Why do people do this ?
 

Just a little nit-picking.
Seems like everytime somebody refers to a bolt, they call it 10 mm, 14 mm, 17 mm,... whatever.
What they actually MEAN is the size of the bolthead.
I believe the only people dealing in these " Industrial - strength " bolts, are heavy equipment mechanics. ;)

they do it just to annoy you :)

When someone calls a bolt that takes a 10MM wrench a 10MM bolt they are just showing their ignorance.

The only people that realize that this is not a 10MM bolt is someone who sells hardware or someone who has done enough work that they have to go buy bolts, taps or dies.

Have a great day,

Okay, I'll ask . . . what would be the proper nomenclature to describe the hardware at hand . . . a metal threaded fastener that would require a 10mm wrench or socket to affix or loosen? :confused:

Example:
 

Here are three that I replaced today.
10mm x 8 x 1.25
13mm X 8 x 1.25
14mm x 8 x 1.25

the trick is to get the right bolt in the correct hole.
The other trick is to make it look easy and when you are done, they can not tell that you ever touched the car.
A true master mechanic does both.:D

aren't they called cap screws? a 10mm is 6mm screw diameter
or is that whitworth? or is it British standard? So it goes.....

Hex head Bolt
 

Head, Shank, thread pitch.

The term capscrew does not refer to the bolt itself, rather how it's used. If used as a bolt, there is a nut used. If the "bolt" screws into something like a head or block instead of getting a nut on it, then it is being used as a "capscrew." So the same "bolt" may be used as a bolt or a capscrew.

Have a great day,

I believe the point that is missed here is that this is a sort of DIY forum category for the most part. If I'm going to go tackle a job on my car, it's nice to know what tools I'm going to have to crawl under there with. Knowing the pitch, length and shank dimension is absolutely useless to me until I need to replace one.

I'm with 'Q' - the only times I need more info than the headshape are if I need to replace a bad bolt, or if the correct torque for the part isn't listed and I have to consult torque tables.

Steve

Ok, it's not technically accurate, but doesn't everyone know what is meant? And is that not what is most important? It's not like you are going to find a lot of 14mm bolts on a car.

When will the USA finally switch to the metric system and be in line with all other modern countries?????.
The old archaic english system is certainly a cause of a lot of stripped bolt heads in the US.
Anybody tried to use a 1/2in. socket on a 10mm bolt head??

Why are metric sockets either 1/2" or 3/8" drive?? ;-)

In a DIY forum the head size is usually important. If your replacing the screw or bolt the rest of the info is at least as important.

Just to be technically accurate whether you call something a bolt or a screw is dependant on how it is used.
"If a product is designed so that its primary ourpose is assembly into a tapped hole, it is a screw. Thus the screw is tightened by exerting torque on the head. If a product is designed so that it is intended to be used with a nut, it is a bolt. A bolt is tightened by exerting torque on the nut" Mechanical Engineering Design by Joseph E. Shigley

That said even in the Mechanical Engineering world fasteners are usually refered to as screws when they are small and have a slotted or philips head. Bolts are larger sized fasteners with hex heads even when they are used as a screw in the definition above.

Paul
1984 300SD
1992 400E

Well, if a bolt accepts a 10mm socket, I'm still gonna call it a 10mm bolt and proudly display my ignorance.

:)

Same here!

And if you peruse enough threads in this forum, you'll find that the majority of the members do the same when explaining a procedure involving bolt removal...mostly because we are primarily concerned with removing and reinstalling fasteners in order to repair an offending part...not replacement of the fasteners themselves.

Egad
 

The Jaguar that I completed today has thirty two 14mm bolts, with three thread pitches, fine, coarse and machine thread.
Some cars have more some have less.

This is why I have so blasted many tools, designers and engineers stick fasteners in some of the strangest places, and then expect a mechanic to do the impossible to fix it.

Because
 

The mechanic fixing your car does not want to spend $23,000.00
USD, just to buy the same tools again with a metric shank.
You may not be aware:
There are fewer automotive mechanics every year because.
#1. Rotten pay.
#2. Filthy dangerous job.
#3. Tool cost.
#4. Steep learning curve and training cost.
#5. Can make more money elsewhere.
#6. Beginners get the rotten jobs.

So...whunter....

1. You don't know what a smiley face and wink is ;-)

I'll forget about the 3/8" & 1/2" drives and just stick with my 9.525 and 12.7 mm metric drives then.


2. Sounds like you hate your profession too.

Anyway, you missed the humor and I hope you have a nice weekend.

Oops, yep, missed the humor.
 

I love my profession; but I know it in has bad warts.
You have a wonderful easter weekend.

whunter

So does the 13mm have a larger X between the 13mm and the 8 because it is used more often on mercedes than a 10mm or 14mm? (Check your earlier post)

10mm x 8 x 1.25
13mm X 8 x 1.25
14mm x 8 x 1.25

Sorry, couldn't resist! Just stirring it up.

Haasman

Posted by manny:

Just a little nit-picking.
Seems like everytime somebody refers to a bolt, they call it 10 mm, 14 mm, 17 mm,... whatever.
What they actually MEAN is the size of the bolthead.
I believe the only people dealing in these " Industrial - strength " bolts, are heavy equipment mechanics.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey manny, looks like you forgot to take your meds :eek: . Your mood is "out of wack" :p

Just kidding..... :D

Well, our '83 Chevy m'home has the best of both! Most of the drivetrain fasteners are metric, most chassis ones are SAE, and the coach body is all SAE. I carry complete sets of both enroute.

Steve

The US gov't DID pass legislation to go all metric... thus the '83 Chevy (& others) w/ mixed fasteners.

Then, they chickened out. Idiots.

remember to use the same hardness bolt when replacing a fastener!!

I like the sae system of slashes rather than
printed numbers.

PMS !!!!
Poor mechanics syndrome. :D

I'll forget about the 3/8" & 1/2" drives and just stick with my 9.525 and 12.7 mm metric drives then.

Drives..?? I prefer the word "Spanner".

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm,, Was it Shakespear who said "much adoo about nothing"?

whunter, I know your pain -
 

I have a set of metric, a set of imperial (U.S. for those lurking who haven't heard the term) and a set of Whitworth. I'm stuck with the whitworth because the Austin-Healey 4-cylinder engine and a few suspension parts used those fasteners. In spite of that, I use metric to adjust the A-H valves and there is one metric bolt on the front of the muffler (sigh). I still have to watch for Whitworth versus British Standard Fine. (My open-end wrenches have both stamped on them.)

Obviously, the Tacoma and both MBs use metric.

Having to do a lot of engineering work in metric in my past life, I am one of those who wished the whole world was metric. Moving decimal places is a lot easier than inches, feet, yards, furlongs and miles....


my $.02,

Wes

Wes: it will come.....eventually all countries will be on the metric system.
There are only three 3rd world countries to convince.
Liberia, Burma....and the United States who are the the only countries that have not adopted the metric system yet.

Yeah Jackd, Canada did it right. They picked a date and that was it. No waffling or worrying about the little old ladies that wouldn't know the difference between farenheit and centegrade.

"If the good Lord had wanted us to use the metric system, he would have given us ten fingers."

Wes

Come to think of it, the US already uses the metric system to some degree.
There are 100 pennies in a dollar, right ? ;)
Getting back to my original question though, I just thought " knowledgeable " people like us should not walk into a store & ask for a 14 mm bolt, when we actually mean a ???mm bolt, with a 14 mm head.