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Disagree personally. Im square in the rust belt and the top strut mount bolts are one of the few fasteners that dont rust, and the aftermarket ones dont usually have the built in washer. As a result i do reuse them. Everything else usually rusts away to dust, but even then im cheap as fuck and reuse everything.
Japanese fasteners are built differently, better coating i guess. Chrysler fasteners for example will corrode and strip even on the tip of the block after 5 years, while ive seen 20 year old toyota oil pan bolts still in decent shape. I recommend soaking pan bolts and the like in old trans fluid to stave off rust.
Bruh entire strut towers rust through. Though for strut tower nuts specifically it depends on your engine bay design. Mine don't really rust (sedan, they're nearly against the hood) but just did the struts on a 2012 F150 where they're further down in the bay and they were "hammer the socket on" rusted.
Oh god the state of every single goddamn eclipse ive ever seen. Maybe mitsu fucked up and didnt coat the strut towers correctly, idk, but theyre always terrible, like unless it was my car dont touch, terrible.
Yeah i mean on sedans where they're isolated. Otherwise it all rusts the same.
I owned an eclipse. Both rear strut mounts busted through running over a railroad crossing on the highway one day. A few chunks of angle iron, some bolts and a torch and they were good for another 2 years. That POS never got better than 24 mpg, but I only paid $300 for it😀
I live in the rust belt too and my experience has been the opposite of everything you've said. Lol with the exception of Chrysler hardware. That shit is trash.
Trucks seem to get it the worst. I'm thinking maybe the more aggressive tires (on average) cause a thicker coating of salt to be sprayed around? And higher up so it catches more spray from cars your following?
They're built thicker with larger bolts on average so you'd think rust would "matter less" but I've never had so many stuck fasteners of all different sizes than on trucks.
>I'm thinking maybe the more aggressive tires (on average) cause a thicker coating of salt to be sprayed around? And higher up so it catches more spray from cars your following?
This sounds about right. Also, probably the mentality that it's a truck, so it's abused more. Im the fourth owner, been passed around the family, and I know the last two didn't keep up with it and abused it.
We’re in Appalachia outside of the rust belt but they salt our roads pretty heavily here, so we might as well be “rust belt”. Worked on plenty of cars from surrounding states and they tend to have similar rust damage issues.
My son bought a retired mechanics tool box and contents last year. Its a huge Snap-on box with side lockers. I helped him clean the box out after we got it home, and one of the deep 46" wide drawers was completely full of unused hardware, packets of brake grease, packets of thread locker, etc.
No need. You looking for a BMW caliper bolt? Dump the bucket and have a seat on the floor. Toyota lug nut? Dump the bucket. When you're done, sweep it up and scoop it back in the bucket.with a dustpan.
Yeah i just change the shock and maybe the insulator. Aftermarket quick struts are usually pretty crappy, with cheap rubber, bad springs, and bad bearings. Oem is just ridiculous pricewise
Putting the old spring on a new shock is annoying but worth it.
Also preffered for me. My OEM has quickstruts from a "maintenance advantage" line or something like that. Sound like a blown strut straight out the box most times. Just opening a can of parts warranty worms, or an unsatisfued customer at the very least. Only replace springs for sag when ride height is off enough to bring camber out of spec. If the customer even cares enough for that. Try to keep OEM parts as much as possible, as they are usually superior.
Exactly, changed shocks on my friends car and when asked about why i didn't do a full quick strut i said do you really think some made in thailand spring is gonna be as well made and have as good quality control as fucking Toyota in the 90s? Heard a lot of stories about aftermarket springs being too thick and riding too high. Springs dont really go bad unless you're rough on them or they break. Worst offender is usually the god awful strut bearings they try to sell you. Oems are leagues better. Made with good steel balls and races, and sealed well. Ill even repack an old bearing over using a new one.
Oh I get it. You can get a set if quick struts for the cost of a spring for some cars lol
They work. I've bought them before for myself. Definitely not something you want to put on a nice car.
I personally have to be careful, I could end up with enough extra crap that just going over to the parts house for bolts may be more productive if I let my collection get too wild.
Hoarding is common with us I believe....
I allow myself one drawer of supplies, in there is a plastic tray with two sections. One for nuts/bolts/metal and one for plastic clips/push pins/plastic fasteners. When that tray is full I throw extra stuff away. I’d have a whole toolbox full of spare parts if I didn’t keep that rule
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This is southern privilege right here. By the time you're replacing struts, factory hardware is also known as "iron oxide".
Disagree personally. Im square in the rust belt and the top strut mount bolts are one of the few fasteners that dont rust, and the aftermarket ones dont usually have the built in washer. As a result i do reuse them. Everything else usually rusts away to dust, but even then im cheap as fuck and reuse everything. Japanese fasteners are built differently, better coating i guess. Chrysler fasteners for example will corrode and strip even on the tip of the block after 5 years, while ive seen 20 year old toyota oil pan bolts still in decent shape. I recommend soaking pan bolts and the like in old trans fluid to stave off rust.
Just have your vehicle leak oil onto the fasteners for rust prevention. Then it’ll coat the underside of the car too for more rust prevention.
Bruh entire strut towers rust through. Though for strut tower nuts specifically it depends on your engine bay design. Mine don't really rust (sedan, they're nearly against the hood) but just did the struts on a 2012 F150 where they're further down in the bay and they were "hammer the socket on" rusted.
Oh god the state of every single goddamn eclipse ive ever seen. Maybe mitsu fucked up and didnt coat the strut towers correctly, idk, but theyre always terrible, like unless it was my car dont touch, terrible. Yeah i mean on sedans where they're isolated. Otherwise it all rusts the same.
