Good bolt supplier?

pilot_pete

My handlebar stem bolts are looking rusty after the winter on my Deda 100 stem. I would like to replace them with something that won't corrode and will look good. So, questions;

1. Would titanium bolts be suitable?
2. Or something anodised?
3. How do you find the 'spec', i.e M5 etc. The length I guess is from under the head to the tip?
4. Can anyone recommend a good supplier? Presumably they don't have to be cycle specific (which usually adds £££s!!), but obviously I need correct specification as my life depends on them!

Many thanks.

PP

Rodrego Hernandez

Ti bolts are what come with the Deda zero 100 service course stem and they look great.

Yossie

Ti bolts will be perfect - Ti is fine for load bearing areas, ali is lighter bit non load bearing only - mech/seat clamps that sort of thing

If yours have gone rusty then they aren't Ti - Ti doesn't rust or discolour.

The size depends on the thread size - generally stem bolts will be an M4 or M5. If you are really into it then you can get a little gadget that you can use to measure the thread size.

The length of the bolt is from below the head to the end of the bolt - eg M5 x 8mm or whatever. Best measured with some vernier calipers to be exact.

Go on to Pro Bolt (www.probolt.com) or drop a line to Sean at The Tuning Works (Google it) and tell him that Bert (very good friend of mine who is into this sort of thing) sent you - so long as you supply the correct size he can supply you anything you need.

Remember to slap loads of copperslip on the bolt when replacing and torque into place correctly.

Don't go anodised as the anodising will fade over time and it will look gasher than anodised bolts do anyway.

HTH

Y

maddog 2

stem bolts are usually M5 or M6. I suspect your Deda is M5 and you'll probably need 20mm or 25mm length (as Yossie describes). M5 is the same thread as bottle cage bolts, if you're unsure.

ProBolt are good. Superstar on Ebay also do ti bolts.

Go ti or stainless steel for stem bolts, not alu.

Yossie

Go ti or stainless steel for stem bolts, not alu.

Agree 101% - DO NOT use alu for load bearing - they will snap and you will die a horribly painful and embarrassing death.

You can also get carbon bolts (ie bolts made out of carbon) if you want to die. Again, I recommend that you don't use these on load bearing areas.

sungod

for that stem, i think bolts are m5x17, but to be sure just take one out and measure the length

17mm isn't a common size, you can buy deda's own brand bolts, but expensive and hard to get, so might be simpler to go up in length and lop the ends off

you can use ti or stainless steel

Monty Dog

www.tibolts.co.uk

P_Tucker

Yossie wrote:

Go ti or stainless steel for stem bolts, not alu.

Agree 101% - DO NOT use alu for load bearing - they will snap and you will die a horribly painful and embarrassing death.

You can also get carbon bolts (ie bolts made out of carbon) if you want to die. Again, I recommend that you don't use these on load bearing areas.

I like the cut of your jib.

Pokerface

Not sure if anyone else has had this problem, but any time I've replaced standard bolts with ti ones, they have bonded to the metal and I've had to drill them out (stems, seatpost, etc).

Have ruined a few stems that way.

But some stems come with ti bolts as standard so did I do something wrong?

LangerDan

Pokerface wrote:

Not sure if anyone else has had this problem, but any time I've replaced standard bolts with ti ones, they have bonded to the metal and I've had to drill them out (stems, seatpost, etc).

Have ruined a few stems that way.

But some stems come with ti bolts as standard so did I do something wrong?

Titanium is very prone to galling (at a micro-level, the surface is quite crystalline and not as smooth as say, stainless steel. These roughneses ("asperities" IIRC) can mesh with the surface of the mating material, causing it to bind - at least thats how it was explained to me years ago)

Unless the fastener has some form of surface treatment or you use some anti-sieze compound, its very likely to recurr.

Monty Dog

Bare titanium and aluminium is not a good combination - you get 'galling' which effectively cold-welds the two together. The solution is to use ti-bolt prep or suitable Loctite as a barrier / lube. I have a Fizik saddle with ti rails which always does a good job of cold-welding itself to my seatpost cradle - it needs a good 'thump' to release it.

sungod

Pokerface wrote:

Not sure if anyone else has had this problem, but any time I've replaced standard bolts with ti ones, they have bonded to the metal and I've had to drill them out (stems, seatpost, etc).

