New bolts or old bolts?

[forestb]

I removed the bolts that hold my trailing arms in and the bolts that hold my coils to the trailing arms. If I replace them with new bolts will grade 6 bolts from the hardware store be as strong as the originals?

[69chevytrucker]

no such thing as grade 6 just 5 or 8 or 10.9

[forestb]

Sorry I meant grade 8.

[Boedean1981]

Me personally I would use new bolts. Just due to the rust and grime factor. I bought all new bolts for our front end assembly. Made it a lot easier to go back together.

To each their own. If they are in good condition then you may just want to use the old ones. Heck they have lasted this long what's another few decades.

[spookylynx]

If there is one thing I have learned from Jeeps and four wheeling over the years, it is always replace suspension bolts. There is a lot of stress on them and a failure could get ugly.

I replaced all of my bolts with grade 8, the nice thing is everything on these trucks is standard SAE size and available anywhere that sells hardware. Good peace of mind.

[jayoldschool]

I couldn't get the bolts for the trailing arms at Lowe's or Home Depot. Had to go to Fastenal, and buy a four pack. Grade 8, nice cad plating. Expensive.

[69chevytrucker]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

I couldn't get the bolts for the trailing arms at Lowe's or Home Depot. Had to go to Fastenal, and buy a four pack. Grade 8, nice cad plating. Expensive.

thats cause you shopped at fastenal you are in ont you think there would be a better place then those crooks i used to sell bolts and ya cad plating is super $$$$ and is for spec bolt app for bridges buildings industrial equip etc so i guess the good thing is the bolts were super strong ones just 5 or 10 time the cost.

[padresag]

Grade 8 bolts are not necessarily the answer for a lot of applications.sometimes you want the bolt to wear or break before something else does. grade 8 bolts are overkill in most cases on a vehicle
HD truck dealerships are usually a good place for fasteners along with agricultural. Acklands/Grainger and most automotive parts places
ron

[siggyfreud]

That's a good point. Grade 8 will snap whereas a lower grade will bend. Sometimes having it bend rather than shear is ideal.
Posted via Mobile Device

[padresag]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

That's a good point. Grade 8 will snap whereas a lower grade will bend. Sometimes having it bend rather than shear is ideal.
Posted via Mobile Device

also in the era in which they were new vehicles were serviced quite regular which doesn't happen any more. it was done every couple thousand miles. most can't imagine that today; cars don't have grease fittings any more,do they? if you were doing lube and oils in those days properly, you went through everything pretty well. you were eyes and ears for the customer telling them of impending problems and getting their service work. these guys were the red lights that you now depend upon when something goes for a dump. usually they spotted it before it happened.
people check very few things these days on anything. they wait till it happens and then replace it
ro