I have an aftermarket bumper and the way the bolt sits is just a little bit off. I've been sitting outside will a metal file. I have a new Grade 8 7/16 -4in bolt. I'm hoping that the little bit of metal is the problem though not very hopeful. Chinese counterfit bolts? I bought the Grade 8 hardware from the local auto parts store. Ill keep you posted. Thanks everybody.

 

Does the parts house get their stuff from China? A lot of Dorman stuff is.

If I'm in a hurry, I go to Fastenal. If I'm getting shop stock, I'll usually order it from MSC Direct. Unbrako or Holo-Krome is about as good as it gets, for SAE/ISO stuff. You want better than that? ARP "superalloys" - they're stronger than SAE L9/ISO12.9.

 

any updates on this?

 

The best advice. Thank you. The challenge is how to identify the Chinese crappy parts so you can avoid buying them. Any tips on that would be appreciated.

 

Known sources.

My local hardware store changed their line a couple of years ago - their fastener buyer got an earful from me (that was the "stripping the threads off of a 5/16"-18 capscrew going into cast iron with 20lb-ft applied torque" incident - I was replacing an oil pump.) I don't get critical fasteners from them anymore.

Fastenal carries a few lines - high-end ones are "known brand," mid-range ones are "known source," low-end are "from wherever." Get mid-range or high-end.

Order a catalogue from MSC Direct (they're free - www.mscdirect.com,) that will cover most of your common needs. Semi-exotics can be had through McMaster-Carr, exotics can be had through Small Parts, Inc. (mainly exotic materials from them - titanium, tungsten, PEEK, stuff like that. I actually ordered glass screws from them once, some years ago! Electrical application in a corrosive environment.) Neither of the latter two do printed catalogues anymore (I've been using the same McMaster book for 18 years, got it by accident) but the drill-down catalogues on their sites are workable.

Also, look for a decent MRO house locally, as well as a good ag tractor supplier (I've dealt with a few of each - there's a reason I said to find a "decent" MRO house, and I've not known of an ag tractor place to willingly buy ANY Chinese fasteners!) If you've got a large airport handy that handles "General Aviation" (small aircraft, ultralights, and the like,) you can ask around for sources for AN hardware there - that stuff can be tracked to which spadeful of dirt the source ore came from! Order catalogues from Wicks Aircraft and Aircraft Spruce & Supply - the fasteners are a bit different from what you're used to, but still use a Unified thread profile and will cross.

(No, I haven't put any thought into this. Why for do you ask?)

 

Agreed, but that is almost impossible given the China backlash, now boxes of anything simply have to state: "Contains globally sourced parts". One trademark of almost all Asian manufactured fasteners is a two Alpha letter code stamped on the bolt head, nut & washers flip a coin.

 

Some info on the problem and identifying the Chinese junk here:

http://www.choice-distribution.com/bolts.htm

 

Interesting - may have to keep that for reference. I should probably collect headstamps of various manufacturers (just like I collect cartridge headstamps. I've got strange hobbies...)

 

My buddy was having issues with his 90 xj after doing a bumper. We added the reinforcement plate and the binding issues stopped. I was suprised I did not think it would affect anything but on his it did.

 

This is an old thread, but I'll comment because I suspect there are some folks who are experiencing the same.

After experiencing sloppy steering recently, I noticed that my entire steering box looked like it was moving when I tried to turn the front wheels by hand. Digging deeper I found that one of the 3 steering box bolts had snapped and the head half was missing. My frame is also developing a crack in that area.

I suspect that when I get it all apart, I'll find that the aluminum spacer is cracked too. I'll bet that at some time, the aluminum spacer cracked and this allowed the frame to bend is this area. This led to higher stress on one bolt, and it's all downhill from there.

I ordered a steering box plate and brace from Kevin's Offroad and have some new Mopar bolts I collected over the years from the pick-n-pull. This should do the trick.

I wouldn't blame Chinese bolts. If your frame and spacers are in good shape, there should be enough stress on the bolts to break even a grade 5 bolt. We already know that the culprit is a poor design in the frame in this area. Fix that first.