Bolts

[ruger45]

My body guy is trying to talk me into changing all the hardware to black bolt he says won't chip or get scratched by wrenches when installed. Or change them all to stainless steel. He wants me to do anything but painted. But it seems when I took it apart all of them had been painted. I am not sure what is right or the correct way to do this. It seems like changing them all is (cheating) but having to touch them up with a paint and a brush is not gonna look real good either.
So how does everyone deal with your rusty bolts when rebuilding?

Moved here by management. This is a simple direct technical question about a specific item whereas the Project site is for the long term posting of the ongoing restoration status of a member's jeep.

[wesk]

tell your body guy that the jeep left Willys with combination of cadmium and zinc plated bolts. Those that fastened parts together that were painted as an assembly got painted over. Those bolts & nuts that were installed during final jeep assembly after the painting processes were complete were unpainted cadmium or zinc plated.

Your personal choices are:
1-Factory class resto use the correct bolts.
2-Motor pool resto use the cadmium or zinc plated bolts which were eventually all painted over in the field.
3-Any non-judged class use whatever you like.

Note: the black hardware is fine for motor pool class since once painted over there is no easy way to tell they are not cadmium or zinc plated.

I do not like using stainless for several reasons:
1-stainless is softer than the cadmium or zinc plated purer steel.
2-Stainless is usually non-magnetic which makes retrieving dropped hardware a real PITA.
3-Stainless bolts tend to shed paint easily.

[ruger45]

Thanks Wesk So it would be safe to say all of the bolts in the floor inspection covers were not painted?
And the way it is done in this link would be considered the correct way to do it.
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... pic&t=7454

[wesk]

Yes.

[ruger45]

Cool Thanks