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Any suggestions on a good source for metric hardware? I broke a caliper bracket bolt on my '88 RX-7 and need what I believe is an M10 x 1.25 bolt that is ~2.5 cm long. The head was 14mm. I could not find a replacement at the local Advance Autoparts or in the specialty hardware section at Lowes. Is the Mazda dealer my best option?
Thanks,
Ray
Do you have a Fastenal near by? They typically have a nice selection of metric.
You might be able to order online, www.fastenal.com
I am also a bit amazed at the difficulty in finding metric hardware. I mean, every car since what? 1985 is full of metric hardware and yet finding ANY metric stuff can be difficult!
In looking for stuff for my motorcycle (you can go broke pretty quickly buying individual bolts and nuts from Honda) I did run across this site which seems to have a pretty good selection.
http://www.boltdepot.com/metric-socket-products.aspx
I never did order anything because it still ends up being pretty expensive with shipping and only really made sense if you were ordering large quantities. I think realistically, especially since you only need one, you might as well just go to Mazda. Worst case you might pay a few extra buck.
Did you one better, follow the link 
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products.ex?N=999600003+1199944959+1199804004+1199904786&Nty=0
I couldn't help but notice:
Question posted at 8:32.
At 8:38, three separate answers were posted simultaneously.
Gotta love the GRM Forum!
Woody wrote:I couldn't help but notice:
Question posted at 8:32.
At 8:38, three separate answers were posted simultaneously.
Gotta love the GRM Forum!
Not only that, all three responses were legitimate (as in, not "miata") and all included a link, haha.
My local True Value hardware has a pretty good selection of metric fasteners, and not just the low quality ones.
Ace Hardware or OSH have always been good to me.
I buy Metric in bulk (two Honda motorcycles, an ATV, the MR2 a Mitsubishi a Kia...). Even Pep Boys have little plastic cases with an assortment of Metric nuts, bots and washers for like $10. Online you can also find collections of Metric nuts and bolts. When rebuilding an engine, restoring an old bike or just replacing something, having a large selection helps.
+1 on Ace Hardware for a good selection of odd nuts and bolts. My local Lowes also has a bigger selection than the others, and way bigger than Home We Don't Care about You Go Away Depot.
pinchvalve wrote:I buy Metric in bulk (two Honda motorcycles, an ATV.....).
It's funny that you mention the Honda motorcycles.
About 15 years ago, someone gave me a 1981 Honda CB750 Super Sport that had been left outside for years. The exhaust had rusted through and the engine was frozen. I decided to remove every nut and bolt from the entire bike in order to learn how engines work.
I still have the bucket of bolts and it has been my primary source of metric hardware ever since.
Lowes has a some that I have used on my Nissan Titan. for a more complete selection, I go to McMaster-Carr
Are you limiting your buy to single bolts? I usually end up ordering mine from Mcmaster Carr in quantity. Pretty cheap and decent quality stuff. Their online catalog is the balls.
Carson wrote:Woody wrote:I couldn't help but notice:
Question posted at 8:32.
At 8:38, three separate answers were posted simultaneously.
Gotta love the GRM Forum!
Not only that, all three responses were legitimate (as in, not "miata") and all included a link, haha.
Thats funny, because I can legitimately say Miata! Really, I can. When I parted out a Miata, I saved all the bolts. Now, its my source whenever I need a Metric bolt for another Miata, or one of my Escorts!
So, the answer truly is Miata!
Joey
Bulk's the only way to go with fasteners. How many times have you wasted an hour of a project simply running to the store to get a bolt... especially grade 8's. Make a list of your most common bolts, nuts, washers etc that you use and buy em in bulk. Toss in a few oddball ones as well since your already paying for shipping ;)
Of course, everyone needs their bucket of bolts stripped off of other projects
I often take nuts, bolts, and fasteners from the pick and pull. They never seem to charge me for them, so why not. Saves time and aggravation.
true value supplied my LS1 tranny bellhousing and converter to flexplate bolts.
this is what i do. when at the junkyard go to a newer car and just start blowing out fasteners with the cordlss impact. then either organize them at home or keep a few coffee cans of metric bolts around. every car i strip i spend an hour or two blowing out all the bolts that are not keeping something from blowing off on the way to the scrapyard and it pays off big time when you are trying to find something goofy.
agreed, Pep Boys sells different assortment of sizes commonly used in Japanese, European, and domestic cars in a plastic case. I have found it invaluable. Griot's garage also sells a nice assortment in a powdercoated metal case. They also sell the case empty which I used for my pep boys washer/nut/bolt selection.
Izzy's Cages wrote:Bulk's the only way to go with fasteners. How many times have you wasted an hour of a project simply running to the store to get a bolt... especially grade 8's. Make a list of your most common bolts, nuts, washers etc that you use and buy em in bulk. Toss in a few oddball ones as well since your already paying for shipping ;)
Of course, everyone needs their bucket of bolts stripped off of other projects
As usual I'm a little late to the party but http://www.metricspecialties.com/ has tons of metric bolts and nuts for automotive applications. I needed an alternator bolt for my wife's Camry and didn't have time to find one in the boneyard. These guys are local to me. The bolt was a J.I.S.-spec fastener with a flared head negating the need for a washer. They had the exact replacement.
Shipped orders need a 20-dollar minimum before the shipping costs. I'm sure you can find other stuff you'll need someday.
Not sure if they carry head bolts though.
Thanks everyone! There is a Fastenal and a PepBoys near by. I will try them out first (once the snow stops here in CT) before ordering on-line.
-Ray
You should also get signed up with Mazda Motorsports if you aren't already. Specialty bolts like what you're looking for typically aren't that much with the discount, and you know you're getting the right size/grade/etc. when you get it right from the source.
Izzy's Cages wrote:Bulk's the only way to go with fasteners. How many times have you wasted an hour of a project simply running to the store to get a bolt... especially grade 8's. Make a list of your most common bolts, nuts, washers etc that you use and buy em in bulk. Toss in a few oddball ones as well since your already paying for shipping ;)
Of course, everyone needs their bucket of bolts stripped off of other projects
And make sure your source is specifying the correct thread pitch. European cars and Asian cars are different. You might want to survey the local NAPA (or whatever) store for your common size(s). They may have gotten a box (or two)in by mistake and would be happy to sell it at a reduced price because it may not fit into their merchandiser.
Be careful buying bolts these days, even quality shops are getting sold crap fasteners from offshore sources. Check out this thread:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137305
Shawn
-edit-
Here's a link to the government's counterfeit bolt list, check your stuff!
http://www.anl.gov/PRO/General Information/webforms/suspect.pdf
I know a guy that dismantles Hondas for a living. Every time I stop over to buy something I bring a couple of those plastic cat litter tubs and take all the nuts and bolts he has laying around. Between that and parting out a few cars I have so many metric fasteners that I'll probably never need to buy one again. Sure it takes a while to sort through 20 pounds of stuff to find an exact match for a control arm bolt but it takes less time than waiting for the dealership to order it for you and get the car back on the road.
