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Strong Bolts

N

nolosses4

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Raleigh, NC
I took the doors off my '94 xj (two door). I looked at all the projectxj stuff and took out all the pins but one which i couldn't get out. I bought 3 6mm x 1.0 x 40mm steel/zinc plated bolts from Lowes. On the top of the bolt it says "8.8" which I assume means that it's grade 8.8. On the passenger side where i took out both pins and replaced with two bolts the door lines up perfect and there is no bending in the bolts. On the drivers side though i wasn't able to get the top pin out and i replaced the bottom pin with a bolt. This bolt bends causing the door to be out of line. I need to know if there is any other bolt/pin that is stronger than what i have. Any suggestions as to how to fix the bending, alignment or get the top pin out would be much appreciated.
 
8.8 grade is pretty strong...but if you need something stronger, try an automotive or industrial bolt store (yellow pages) they know all the grades offhand, and if it is made in that size, they will have it.
 
You can try a local auto parts store and ask for a grade 8 bolt such as Autozone or O'riellys. They usually do not have them on display the counter clerk will have to get them from behind the counter. Hardware stores do not usually have grade 8 bolts or anything comparble to their strength.
 
If the bolt is bending, the hinge is out of alignment. Did you loosen or remove the hinges when you were removing the original hinge pins? I think you need to loosen the three torx bolts holding the hinge to the door, cycle the door a couple of times to get the two parts of the hinge aligned, then tighten things down again.
 
if you have an aircraft supply store close you get really strong bolts way stronger than 12.9 or grade 8

Dingo
 
afd516 said:
Hardware stores do not usually have grade 8 bolts or anything comparble to their strength.
Click to expand...
Dunno what you consider a hardware store around your area, but ACE is a great place for that type of hardware....
 
Yucca-Man said:
Dunno what you consider a hardware store around your area, but ACE is a great place for that type of hardware....
Click to expand...
I went to lowes and home depot and specifically asked for grade 8 or comapeable and was told by both to try the auto parts store. I needed some bolts for my lawn mower (I mow commercially) and that is what I was told. The auto stores had them. I will give you that most of the employees at those stores don't know what they are talking about anyway (or don't know what I am talking about).
 
Ahhh...that 'splains quite a bit. Home Depot and Lowe's don't have much in the way of "bits n'pieces" hardware like that. Their fastener selection has never really impressed me - I know it's a full row but it's still pretty minimal for stuff like this. Add to that, I don't trust that their graded bolts are really up to par and I'll shop at ACE, Fastenal, or other slightly more reliable places that don't deal in mass-produced Chinese crap.
 
Fastenal usually has a great selection, and if they don't have it they can order it fast. The only problem is that most of the bolts or fasteners I go in there looking for have a minimum purchase count that's too high for what I need. I went in looking for some particular stainless screws and found that I would have to buy at least 150....
 
I'm another one who is skeptical of the idea that your problem is the bolt grade. You could probably put a mild steel rod in there and it wouldn't bend. Has the bolt actually bent and the bend is visible to the eye after you pull it out? It seems weird to me, the doors don't weigh a great deal. Grade 5 or 8.8 bolts are usually strong enough to mount a winch, it seems pretty strange to me that they would bend in an application where they have such limited movement. Are you sure your door isn't sagging because the shim was removed from the hinge and the bolt just doesn't fit as tightly as the hingepin? Unless the bolt fits the holes as tight as the original, it doesn't surprise me that the door would sag a bit, and therefore not line up perfectly. Just a thought....
 
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