This question is related to my front suspension work but I decided to make it a separate post since it has broader applicability. This is something I have always wondered about and have searched the web for answers, but not found anything definitive. The question is "when does it pay to use Grade 8 bolts?"
Let's take my front suspension as an example. I need to put the lower ball joints in. There I can use both a Grade 8 bolt and a Grade 8 lock nut to hold the joint in place. This one seems like a no brainer to me, but maybe not. Should I go with Grade 8, buy new Grade 5 or just reuse the stock ones?
Now, on to the suspension itself and the 4 bolts that hold it onto the chassis.
Grade 8, Grade 5 or old? I assume the problem here is that the bolts are being screwed into the factory threads in the frame, which are probably Grade 5 at best, but wouldn't a stronger bolt still be better?
Part of my new vs. old question is based on the belief that Grade 5 bolts were better made in 1966 than the ones you get today at Home Depot (or, in my case, Ace Hardware), but I have absolutely nothing to back up that assumption.
So, any advice on this topic will be much appreciated. Like I said, I have wondered about this for a long time.
Let's take my front suspension as an example. I need to put the lower ball joints in. There I can use both a Grade 8 bolt and a Grade 8 lock nut to hold the joint in place. This one seems like a no brainer to me, but maybe not. Should I go with Grade 8, buy new Grade 5 or just reuse the stock ones?
Now, on to the suspension itself and the 4 bolts that hold it onto the chassis.
Grade 8, Grade 5 or old? I assume the problem here is that the bolts are being screwed into the factory threads in the frame, which are probably Grade 5 at best, but wouldn't a stronger bolt still be better?
Part of my new vs. old question is based on the belief that Grade 5 bolts were better made in 1966 than the ones you get today at Home Depot (or, in my case, Ace Hardware), but I have absolutely nothing to back up that assumption.
So, any advice on this topic will be much appreciated. Like I said, I have wondered about this for a long time.