Have ruined a few stems that way.

But some stems come with ti bolts as standard so did I do something wrong?

i always put some anti-seize on bolts/threads, especially where there are dissimilar metals, so far haven't had any corrosion or problems undoing, even on parts exposed to the winter's salt spray, rain etc.

there's a nice chart in this that gives guidelines on how well, or otherwise, combinations of metals will behave...

http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/FEDMIL/std889b.pdf

Pokerface

Ah yes. I recall someone mentioning the anti-seize stuff. Of course, that was after I had already ruined my über-expensive carbon stem :oops:

Yossie

Copperslip is the answer. Slap it on everywhere that doesn't move (its ever so slightly abrasive). Tends to come in 50 gallon tubs form motor factors -I have one tub that's lasted me 7 years and countless pushie and m/bike builds.

Don't bother getting small tubs as thats gay.

Normal moly for everwhere that does move.

Doesn't matter how much you slap on because you can just wipe off the excess. take everything apart once a year and re coat as it will come off as you clean the bike, winter rides, etc.

Also makes your workshop look a bit pro as plebs don't have it.

Pokerface

Yossie wrote:

Copperslip is the answer. Slap it on everywhere that doesn't move (its ever so slightly abrasive). Tends to come in 50 gallon tubs form motor factors -I have one tub that's lasted me 7 years and countless pushie and m/bike builds.

Don't bother getting small tubs as thats gay.

Normal moly for everwhere that does move.

Doesn't matter how much you slap on because you can just wipe off the excess. take everything apart once a year and re coat as it will come off as you clean the bike, winter rides, etc.

Also makes your workshop look a bit pro as plebs don't have it.

Plebs don't have workshops full stop.

mzm70

I just bought these to replace my rusting bottle cage bolts, they seem perfect good to me, £1.77 delivered for 16.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... _814wt_905

Twostage

I've used boltbase on fleabay. They have a good range of steel bolts (allen bolt cap screws).

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/boltbase?_trksid=p4340.l2563

racingcondor

Pete,

I did the same on my Deda Zero100 after the bolts rusted last winter. 20mm M5's work well (don't stick out noticably) although the original ones are 17mm as mentioned above. As mentioned above, the differrence between Zero100 and Zero100 Service Corse is that the latter comes with Ti bolts (and costs £30 more for the privilidge!).

I bought cheap Ti bolts on eBay and regretted it, none of the allen keys I have fitted well in the bolts which I put down to poor machining. Eventually caused rounding off and where a pain to remove.

Looks like there are some good suppliers mentioned above though.

pilot_pete

Thanks guys

Sorry for the delay replying.....I tried to upload a picture of my bolts and got a trojan from Imageshack which knackered my computer for a week!!!!!

I shall look into the bolt suppliers listed. Many thanks once again.

PP

gerarddekker

HI, i am replaceing my old bolts too with Titanium ones. If you need good and decent priced titanium bolts, check out www.biketweaks.com. It's where I ordered my bolts.

mrb123

Does anyone know if these would do the job or would it be better to stick with bike specific bolts?

http://m.screwfix.com/p/socket-cap-scre ... tered=true

I'm in the same position as the OP, having two Deda stems with rusty bolts. Wondering if stainless steel may be the way forward given the drawbacks of titanium mentioned above, plus obviously the cost.

Also, the Deda bolts are 17mm so would 16mm or 20mm replacements be ok and, if so, which would be better?

Moonbiker

Looking at getting some new SS stem bolts also due to olds ones rusting badly not sure stainless is as strong?

Any metallurgy experts?

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/nuts-bolts/ ... ack-of-10/

Sounds like they will be fine?

*if the thread is right unlike pic just realized

cooldad

Once the stem is tightened the top cap bolt does nothing, so pretty much anything will be fine, even hard cheese.

But those are not stem bolts, if that's what you want.

Moonbiker

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Bolts-for-Bike-Handlebar-Headsets-Stems-M5x20mm-Stainless-or-Super-Strong-/331888802521

Found theese ones

Also info here:

http://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=51381&sid=87db8897bca9e57f69b6849c229f6c7b&start=15


So they aren't as strong as normal steel