Replacement nuts and bolts for suspension parts

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lairdwd

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So I'm gonna do a suspension tuneup (me or the mechanic), and some of the bolts and nuts holding the parts on my 93 altima are corroded on, and new ones will be needed.

Nissan wants upwards of $8 for a basic hex-bolt. I have the nissan part numbers, but they don't give the specs.

Am I over thinking this? Should I just go out and eyeball the item or take some measurements to get the appropriate replacement? I am aware of the need to get a high-grade steel. I want to bring the mechanic a nice little baggie of the nuts and bolts so he doesn't have to go shopping himself.
 
I would think grade 8 bolts and lock nuts would be more than adequate.
They should cost cents a-piece.
 
factory bolts,ect. are sometimes a special length. a off the shelf bolt may put threads on a tab and rub the tab so it will grind part of tab and make repairs hard. or a nut have a special dia that is needed ,cause it has no washer, a off the shelf nut will load the tab in to small of an area, causing excess war iam not a suspension expert, i just play one on tv
 
Most shops have a guy that comes around every couple weeks and checks the nut and bolt storage bins and fills them as needed. They usually have a nice selection on hand of the correct grade. Plus I would stay clear of the generic made in China junk that many of the hardware stores carry. OK for the bird feeder but not for my family's lives.
 
If the old ones come off they'll go back together. If they break, well, there you go. I'd leave it up to the mechanic.

Stuff like strut pinch bolts should be okay; the grade 10.9 stuff might surface rust but stays solid through the rest of the life of the car.
 
Woe unto those whom replace factory high stress point fasteners with aftermarket trash !! I have worked with nuts/bolts and fasteners in general for years (17 in fact) now, and have seen what happens when you use the incorrect grade, or even the correct grade chine garbage they will stamp anything on the head etc. I have seen the use of stainless in place of regular carbon/ other high strength bolts with the thought of corrosion protection, yet stainless fasteners are usually junk.. and few times will you see a stainless fastener in a high stress point...

What I'm saying is either do a whole bunch of research, in the correct grade, bolt type length etc... and do not purchase junk low priced high grade bolts etc.. I would purchase from the manufacture if I were you.
 
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There may be special length bolts, special metallurgy (i.e. a designed failure point), one-time stretch bolts, different kinds of locking nuts, nuts with built in free-wheeling washers. Have you looked at the factory service manual and seen the instruction "replace nut" or what-have-you?

You're saving all kinds of money by DIY, use the right parts. Spray some anti-corrosion stuff on your new set so they don't rust.
 
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Originally Posted By: kelpie
I'm surprised no one mentioned the pick n pull junkyard.



Because he would still be using old bolts when he wants new.
 
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
There may be special length bolts, special metallurgy (i.e. a designed failure point), one-time stretch bolts, different kinds of locking nuts, nuts with built in free-wheeling washers. Have you looked at the factory service manual and seen the instruction "replace nut" or what-have-you?

You're saving all kinds of money by DIY, use the right parts. Spray some anti-corrosion stuff on your new set so they don't rust.




This guy hit the nail on the head. OEMS take special care when selecting fasteners - especially critical ones. I'd bite the bullet and buy from the dealer.
 
They could be replaced with off the shelf parts that would perform up to standard,but checking length,thread pitch,etc.. would be a timely procedure at best,whats the time frame for completion? Can it be done?
 
DSCN7203.jpg


Am I the only wierdo with a misc bolts pile?

My fasteners are from the land of salt, and while a bunch of stuff is accidentally oiled I've had pretty good luck even on the undercarriage with 15 year old stuff.

Lowes and HD are pretty bad with metric fasteners, only having them in cheezy grades. ACE is a little better.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
DSCN7203.jpg


Am I the only wierdo with a misc bolts pile?

My fasteners are from the land of salt, and while a bunch of stuff is accidentally oiled I've had pretty good luck even on the undercarriage with 15 year old stuff.

Lowes and HD are pretty bad with metric fasteners, only having them in cheezy grades. ACE is a little better.



Looks like my pile of "just in case I need 'em" fasteners. LOL! I agree with you - my local ACE has an awesome fastener isle!
 
When the lower balljoint pinch bolt had to be destroyed to be removed, and stripped because of the amazing geneous that used a torx instead of a hex head. Anyways the markings said it was a grade 10 bolt so I replaced it with such, no harm done as long as it fits correctly.
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy

Of course not. No OEM does. But the spec is what is important and the dealer part is certain to be the correct part.


Door trim pad retaining fasteners made by Aveco were an EXACT match to the dealer's stock. Transmission pan bolts made by Rockford were an EXACT match to the factory pan bolts. And I most definitely did not get those from a hardware store....
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: GMBoy

Of course not. No OEM does. But the spec is what is important and the dealer part is certain to be the correct part.


Door trim pad retaining fasteners made by Aveco were an EXACT match to the dealer's stock. Transmission pan bolts made by Rockford were an EXACT match to the factory pan bolts. And I most definitely did not get those from a hardware store....


True, but we're talking SUSPENSION bolts that require certain hardness and strenght. If you doorpad or transmission pan fastener breaks, who cares...but a suspension bolt? Bad news.

And - how do you know that Aveco or Rockford were not the OEM supplier anyhow? They could of been.
 
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