Thread: Stainless steel wheel nuts....Legal ?

Originally Posted by incisor

In a perfect world you might be right but in practice it aint so. Have many times seen it gall on everything from high tensile steel to high sulphur free machining steel esp if out in the elements.

I've put in hundreds of stainless bolts, without any assembly lube (food grade grease for my applications) you'll bind about 30% with hand-tightening.
The binding is because stainless steel forms a very thin oxide layer which protects the base metal from corrosion. In a stainless on stainless friction application (like tightening a nut) the oxide layer is broken through and you have fresh stainless on fresh stainless. Giving perfect conditions for a friction weld.

I've only had that happen with one non-stainless bolt. It was a chromed mild-steel bolt and chromed mild steel nut. I have never had it happen with mixed stainless and high tensile (cap screws etc) or stainless and zp steel.

Your a lucky man

Am sure any fitter with meat works or food industry experience will have come across it ;-) just as i did.

Originally Posted by incisor

Your a lucky man

Am sure any fitter with meat works or food industry experience will have come across it ;-) just as i did.

Which is funny, because I'm an engineer who has done a lot of work in meat-works automation and continue to for the food industry. Last year using a lick of food grade grease as lube I don't think I bound any stainless bolts. The year before was a battle, we were trying not to use any lube to appease the clients.

But for both of those it is all stainless bolts. Not stainless nuts on ferritic studs.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Which is funny, because I'm an engineer who has done a lot of work in meat-works automation and continue to for the food industry. Last year using a lick of food grade grease as lube I don't think I bound any stainless bolts. The year before was a battle, we were trying not to use any lube to appease the clients.

But for both of those it is all stainless bolts. Not stainless nuts on ferritic studs.

So you've never actually fitted stainless to steel?

Stainless is a pain, I used to do a bit of work on boats, just inboard V8 stuff, for a local boat business, stainless is evil

On regular use threads I wouldn't dare, stainless on stainless, bind.....alot, on steel the hardness of the stainless will chop out the threads when wound on and off at regular intervals, maybe with cautious use of the correct never sieze it would be ok, but I wouldn't

Do you need wheel nuts Rijidij? I have tubs of them

Originally Posted by incisor

In a perfect world you might be right but in practice it aint so. Have many times seen it gall on everything from high tensile steel to high sulphur free machining steel esp if out in the elements.

That's part of office engineering, its ok in theory

not sure what wheels the op is running, but I would have thought S/S a no no with alloys???

Dougal, you do know your stuff, But I to have had stainless nuts bind on steel all thread and bolts. It is my habit now to througherly clean the thread and use inox spray and be slow and carefull....in the end it is quicker than a binding nut/thread.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Stainless only binds to itself. It doesn't bind to other steel threads or the average wheel stud.
The yeild strength of 316 is roughly double that of "mild" steel and the tensile strength 50% higher. Neither of those are cause for concern.

MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource


About four if you buy them in the wrong place.

I don't care about what the books say, I can show you tonnes of Stainless adjusters which have bound them selves to steel adjusting rods.

It was one of Toro's smart ideas in the 80's which didn't last long before they went to Ally instead as at least with ally you could save the rod if the nut bound up.

Just do what I have always done and slap a bit of never sieze on the thread and do them up well tight.

I have not had one come loose nore had siezed wheel nuts.

Just put it on the thread not the tapered seat so it's got something to lock onto.

Cheers Casper

Originally Posted by rovercare

So you've never actually fitted stainless to steel?

Eh? Read it all again, I've done it many times.

Is there anyone here who doesn't use antiseize (or at least grease) on their wheel nuts?