Hi tensile steel socket capscrew queries

[Sergeant Pluck]

F  S  A2 - 70

On a socket capscrew - what does that mean?

Where can I get high-tensile versions?

Can a bolt be both high tensile and stainless?

[rogerzilla]

A2 is just the normal grade of stainless steel used for bolts.  Any decent fastener supplier should sell them, or google Stig Fasteners.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Are there stronger ones available (M8)? This is for a Goldtec hub...

Title and OP edited - misdescribed 

[JonBuoy]

A4-80 is stronger and more corrosion-resistant than A2-70  -  see here for more details

They are available from Bolt me up

NB  -  even the A4-80 bolts are significantly weaker than a 'standard' grade 12.9 Unbrako caphead.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'm not bothered if they are stainless or not, I was just curious to know if stainless exluded high-tensile.

[Chris N]

I'm not bothered if they are stainless or not, I was just curious to know if stainless exluded high-tensile.

I think so, yes.  Do you need stronger screws for your hub?

[Sergeant Pluck]

Well, I broke one the other day. Didn't think I was over-doing it at the time. It came out easily enough with an extractor. Hence my curiosity. Of course, the axle itself is only so strong, I realise.

[border-rider]

That sounds odd.  Was it faulty ?  Maybe talk to Goldtec about it...

[Chris N]

Wow.  It might be worth changing to non-stainless screws then.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I did contact them. Initially they advised that the usual easiest thing to do was replace the whole axle, but I thought removal was worth a try (broke off a couple of mm inside the axle). I asked what bolts they supplied and the chap mentioned both "high tensile" and "stainless", which made me wonder as I was under the impression that those don't go together.
The code above is from the Goldtec screw.

Wow.  It might be worth changing to non-stainless screws then.

Precisely the reason for my post. However, as I say, the axle itself can only take so much strain so there is probably a limit to the usefulness of stronger screws.

[Chris N]

What is the axle made from?  I've not checked on my hub.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I don't have the wheel to hand (it's in work) but I am fairly sure it is steel. bted mention an alloy axle as a plus for their Goldtec Pro, and not for the standard Track, so that fits.

To be honest I'm unimpressed with the hub. These I guess their reputation comes from using good bearings and being of dimensions that can produce a trouble free strong wheel. Getting the 10 mm flats to fit into Bob Jackson track ends is not any fun at all. Probably sell it at some point and get the rim built onto something else 

[border-rider]

Interesting

I've got (adds up) 4, and one dates back to 2001.

I did change the original hex bolts on that old one for the captive bolt type after a year, and changed the axle a couple of years later,  but I've never otherwise had a problem with any of them...

[Chris N]

I'm not keen on the flats either, but they do seem to fit ok most of the time into my track ends.

I'd expect a stainless screw to fail before the axle (it's probably quite a useful 'fuse') - though if the M8 screw broke easily it was probably faulty.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I'm sure they are a reliable hub overall. I don't think the alloy washers bite in at all and thus what I considered to be reasonable tightness was not enough to prevent wheel movement. Further tightening produced the above. This was using a Pedro hex key (albeit with a handle), not a socket wrench or anything daft. There is a slight deformation in the washer, I note.

I must just be a wheel puller   (on a flat commute   )

I get the flats in ok too but that's been in the well-lit comfort of my kitchen so far. On a cold wet night...

[rogerzilla]

I used normal M8 s/s bolts from Wessex Fasteners on my ENO hub, and they were mullered down tighter than a a very tight thing.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I used normal M8 s/s bolts from Wessex Fasteners on my ENO hub, and they were mullered down tighter than a a very tight thing.

What did you muller them with? I used this:



It's not the hardest 6 mm hex key I've used - there is a fair bit of flex in it. The screw broke well within its capability though - I think I was stretching it or the washer was bending as I tighhtened.

[Deano]

I managed to do the same thing with my Goldtec hub - I carefully unthreaded what was left inside, and e-mailed Goldtec, who sent me a pair of replacements for a quid*.  I haven't had any problems since, using the same tool as that. 

However, I have two Goldtec rear hubs: on one, the original alloy washers are still in place, and on the other i managed to knacker them by having the hub too far forward in the dropouts, so I replaced them with nuts off an old hub.  They bite pretty well into the dropouts.

*Mind you, this is the only time I've managed to get anything cheap out of betd - their postage charges are ridiculous.

[rogerzilla]

I used normal M8 s/s bolts from Wessex Fasteners on my ENO hub, and they were mullered down tighter than a a very tight thing.

What did you muller them with? I used this:



It's not the hardest 6 mm hex key I've used - there is a fair bit of flex in it. The screw broke well within its capability though - I think I was stretching it or the washer was bending as I tighhtened.

Yes, something very similar from Hubjub.  I now use a DK Random Wrench, which is much bigger.

 | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

Ideal for getting the wheels off anything; you obviously only carry the bits you need for that particular bike.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I managed to do the same thing with my Goldtec hub - I carefully unthreaded what was left inside, and e-mailed Goldtec, who sent me a pair of replacements for a quid*

I'm glad mine came out as Goldtec would have wanted £20 plus post for an axle to replace one that had been ridden once  Reassuring to know you had no further problems.

Yes, something very similar from Hubjub.  I now use a DK Random Wrench, which is much bigger

Also reassuring - so it's not as if I simply used something with excessive leverage.

I'll get decent bolts and keep this wheel for now.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Got a pair of grade 12.9 bolts. I also have a couple of Phil domed axle washers. These are top notch  With the track end sleeves removed I think these will work well. You have to have something that is hard and that will bite in a bit - unlike the supplied Goldtec washers, which I cannot see working well without the aid of tug nuts.

[rogerzilla]

The Goldtec washers don't have to work, and they're designed to avoid marking the visible outer face of the dropout.  The "locknuts" (axle caps really), on the other hand, are viciously serrated and should be perfectly adequate unless you have chromed dropouts - in which case tugs are probably indicated.

[Sergeant Pluck]

The "locknuts" (axle caps really), on the other hand, are viciously serrated

True.

[Deano]

Got a pair of grade 12.9 bolts. I also have a couple of Phil domed axle washers. These are top notch  With the track end sleeves removed I think these will work well. You have to have something that is hard and that will bite in a bit - unlike the supplied Goldtec washers, which I cannot see working well without the aid of tug nuts.

Phil Wood washers?!

I make do with crappy locknuts from off of an old hub - they cost nowt, do the job, and give it a meaty industrial look.  Honest!