Stainless Steel bolts
03-19-2021, 04:00 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Even without knowing why you're interested in stainless steel wheel bolts, I'd caution that you be sure the product you're purchasing meets Porsche specs. There could be a world of difference between a mass seller in China (Or anywhere else) stating that said bolts "fit" Porsche vehicles and the bolts actually meeting Porsche specifications. Using off-brand connectors for non-safety related functions is one thing. Wheel bolts, an essential safety item, are a "whole 'nother story." Be careful.
Terry
Terry
03-19-2021, 05:21 PM
#3
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Speaking strictly from a materials standpoint, stainless steel is weaker than regular steel... so for a given size, the stainless bolt will be weaker. I could dig into the numbers but that seems like a very risky proposition.
As fpr the "China" matter... let's be honest, most raw material comes from China, so that, alone, is hardly a reason to say no to these. However, quality control is the key... when you buy from Ebay, you don't know what sort of control they have on the materials or the manufacturing. So, ignore the "made in China" stuff, and focus more on the brand... look for one that has quality... that's the important thing. Particularly for a part that's so important to safety!
If you look at most lugnuts, the quality "stainless" ones are actually stainless CAPPED, with steel underneath for the real work. Clearly there's a reason they do this... so unless you're going to look into the math carefully, I'd say don't go with fully-stainless hardware.
EDIT: There's a reason we engineers don't use stainless everywhere... and it's not because we're lazy or cheap.
As fpr the "China" matter... let's be honest, most raw material comes from China, so that, alone, is hardly a reason to say no to these. However, quality control is the key... when you buy from Ebay, you don't know what sort of control they have on the materials or the manufacturing. So, ignore the "made in China" stuff, and focus more on the brand... look for one that has quality... that's the important thing. Particularly for a part that's so important to safety!
If you look at most lugnuts, the quality "stainless" ones are actually stainless CAPPED, with steel underneath for the real work. Clearly there's a reason they do this... so unless you're going to look into the math carefully, I'd say don't go with fully-stainless hardware.
EDIT: There's a reason we engineers don't use stainless everywhere... and it's not because we're lazy or cheap.
Last edited by Schwinn; 03-19-2021 at 05:24 PM.
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Paul Quilter (03-21-2021)
03-19-2021, 05:30 PM
#4
I just don't like the black bolts on silver wheels, I'm not tied to S/S, I just want the bolts to match the wheels....I suppose I could wire brush and paint them silver hmmmm...
03-20-2021, 11:09 AM
#5
03-20-2021, 09:16 PM
#6
Drifting
Many of us use titanium Porsche bolts from reputable sources such as this or others for this very reason https://www.acerracing.com/collections/porsche
"Be careful with titanium fasteners of any kind. The reason is that titanium is particularly prone to galling and if you've ever had to remove a fastener that has galled in the threads you'll know what I mean. Titanium has twice the friction coefficient compared to steel so the chance of galling a fastener is greatly increased.
ALWAYS make sure that the tapped hole and the threads are clean and that you start the bolts by hand to make sure you don't get any chance of cross threading or damaging the threads. NEVER use an impact wrench or drill to run in the fastener because you can generate heat which can start the galling process.
If the manufacturer of the fastener recommends a lubricant use what they recommend and ALWAYS use the torque that is recommended, which may well be different than what was used for the steel fastener due to the difference in friction as well as the different material strength.
NEVER use a titanium fastener with a stainless steel threaded mating part. Stainless and titanium are horrible and gall together and frequently make a mess of things.
Other than looking cool there really isn't much benefit from going to ti lug bolts. As someone above noted the lug bolts are so close to the center of rotation that there isn't much rotational inertia improvement, and if you could notice the difference of 6 pounds in the car, even with a stop watch you're ready to be an F1 driver.
If you are a track rat and are changing tires often you're asking for more trouble than they are worth because you're running those lugs in and out a lot and that's when you stand a chance of galling a fastener. In that case I'd be using a thread lubricant (tiny amount of neversieze) and adjusting torque accordingly."
03-20-2021, 09:38 PM
#7
Drifting
https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-i...d-galling.aspx
The protective oxide film can be rubbed or scraped off under the pressure and movement of the fastener being tightened. When this happens these relatively soft metals come into direct contact. Friction increases and the chance of galling increases significantly.
Why Are Stainless Bolts Prone to Galling?
Stainless, aluminum, and titanium fasteners form thin protective oxide films on their exposed surfaces that prevent corrosion. In addition, this coating reduces friction and prevents direct metal to metal contact during fastening.The protective oxide film can be rubbed or scraped off under the pressure and movement of the fastener being tightened. When this happens these relatively soft metals come into direct contact. Friction increases and the chance of galling increases significantly.
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03-21-2021, 10:54 AM
#8
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/th....476784/page-2
"Be careful with titanium fasteners of any kind. The reason is that titanium is particularly prone to galling and if you've ever had to remove a fastener that has galled in the threads you'll know what I mean. Titanium has twice the friction coefficient compared to steel so the chance of galling a fastener is greatly increased.
ALWAYS make sure that the tapped hole and the threads are clean and that you start the bolts by hand to make sure you don't get any chance of cross threading or damaging the threads. NEVER use an impact wrench or drill to run in the fastener because you can generate heat which can start the galling process.
If the manufacturer of the fastener recommends a lubricant use what they recommend and ALWAYS use the torque that is recommended, which may well be different than what was used for the steel fastener due to the difference in friction as well as the different material strength.
NEVER use a titanium fastener with a stainless steel threaded mating part. Stainless and titanium are horrible and gall together and frequently make a mess of things.
Other than looking cool there really isn't much benefit from going to ti lug bolts. As someone above noted the lug bolts are so close to the center of rotation that there isn't much rotational inertia improvement, and if you could notice the difference of 6 pounds in the car, even with a stop watch you're ready to be an F1 driver.
If you are a track rat and are changing tires often you're asking for more trouble than they are worth because you're running those lugs in and out a lot and that's when you stand a chance of galling a fastener. In that case I'd be using a thread lubricant (tiny amount of neversieze) and adjusting torque accordingly."
"Be careful with titanium fasteners of any kind. The reason is that titanium is particularly prone to galling and if you've ever had to remove a fastener that has galled in the threads you'll know what I mean. Titanium has twice the friction coefficient compared to steel so the chance of galling a fastener is greatly increased.
ALWAYS make sure that the tapped hole and the threads are clean and that you start the bolts by hand to make sure you don't get any chance of cross threading or damaging the threads. NEVER use an impact wrench or drill to run in the fastener because you can generate heat which can start the galling process.
If the manufacturer of the fastener recommends a lubricant use what they recommend and ALWAYS use the torque that is recommended, which may well be different than what was used for the steel fastener due to the difference in friction as well as the different material strength.
NEVER use a titanium fastener with a stainless steel threaded mating part. Stainless and titanium are horrible and gall together and frequently make a mess of things.
Other than looking cool there really isn't much benefit from going to ti lug bolts. As someone above noted the lug bolts are so close to the center of rotation that there isn't much rotational inertia improvement, and if you could notice the difference of 6 pounds in the car, even with a stop watch you're ready to be an F1 driver.
If you are a track rat and are changing tires often you're asking for more trouble than they are worth because you're running those lugs in and out a lot and that's when you stand a chance of galling a fastener. In that case I'd be using a thread lubricant (tiny amount of neversieze) and adjusting torque accordingly."