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Are chrome bolts bad to use?

  • Thread starter Thread starter oldgsfan
  • Start date Start date
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oldgsfan

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Not a rhetorical question. In preparation for replacing the oil pan gasket on my 850, I am lowering my 4-1 exhaust, which I just installed last year.

Anyway, 'cause it was all pretty when I got it, I wanted to use chrome bolts to keep my new exhaust all shiny. At the time, the True Value where I buy lots of bolts and such didn't have enough of the chrome, so I ended up using half stainless steel bolts and half chrome.

I noticed tonight alot of rust on the chrome bolts where the thread meets the bolt head. Enough rust where I could see, in a few years, the bolt head shearing off if anyone had to remove the exhaust again.

The stainless steel bolts did not have any rust on them at all.

Needless to say, I'm chucking the chrome bolts.

So, is this something that everyone already knew? Are chrome bolts bad to use for fastening an exhaust system? I live in the Seattle area. We get alot of rain. And I ride pretty much year round, if that matters.
 
In any kind of plating, when you have interfacing components these substrates can be damaged. Scraping and cutting is most common from bolts & nuts. Once they're scraped, the mild steel below the plating is subject to corrosion.

If appearances are your prerogative, polish up some stainless hardware and you're all set.
 
To say the same thing in different words:
Yes, it is known that you should use stainless steel replacements. In fact, eBay and Z1 Enterprises sell stainless kits to replace lots of screws and bolts. And those of us who rebuild carbs always replace the screws with stainless allen head screws. Works out a lot better all around.
 
koolaid_kid said:
To say the same thing in different words:
Yes, it is known that you should use stainless steel replacements. In fact, eBay and Z1 Enterprises sell stainless kits to replace lots of screws and bolts. And those of us who rebuild carbs always replace the screws with stainless allen head screws. Works out a lot better all around.
Click to expand...

Use some h-iheat anti-seize on the SS pipe bolts, could save you a headache down the road. Or, install SS studs in the place of the SS blots. Makes it easier to remove the pipe and lessens the chance of stripping or breaking a header bolt in the head.
 
Yes, using stainless is a better idea than chrome, in most cases.

However, depending on the location of the bolt, you may not want stainless.
It does not have enough tensile strength for some high-strength areas.

.
 
Thanks for all the info. I'll definitely pick up some anti-sieze before re-installing my exhaust.
 
I was thinking along the same lines as Brent...until it chips its fine. And being on the oil pan its gonna get hammered by all sorts of road debris and such.
 
chuck hahn said:
I was thinking along the same lines as Brent...until it chips its fine. And being on the oil pan its gonna get hammered by all sorts of road debris and such.
Click to expand...
...................... hi i can only comment on what i,ve done ,,,,and used ,,,,which is stainless steel cap screws/nuts... they come up a real treat and are not expensive to buy regards oldgrumpy
 
A further issue with chromed bolts is that the electrolysis process to do the plating makes the steel more brittle and prone to snapping. This is not an issue on cosmetic things or engine covers, etc. but on 'mission critical' things like frame bolts and fork yokes you are better off using high tensile bolts. Yes the zinc will be gone in 10 or 20 years but so what; if a bit of oxidisation is giving you the irrits, just replace them.
Stainless steel is also not strong enough for 'mission critical' applications. Did I mention high tensile bolts... ? :D
 
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