What grade of bolt should I use on my factory reciever hitch? I had to take the hitch off when I added my ranchhand style bumper. I built some spacers out of 1/2" metal and I would like to put it back on. I would like it to be as strong as possible so what grade and size bolt would you guys recommend? Thank you very much.
Will [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
When I was shopping for recievers a month ago everything I saw except ONE had 1/2" bolts to attach to the frame. And the oddball had 9/16". And I replaced all the hardware with fine thread grade 8 with the proper grade 8 flatwashers & lock washers.
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Denny
'96 F-250 Reg. Cab 4X4 5-sp POWERSTROKE
294,000 mi & NO Problems, LUK Clutch, and the Cat is buried in the back yard!
My factory hitch that Ford put on my PSD uses eight 10.9 metric (Grade 8 equivalent) bolts. Don't know their size, but they appear to be somewhat larger than 1/2".
I wouldn't consider anything under Grade 5. Depending on load/etc grade 5 might be enough. With G 8 being only slightly more I really would look at them.
In all honesty, for the cost of Grade 8, why look at anything else? Of course, we have a bolt bin in our shop on the farm, and we only buy Grade 8. Sure, you might get by with G5, but the risk is not worth saving a few bucks on 8 bolts. I tend to be a little overkill...
I don't think you can overkill something like this.
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Kevin L. Mnt Airy, NC.
2000 Ford F350 4X4 Auto,Crew Cab Lariat, Western Hauler Package, Long bed,
Isspro EV Guages on A-Pillar, Coolant change from Green to Gold to Red,
SCT XCalibrator2 with DP's 60 tow,80 econo,120 Race
Fumoto Valve, Marinco Mod, Homemade CCV MOD,Fuel Neck Mod, KMC Wheels at all 4's
Monroe Reflex Shoxs, SS/Kevlar Brake Lines,
FTVB from Greg Evans,Ford AIS Intake
Coolant filter,Walker BTM, Attwood Gooseneck ball flush mount,6.0 cooler, 2002 headlights & corners
Zoodad Mod,Cyro'd Powerslots and Hawks LTS Pads. 2005 front grill
Turbo Lifesaver, Infinity Refrence x4, powered by Infinity Reference amp, sounds awesome!!
Towing a 2005 HORNET 30BHSS 8500 LBS,
Stopping it with a Prodigy P3 Controller
Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Trucks With Generic Tunes!!
Doesn't matter how much you spend if you don't get the right torque.
Yeah, I'm one of "those" people. I'm the life at the party. However, [knock on wood] my stuff tends to stay together. I've been learnt the hard way that it's cheap insurance to spend a few extra bucks on the fasteners and a few extra minutes with the torque wrench.
Grade 8 is Great! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]
If you really want to aspire to my level of "anality" ... try using 12.9 socket-head capscrews -- as long as you don't need a hex on the head. They make Grade 8 look weak.
Keep the threads out of the hole, get the right size bolt so that nothing but shank is in the interface. Even if you have to use some GROUND flat washers to make up the difference. Use the biggest bolt and the finest thread (this makes the effective diameter larger) and torque to spec.
In general, if the male part is the weakest, use fine thread. If the female part is the weakest, use coarse thread. For instance, studs in cast iron or aluminum ... coarse thread is better. When it's strictly clamping, use fine thread and matching grade nuts.
Bigger is better ... or so my wife tells me, and she's an engineer too and designs torque couplings with torque-to-yield fasteners for a living. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
-steve
"May your nuts be big, strong, tight, and never rust..."
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S.A McChesney
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'72 BMW 2002tii Fprod Race Car --- '82 Bitter SC 5-spd
'01 Volvo V70 T5 5spd, The Official SCCA Volvo Historic Racing Series Pace Car
'95 EB 351 Bronco --- '69 Lotus Europa --- '87 Merkur XR4ti --- '85 Bitter SC 3.9</font> '02 F350 Lariat CC Dually Longbed PSD 4x4 6spd
Tekonsha Prodigy -- Icom 2100H -- Retrax -- B&W Turnover 5er Kingpin -- Letter to Santa "US Gear" . . .
32' invert 5er Britton/Transport Sys 12K GVWR Toybox,Honda 3kw Gen,Fridge,Micro,5kw Inverter,ColemanPolarCub
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Mine attaches to the frame with 4, 5/8's grade 9's
along with two kickers that attach to the frame with 4, 1/2" grade 8's, and to the bumper with 2, 1/2" grade 9's
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I just checked My MACHINIST'S HANDBOOK and It doesn't list a Grade 9. There's an SAE Grade 8.2, and ASTM A490 Type 1 and Type 2. ASTM A354 Grade BD has the same head marking as SAE Grade 8.
