tips on keeping nuts and bolts from rusting?
Posted by adm_butthead@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 8 comments
how do yall keep bolts like this from becoming rust magnets? like i could clean this up and paint the head, but what can i do to clean it up and make it stay clean? i’m in the north east, we have a lot of road salt
johnnyc2601@reddit
I would use some anti seize on the threads and call it a day. Just be prepared for it to get everywhere.
LukeSkyWRx@reddit
Cadmium plating is where it’s at.
Rick_Flare_Up@reddit
Some companies make stainless steel and titanium hardware. Pending on the vehicle you can find full “dress up” kits. Or, you could periodically spray some WD40 on it and wipe off the excess.
JCDU@reddit
Worth saying that using the wrong material combination can be a bad idea - stainless is brittle, it galls up (cold welds), is hard and work-hardens (so a PITFA to drill out), and putting stainless bolts into an aluminium part can encourage the part itself to oxidise due to galvanic corrosion - so the bolts stays shiny but the part dissolves because you made a battery.
radXR650R@reddit
Confirmed, and found out the hard way. Broke lower control arm on a 73 mg midget. Got a new one and wanted to use stainless hardware to attach the various parts to it, because NJ and rust. Well never knew you should use something on the threads of the bolts and ended up having to undo all the bolts to fix something, the all cold welded themselves together and ended up snapping all of the off, fairly easily.
Think I'm Gona look into zinc plating stuff myself on the next project.
JCDU@reddit
I've followed this guy's process and it works nicely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PtnwtOR24
Dirt simple, no weird chemicals.
JCDU@reddit
You can DIY nickel or zinc plating at home very easily:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PtnwtOR24
Stuff does need to be clean (you can also use the same rig do rust removal/conversion by electrolysis) but other than that it's dead simple.
SausagegFingers@reddit
You can send them off for zinc plating, or buy them plated. SS bolts can be used for less structural fixings as mentioned, not good practice to put stainless bolts into aluminium though