would get damaged