I've bought enough threaded fasteners in My Purchasing carreer to know You can get special fasteners, typically closed die hot forged & machined with rolled threads that can exceed the yield & tensile of Grade 8 by up to double....
I can't figure out what type of fastener Your talking about.
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Denny
'96 F-250 Reg. Cab 4X4 5-sp POWERSTROKE
294,000 mi & NO Problems, LUK Clutch, and the Cat is buried in the back yard!
There's a grade called L9, which has a higher tensile (180,000 Psi) than Grade 8, plus I beleive it specifies I higher level of corrosion resistance, crack resistance, etc.
It's so-called "severe duty" version of Grade 8, and it may be a proprietary specification. SAE may not choose to adopt it or perhaps it's still under review.
I used one single huge L9 bolt 1-1/2" x 8" to hold the inverted 5th wheel to my trailer neck. Nice bolt! Cold-rolled, cad-plated, fine thread, yada yada. I think it was close to $30. The 'L' may stand for Lake Erie, which was the manufacturer of that particular bolt. They may have written their own specification to promote their fasteners which far exceed Grade 8, but otherwise fall in between established SAE specifications.
For lager bolts, over 3/4 inch I use A325 (convince factor in play. I keep them in the shop for structural steel erection) smaller hardware that used in severe applications I get from the local Caterpillar tractor dealer.
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1994 7.3 I.D.I. Navistar 444 CI
ATS Factory TURBO E4OD Red On white Crew Cab DRW 4:10 w/ AUBURN LIMITED SLIP
3" ATS Exhaust and turbo housing, Banks Trans Command, calibrated pump, K&N filter, Gruss style coolant filter, 203K+MI not a lick of trouble with the motor. now on 16th trans. 10 under factory 100K mile warranty
Alpine CVA-7878 XM radio 6cd changer 3 8" phoenix gold subs 75x4 Sony mobile ES gold 4ch amp, Sony 500W 1ch amp MB quart components in Q forms kick panels. 1 farad cap.
Pro car parts jewel cut headlamps and turn signals
APC clear cab markers, suvlights.com harness silverstar bulbs and L.E.D.'s in the fenders. IT's paid for and its MINE!
Family Toys and tools,
00'F350 psd CC Drw 2wd Bright Amber Western Hauler
SOLD 01' Peterbilt 330 4Dr. Texas trucks conversion cAt 350hp
02' Psd Excursion Limited ultimate Estate Green helliwig swaybar 101K miles
1996 fetherlite 4 horse GN, 2003 sooner 6 horse GN with midtack
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Mine attaches to the frame with 4, 5/8's grade 9's
along with two kickers that attach to the frame with 4, 1/2" grade 8's, and to the bumper with 2, 1/2" grade 9's
[/ QUOTE ]
I just checked My MACHINIST'S HANDBOOK and It doesn't list a Grade 9. There's an SAE Grade 8.2, and ASTM A490 Type 1 and Type 2. ASTM A354 Grade BD has the same head marking as SAE Grade 8.
I've bought enough threaded fasteners in My Purchasing carreer to know You can get special fasteners, typically closed die hot forged & machined with rolled threads that can exceed the yield & tensile of Grade 8 by up to double....
I can't figure out what type of fastener Your talking about.
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being an engineer myself, I looked through my SAE books to find the same as you, they don't really exist, as far as the ASTM is concered.
But basicly there is two "grade 9" bolts out there, the F-911 and the L9
Both of them are 180,000psi bolts.
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88' F-350 reg cab, SRW, 4x4.
7.3/ZF5, 4.10's and 33's, rear locker,
banks turbo, 3.5" straight pipe, pump maxed, and advanced 2 degrees.
89' F-150, 351, 435, dual T-cases, rear discs, front electric winch, PTO winch rear, OBA, 40's
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For lager bolts, over 3/4 inch I use A325 (convince factor in play. I keep them in the shop for structural steel erection)
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Not a bad bolt, but designed exactly for what you mentioned - structural clamping. Bridges, buildings, etc. Hot-dipped/galvanized according to specification. Always coarse thread. Not really an automotive bolt, however, and substantially less tensile strength than SAE Grade 8. Especially when you can increase the effective diameter with fine thread and still put it in the same size hole. Plus, there is no "A325" specification for nuts... in fact, there is no such thing as an A325 nut. The nuts should always be at least as good as the bolts, or the bolt quality is rendered meaningless.
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