• bilcoh
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  • Registered: 2018-07-02
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Topic: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

Hey gang:

Looking for a portable nut/bolt bin (metric) to have on hand for races for trackside repairs.  Not sure it needs to be 1,000's of pieces, but would like it to have a decent assortment, including washers.

Obviously, I can build my own at the hardware store, but was hoping for a pre-made kit being cheaper. 

Also, anyone think this needs to be a minimum grade quality?  I'm sure Grade 8 is overkill since it I don't expect to be using this for suspension or engine components.

Thanks,

Dave

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

Good ones will not be cheap. I remember buying a kit for my old 924S when I was much younger and it was at least $100 for a small assortment.

I've built my own assortment just from pulling parts cars and engines apart. I have no idea where I've gotten so many, didn't start collecting on purpose, but at this point I have almost any bolt I could need, all OEM grade.


Things like washers can be done cheap and easy through mcmaster. You can buy a pack of 100 for under $10 in any size. Nuts you can do similar, but a touch more expensive. It's the bolts that will end up costing more.

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  • Mick25
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Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

^^^ THIS

Any bolt you need can be had from parts cars, or just leisurely strolls thru a pullapart.  My current bolt collection takes two people to load and unload it from the trailer.  Four Z cars, multiple VW's, and 3 1/2 Beemers contributed to the collection over the past 20 years.  As far as larger diameter washers/generic stuff, check out Tractor Supply, Agri farm stores, or online like McMaster, Grainger, Fastenal.  Then, get a STRONG tub/tote to carry all of it in.

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  • bilcoh
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Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

<hitches thumbs under suspenders, rocks back in chair, looks off into the distance>

I remember when I was a young lad.  My nuts were so small, I could hold them in one hand.  Jostle 'em about, rotate 'em between mah fingers, carry them with ease.

<looks down from the porch, stares straight into the eyes of his young charge>

But now?  Well, now, my nuts are so big and heavy I dad gum need a wheelbarrow to haul 'em around.  And a STRONG wheelbarrow at that.  Sometimes need a friend to haul 'em around.

You want big nuts, you say?  Much, much bigger than you have right now?  Well, can't say there's any way to get bigger nuts 'cept time and patience.  You add size and weight nice and slow, one little bit at a time, till before you know it, you been growing yer nuts for nigh on 20 years.  You don't know how, you don't know xactly when, but suddenly you got the biggest nuts in the county.

If you need big nuts now, well, I'm not sure what ta say.  Buy 'em?  Gonna cost ya.  A boatload. 

<spits, looks off into the distance again>

<g> 

Thanks for the ideas.

  • From: Wilmington, NC
  • Registered: 2016-08-14
  • Posts: 46

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

bilcoh wrote:

Looking for a portable nut/bolt bin (metric) to have on hand for races for trackside repairs.  Not sure it needs to be 1,000's of pieces, but would like it to have a decent assortment, including washers.


Like others have said, just take nuts and bolts from similar cars in the junkyard. You won't need 1000's of pieces to replace fasteners on your model since there is usually some commonly found sizes on each design. Unless you have a German car, and then you'll have 1000's of unique pieces that can ONLY be found on your specific model.

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  • Registered: 2015-05-13
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Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

If you are running a Japanese car there will be a bunch of special metric bolts and almost none of the ones off a German car will work.

  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

moparfan wrote:

If you are running a Japanese car there will be a bunch of special metric bolts and almost none of the ones off a German car will work.

Learned similar when running both the RX7 and XJ12.

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  • From: Newport News, VA
  • Registered: 2015-12-23
  • Posts: 618

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

The other thing to keep in mind is that often the specialness of the fastener isn't as important as many would have you believe. A torx screw can usually be replaced with an allen screw (or maybe even a regular bolt) and reduce the number of fasteners and tools you have to cart along. If you have weird shoulder screws, don't lose them!

That guy
  • gunn
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  • Registered: 2010-12-18
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Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

I went OCD a few months ago, bought a bolt and nut thread-checker, and then went about organizing all of my nuts/bolts I had loosely organized into a "small", medium, and large bolts.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Nut-Bolt-Thread- … 2683338330

The results went into a few PLANO fishing tackle trays that cost $3.50/ea at Walmart.
I now know which ones are metric, which ones are standard, and their exact sizes.
Most of them came from disassembling a few donor cars.
-g

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  • Registered: 2017-05-10
  • Posts: 43

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

gunn wrote:

I went OCD a few months ago, bought a bolt and nut thread-checker, and then went about organizing all of my nuts/bolts I had loosely organized into a "small", medium, and large bolts.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Nut-Bolt-Thread- … 2683338330

The results went into a few PLANO fishing tackle trays that cost $3.50/ea at Walmart.
I now know which ones are metric, which ones are standard, and their exact sizes.
Most of them came from disassembling a few donor cars.
-g

That thread checker device is brilliant.

Note: 10mm X 1mm threaded bolts will kinda sorta almost let a 3/8" X 26tpi nut thread on to them. Until it doesn't.

As far as getting a collection started - I cheated, and picked up a coffee can full of old nuts and bolts at an estate sale for $5.

11 Reply by jbl

  • jbl
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Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

RandolphCarter wrote:

picked up a coffee can full of old nuts and bolts at an estate sale for $5.

*frantically looking for coffee cans*

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  • From: South of Chicago
  • Registered: 2011-11-26
  • Posts: 750

Re: Recommendations for metric nut/bolt kits?

RandolphCarter wrote:
gunn wrote:

I went OCD a few months ago, bought a bolt and nut thread-checker, and then went about organizing all of my nuts/bolts I had loosely organized into a "small", medium, and large bolts.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Nut-Bolt-Thread- … 2683338330

The results went into a few PLANO fishing tackle trays that cost $3.50/ea at Walmart.
I now know which ones are metric, which ones are standard, and their exact sizes.
Most of them came from disassembling a few donor cars.
-g

That thread checker device is brilliant.

Note: 10mm X 1mm threaded bolts will kinda sorta almost let a 3/8" X 26tpi nut thread on to them. Until it doesn't.

As far as getting a collection started - I cheated, and picked up a coffee can full of old nuts and bolts at an estate sale for $5.


This almost caught me and I consider my self expert on determining what kind of bolt and thread I'm looking at.
I used 3/8-24 where a 10MM X 1 should have gone.  I caught my mistake before any problems occurred.  This was to attach a driveshaft to an axle.