I'm currently in the process of restoring / rebuilding my 06 R53. It's been a northeast car it's entire life, and salty winters have really eaten corroded the steel components.

As I tackle (or will tackle) jobs like exhaust, worn bushings, sub frame, I'm generally reconditioning or replacing every fastener as I go, but researching and sourcing the bolts in a piecemeal way is really time consuming.

Does anyone have suggestions on where I can order bolts, nuts, or other fasteners in one place, and that won't kill me on shipping?

 

Ace Hardware carries a large line of SAE and metric fasteners, including Grade 8 and Chrome. I use them all the time.

 

We have many of the common ones listed on our website, but if you email a list of all you want we are happy to put a package together and charge only cost on the shipping.

Or we have parted out over 10 R53s and we likely have the bolts you want used if you don't want to go new.

Happy to help either way.

 

Bel-metric is a favorite of mine if you know the thread pitch and size. They are online on the east coast, they even have J-spec bolts so you can get them with the smaller head sizes then you find at your local hardware store.

 

https://www.boltdepot.com/

 

I use ECS tuning a lot and sometimes pelican parts. They both do free shipping after $49 - If you have to go dealership for anything https://www.minipartsdirect.com/ or https://parts.seattlemini.com/ have the best prices I've found.

 

+1 Yep we have free ship $49 and will match prices. Just contact our sales team.

 

McMaster-Carr

 

Yep! If they don't have it, you don't need it. And fast shipping. If I need a few, I buy a box from McMaster-Carr for not much more than a few bolts from the hardware store.

I've ended up with quite a collection of nuts and bolts, [about 15 boxes, SAE and Metric] It's taken a while but it's really nice to walk over to the boxes and the nut or bolt is right there.

robj

 

I find any big name hardware store works like home depot or menards . They have a huge selection of any kind of screw,bolt or plastic fasteners even for body panels and stuff.

 

Thanks for all the references.

I’ve ordered a fair amount from ECS, including a complete new set of valve cover bolts. Just started browsing McMaster and realized they have a native iOS app with pretty decent navigation. Loving their selection, which is a dangerous rabbit hole for me.

Specialty fasteners are the kind of thing I’ll obsess over for a week and think I can start manufacturing my own pieces over buying replacements.

Related: Someone else probably thought of this before I did.. but if you have a bit of aluminum flat bar and few used gen1 valve cover bolts laying around like I now do, you can use the collars as an absolutely perfect sleeve spacer for a DIY dual gauge pod bracket. Couldn’t have bought anything better than those old collars.

 

Clever idea...

 

On critical fasteners (for steering/suspension/brakes) PLEASE only use OEM level hardware, like from the dealer or the vendors that have appeared on this thread.

I have tried hardware store fasteners before (grade 8) and the bolt snapped as I was torquing it to specification with a torque wrench. FWIW, it was a torque + angle specification.

 

No that’s good insight to have. Thanks.

In theory fastener grade and class specs should mean reliable tensile strength regardless of source - dealership, vendor, or big box retail.

I’ve wondered before how different fastener mfgs play with their process to lower cost. As in, is it possible for OEM grade 8 alloy and big box grade 8 alloy to be different, as long as they produce similar strength and hardness numbers under load? I don’t know enough about metallurgy to understand all that’s at play here. My lack of knowledge has always made me err on the side of caution and purchase OEM hardware as you suggest.

Curious, was yours a case of lube on the fastener affecting tq readings?

 

"Curious, was yours a case of lube on the fastener affecting tq readings?"

Trag brings up a very good point. Torque values are for dry threads, and lube, oil or never seize requires reducing the torque values considerable, otherwise due to the lube the bolt ends up way over torqued.

My go to for bolts is McMaster-Carr. If they don't have it, you don't need it.

robj

 

Hey there! Sounds like you've got quite the project on your hands with your '06 R53. The corrosive effects of salty winters can be a real pain, but kudos for taking the initiative to restore it. I'd recommend checking out www.scrooz.com.au for your fastener needs. They've got a fantastic selection of bolts, nuts, and other fasteners, and the best part is they won't break the bank with shipping costs.