stripped metric bolt

It seems impossible to find one metric M12 - 1.25 thread pitch X 30 mm long bolt in here. While I was installing the low ball joint on my '93 Previa last night, I stripped one of the M12 - 1.25 thread pitch X 30 mmm bolts, which secure the low ball joint to the steering Knucle. These two bolts stayed there for 10 plus years without being touched. Both requires 94 ft-lb to torque. When i was tightening the bolt, I had resistence at about halfway of the bolt. I thought it was because of the little rust. Then, I had greater resistence, I stopped immediately. But, it's too late. Front portion of the bolt was stripped.

The most frustrated thing is I can't find the bolt from dealer, auto zone, HomeDepot, OSH hardware. The bean is now on the jackstands in the backyard unless I can find one bolt for it. I'm stuck.

What is the most safe and correct way to tighten a heavy & long bolt without stipping it? I still have the other side to finish. where can I find a M12-1.25 thread X 30 mm bolt? Regards, Matt

Reply to
Matt
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why not retap it to a bolt the next size bigger you can find ? If the dealer don't have it then what else can one do ? About 10 bucks for a tap and bolt.

Reply to
kkweaver

you should be able to get one with a search of the net.. i remember geting a bunch of metric stainless bolts off the net.. nuttycompany or something like that

Reply to
Waveblast9

Last month, i lost the motor mount bolt on my taurus. The ford dealer wanted $40 for a bolt! Talk about getting forded.

It turned out to be a M12 and i found one at ace hardware. $2.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Urz

Tray an ace hardware for sure, they usually have a selection of metric in various grades. if they are hard to find you can find many odd metric fasteners at a motorcycle shop, think imports and well established. Or try

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good luck

b
Reply to
B

Go to

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I work in the aerospace industry and when we build ground support equipment we use these guys alot for fasteners, etc. The part number I found to match your bolt is 90854A113. This is a steel, zinc plated, M12x30mm hex head bolt, class 10.9 (grade 8, 150 ksi strength). You have other choices for coatings but this should get you started. They are $7.30 per pack of 10. You can get them shipped overnight if you're in a hurry.

As far as torquing is concerned make sure to clean the threads thoughly. Run the nut up and down the threads few times. The length of the bolt has already been taken into account with the recommended 94 ft-lb torque to don't worry about that. Also, the torque call out is usually for unlubed threads (check the manual if you are not sure). If there is lube on the threads (grease, loctite, etc.) and you torque it to the 94 ft-lbs you're gonna put too much preload on the bolt and you might break it. If you want to use lube (and the manual doesn't say anything about lubing the threads) make sure to reduce the recommended torque by 10 to 15%. Hope this helps...good luck.

Reply to
JC

Wow. Go to our local Junkyard. If they don't have a Previa, look on a Camry/pickup, probably use the same suspension parts. Anything with bolt-on balljoint.. I lost a balljoint bolt while dropping engine tranny back into my Camry. Took 2 minutes to find another one at the boneyard...

Reply to
Chicken

Try Tacoma Screw. If they don't have it, they will make it.

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Carl

Reply to
Carl Saiyed

Reply to
Steve G

Bollocks. M12x1.25 is plenty standard. In fact, it's the same size my Corolla uses, the same size my sister's Mazda 626 uses, the same size my Nissan EXA used...

To the OP: A pack of four M12x1.25 bolts from the local retailer is $5.00NZ. And that is considered expensive - they can be obtained cheaper from a fastener supplier. I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to find one. Try an engineering supplies store.

Alternatively as suggested previously, look on Japanese cars at a wreckers' yard. Most bigger bolts are M12x1.25, the Japanese are fond of fine threads.

Nick.

Reply to
Nick Trounson

It looks like you've gotten some good suggestions. One source for fasteners if all else fails is McMaster-Carr

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They have a M12x30, class 10.9 (high strength), zinc-plated finish fastener (p/n 90854A226). But you have to buy a pack of 10 for $7.30.