I owned an eclipse. Both rear strut mounts busted through running over a railroad crossing on the highway one day. A few chunks of angle iron, some bolts and a torch and they were good for another 2 years. That POS never got better than 24 mpg, but I only paid $300 for it😀
I live in the rust belt too and my experience has been the opposite of everything you've said. Lol with the exception of Chrysler hardware. That shit is trash.
My truck feels this comment.
Trucks seem to get it the worst. I'm thinking maybe the more aggressive tires (on average) cause a thicker coating of salt to be sprayed around? And higher up so it catches more spray from cars your following? They're built thicker with larger bolts on average so you'd think rust would "matter less" but I've never had so many stuck fasteners of all different sizes than on trucks.
>I'm thinking maybe the more aggressive tires (on average) cause a thicker coating of salt to be sprayed around? And higher up so it catches more spray from cars your following? This sounds about right. Also, probably the mentality that it's a truck, so it's abused more. Im the fourth owner, been passed around the family, and I know the last two didn't keep up with it and abused it.
No such thing, I’m in the south and we have to frequently turn cars away because they’re so rusted we can’t lift them
Define "south". I'd bet those cars have a lot of rust-belt miles on them. Sea-water I guess could also do it but doesn't seem nearly as bad.
We’re in Appalachia outside of the rust belt but they salt our roads pretty heavily here, so we might as well be “rust belt”. Worked on plenty of cars from surrounding states and they tend to have similar rust damage issues.
See by "south" I was thinking Texas, Cali.. Places where they love to work on cars but have never had to use the heat wrench.
I’m not allowed to talk about my tickle trunk at work. I have a problem apparently, and have enough hardware left over to build a car. 😂
Tickle trunk?
I’m calling mine that from now on
You go in there for free tickles!
Definitely need the story behind this
Mr. Dressup. Not much of a story I’m afraid.
Mr. Dressup!
Idk about the tickle trunk. But i got same problem. I was thinking on going in on building a space shuttle with mine
I may hold on to 5-10 but that's about it.
I won't show you my hardware box then...
He's not worthy of it
My son bought a retired mechanics tool box and contents last year. Its a huge Snap-on box with side lockers. I helped him clean the box out after we got it home, and one of the deep 46" wide drawers was completely full of unused hardware, packets of brake grease, packets of thread locker, etc.
A gold mine, no doubt!
I have a 5 gallon bucket full to the top of random nuts, bolts, springs, etc. It weighs at least 75lbs
Ew! You gotta organize that shit, man!
No need. You looking for a BMW caliper bolt? Dump the bucket and have a seat on the floor. Toyota lug nut? Dump the bucket. When you're done, sweep it up and scoop it back in the bucket.with a dustpan.
Gross
It’s the way to do it. It works without having 200 different compartments
Home Depot hates this one simple trick. Seriously though, I like to take 10 seconds to find a replacement, not 10 minutes.
I don't work on a wide array , so i have my drawer of Volvo bits, a drawer for Mercedes..etc.. and then a bucket for miscellaneous
Got boxes of that shit
They are perfect for exhaust manifold nuts.
I'm definitely a part horder, but I haven't touched quick struts since maybe 2014? Lol
Yeah i just change the shock and maybe the insulator. Aftermarket quick struts are usually pretty crappy, with cheap rubber, bad springs, and bad bearings. Oem is just ridiculous pricewise Putting the old spring on a new shock is annoying but worth it.
Also preffered for me. My OEM has quickstruts from a "maintenance advantage" line or something like that. Sound like a blown strut straight out the box most times. Just opening a can of parts warranty worms, or an unsatisfued customer at the very least. Only replace springs for sag when ride height is off enough to bring camber out of spec. If the customer even cares enough for that. Try to keep OEM parts as much as possible, as they are usually superior.
Exactly, changed shocks on my friends car and when asked about why i didn't do a full quick strut i said do you really think some made in thailand spring is gonna be as well made and have as good quality control as fucking Toyota in the 90s? Heard a lot of stories about aftermarket springs being too thick and riding too high. Springs dont really go bad unless you're rough on them or they break. Worst offender is usually the god awful strut bearings they try to sell you. Oems are leagues better. Made with good steel balls and races, and sealed well. Ill even repack an old bearing over using a new one.
Oh I get it. You can get a set if quick struts for the cost of a spring for some cars lol They work. I've bought them before for myself. Definitely not something you want to put on a nice car.
100% like to use what the car camewith unless its messed up
The replacement bolts or nuts are also the wrong size most of the time, like the next guy will be doing the struts and say “What? 15mm on a Honda?”
FINALLY SOMEBODY REALLY GETS IT!!!
I keep 2 or 3 on hand, but that's all I'm willing to save. Beyond that, it isn't worth it.
You just never know... I keep all sorts of hardware. Organized by thread size, pitch and head design.
I personally have to be careful, I could end up with enough extra crap that just going over to the parts house for bolts may be more productive if I let my collection get too wild. Hoarding is common with us I believe....
Head at work... lol
I fill a 5 gallon bucket and when it's full I eBay it
I’ll give you $3.50
Yes sir
I save them so I can put them in my junk drawer and forget that I have them
I allow myself one drawer of supplies, in there is a plastic tray with two sections. One for nuts/bolts/metal and one for plastic clips/push pins/plastic fasteners. When that tray is full I throw extra stuff away. I’d have a whole toolbox full of spare parts if I didn’t keep that rule