Hey Chaps,

I have a decent assortment of bolts in the drawers, but I seem to have used up all my M6 brake caliper bolts.

Where do you buy yours from? I can only find extortionate prices (£3 a bolt).

Ideally, I’m looking for m6x20 or 25mm, as a direct post mount bolt.

Cheers

Ricks

Used to be this place 😉

http://www.nutsandboltstas.com.au/

Bit far to get to these days

Screwfix.

https://www.screwfix.com/search?search=M6+cap+head

Or ebay if you want black ones.

Local bolt stockists. They sell every single type of bolt for engineering stuff, costs a few pence each, I get stainless generally on my whole bike.

The one I use is Danlett in Huddersfield but every town probably has a similar sort of place. I love the place.

I’ve bought screwfix ones before and the quality isn’t great.

Cheers chaps,

Some A2 stainless steel bolts on order for pennies 🙂

Ricks

Are stainless safe enough for caliper bolts (and stem) then?

Not strictly relevent for the OP but for anyone else looking for something more exotic I’ve had a few orders through these guys who are good..

https://www.pro-bolt.com/

Local bolt shop. If you only need a few they don’t charge you.

ebay

Margnor

https://www.margnor.co.uk/

Local bolt shop.

And no, I wouldn’t use stainless on a caliper bolt.

The supply cupboard at work 😉

Tried that. We’ve only got pencils and 3.5″ disks.

Pretty sure Hope spec stainless with their brakes but I would share any hesitation over using them as you should always be sure they are the right thing but it does depend on the grade of stainless.

Issues are the tensile and shear strength and the risk of corrosion (aluminium parts).

That said a pair of M6 bolts are not particularly highly loaded in something like a brake mount, particularly in a PC mount and in IS the friction between the mount and the frame should be taking the load and the moments are pretty low. Make sure you use some sort of corrosion prevention on any stainless bolt in aluminium.

“Screwfix”…  Only if you want them to snap.

A manufacturer won’t fit anything less than an 8.8 bolt on anything critical.

https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/Materials-and-Grades/Bolt-Grade-Chart.aspx

Local bolt suppliers. Pennies at most. Local cycle shop multiplies the cost by 10 and people think that’s a good deal!

Hell yes https://www.pro-bolt.com/aluminium-allen-bolt-m6-x-1-00mm-x-25mm-21.html

Sure, they’re about a quid each, and googling for a local bolt shop tells me I can pop down the road and get a box of 100 M6 bolts in black for seven quid, but THEY’RE ORANGE (or other colours).

Surely can’t go much wrong with a selection like this?

I am struggling to find anywhere an aluminium bolt makes sense. If I am attaching something to something I don’t want it to fall off.

Those generic packs generally have sizes that are not the one you want…

Ally bolts are ok for stuff that doesn’t have much stress on it, I used them on my motorbike (RS125 so whatever wasn’t needed to make it run and stop safely was just adding weight) to hold the bodywork, engine side cases, clocks and electrical boxes and stuff on. They’d be ok for bottle cages and computer mounts on a bicycle if you’re really counting grams.

   but THEY’RE ORANGE

And aluminium!

Monkeyjams Shed on Amazon if you want to buy a lifetime supply for less than £20.

I’d happily use stainless bolts on a mountain bike brake, is screwing into magnesium alloy so there’s no chance the bolt is the weak link!

“Screwfix”…  Only if you want them to snap.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>A manufacturer won’t fit anything less than an 8.8 bolt on anything critical.</span>

Srewfix sell 8.8 bolts in fact, so there’s a logical conflict right there.

A manufacturer would fit the cheapest bolt they could get away with (which might be 8.8). My towbar is pretty critical, and is held on IIRC by 10.9 and 12.9 bolts (the flange might be 8.8).

Toolstation do bags of 50 for about £5.

I am struggling to find anywhere an aluminium bolt makes sense. If I am attaching something to something I don’t want it to fall off.

Maybe on brake levers and shifters etc. Where you might prefer the bolt to fail before the component, might even make sense for the rear derailleur.

Who do people use for replacement shock bolts? Need some M6 capheads – or is bog standard stainless OK for this?

I’m confused now! Don’t SRAM use stainless on their caliper bolts?

Shimano looks like they use high-tensile steel – is that what I should be looking at?

Surely stainless steel is better than titanium bolts that folk use?

I used stainless on everything apart from stems as they tend to have very exact bolt lengths and sometimes odd shape heads too – as well as for the strength issue.

Never had a problem with stainless on brakes, but I make sure I go to my local bolt stockists where I know the quality is excellent – and they are the cheapest too

I am still stuck in the 90’s as I love my anodised alloy bolts – still got an original SRP purple rear mech bolt on one of my mechs…… and a purple anodised Bullet Brothers chain tensioner (extra retro points for anyone who remembers them!).

<p>Maybe on brake levers and shifters etc. Where you might prefer the bolt to fail before the component, might even make sense for the rear derailleur.</p>

<p>If you are exerting the sort of forces that would snap a screw the component is toast already.</p>

Bolton

Screwsbury.

Whitworth, surely. Or maybe Allenheads?

Oh bejeesus…..

A manufacturer won’t fit anything less than an 8.8 bolt on anything critical.

is nonsense.

Dunno about the where but I’ll just throw this on here (got it from here originally) in case you go down the local supplier and want to talk like a pro.

I been using this place for years  https://www.namrick.co.uk/

Brilliant service.