As far as torquing the fastener. The length of the fastener is already accounted for when the manufacture set the torque value. In other words, the length of the fastener affects its stiffness and stiffness is one of the variables used when calculating the required fastener torque for a particular application. Just make sure the fastener runs freely on the nut before torquing it up. Remember also, if you lube the threads with grease or loctite or whatever, and the manual doesn't say to do this, make sure to reduce the required torque by 10 or 15% to avoid putting too much preload on the fastener. Good luck.

Reply to
JC

M12-1.25x30 is a common enough size, but the DIY places are terrible places to look for things like that. Try a good small-box store that has a decent selection of small hardware; around here, True Value is better than Ace for that sort of thing, but YMMV.

The 94 ft-lb. torque is a problem, though. A common Grade 8.8 bolt in that size is somewhere between marginal and sure-to-fail at that. You may need a Grade 12.9 or at least a Grade 10.9. (These will be harder to find.) If you still have the old bolt, you can look at the grade marking on the head; don't replace it with anything less.

Reply to
Christopher Green

||> ||> The most frustrated thing is I can't find the bolt from dealer, auto ||> zone, HomeDepot, OSH hardware. The bean is now on the jackstands in ||> the backyard unless I can find one bolt for it. I'm stuck. || ||M12-1.25x30 is a common enough size, but the DIY places are terrible ||places to look for things like that. Try a good small-box store that ||has a decent selection of small hardware; around here, True Value is ||better than Ace for that sort of thing, but YMMV.

1.25 is the least common of the 3 threads that 12 mm comes in. If it were mine, I'd buy the bolt (2 of them) either from the dealership, or from a salvage yard. If you buy those bolts at a hardware store, the quality will be suspect. This sounds like a critical application, go with the OE bolt.

Texas Parts Guy

Reply to
Rex B

Its a common Japanese metric thread pitch, known as "Extra Fine". European metric thread pitches would be 1.50 and 1.75 mm for the fine and coarse threads.

Reply to
Roger Brown

The problem is, hardware stores will carry Grade 8.8, if they carry metric bolts at all. They're not inferior quality, just not a grade adequate for the application. OEM bolts are the easiest but not the only way to go; he can get the higher grades from dealers in fasteners. He won't find adequate bolts at any DIY, hardware store, or ordinary auto parts place.

Reply to
Christopher Green

Dont retap it , if the threads are a different fineness , the torque readings will be wrong . Get the right bolt from source that has been posted here , if they are the same hardness , else go to the junk-yard ( your best bet ) .

Reply to
Tim Kettring

I've seen a Merc Actros that used M12x1.25s... and an MAN 4x4... both very European trucks.

Nick.

Reply to
Nick Trounson

Thans to all you guys who have responded my post. I guess I have a new situation. These two bolts are on the other side, passanger side, which are original and were recrewed into the same old bolt holes to secure the new low ball joint and the steering knuckle. Each low ball joint has two M12-1.25X30mm bolts. Two on passanger side ; two on driver's side.

The stripped one is on the driver's side, which I replaced with a lower grade,Grade 5 (10.9 class for metric bolt). And, I torque this to 94 ft-lb without any problem. the other original bolt was torqued to 94 lt-lb too without any problem either.

The weird thing is, the two original bolts on the passanger side could not be torqued to 94 but 85 ft-lb. I stopped because I feared something bad could happen. And visually inspected the bolts. I compared the length sticking out of the bolt hole, to the original bolt, which is on the other side and is torqued to 94 ft-lb. They are about the same sticking out length.

I just wonder the original bolts' threads were dry, rough and a little rust,; and may generate some resistence during torquing. After applying WD40 like crazy, the threads are so smooth and consequently decreasing the resistence during torquing. I GUESS that's why i got 85 insted of 94. Am I right? I don't know?

i broke bolts before. The broken bolt stem stuck in the bolt holes and could not be retrieved. It's a chronic rear pain situation.

BTW, After lots of phone calls and efforts, I finally got the Class

10.9 with marking 11 M12-1.25X30mm bolt from a dealer

All the best, Matt

Reply to
Matt

ZThans to all you guys who have responded my post. I guess I have a new Zsituation. These two bolts Zare on the other side, passanger side, which are original and were Zrecrewed into the same old bolt holes to secure the new low ball

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Reply to
Al

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