Wheel bolts are standard hardware on most European-made cars. They feature threaded stems that secure the wheels directly onto the vehicle hub. People who like to swap their wheels usually end up replacing the wheel bolts to fit the aftermarket wheels. Aftermarket wheel bolts are made in a variety of styles, seat types, and materials. Getting the correct wheel bolts installed ensures that your wheel is safely and securely fastened.
If you are in process of replacing wheel bolts, it is important to figure out which set is right for your vehicle. High-quality wheel bolts provide a better installing experience as well as good safety. Besides, if you would like to improve the performance, you can replace the originally equipped wheel bolts with ones made of higher-strength materials.
Are Grade 12.9 Wheel Bolts Better?
Wheel bolts are made of different grades of steel. The grade of a bolt determines the maximum amount of stress (tensile strength) that the bolt can handle. Most car wheel bolts express performance in metric bolts grades. The metric grades are set according to rules set by the ISO (International Standards Organization). There are four common metric grades: 5.8, 8.8, 10.9, and 12.9. Each grade has a specific bolt strength. The higher number means the higher the tensile strength of the bolt.
The minimum tensile strength of grade 12.9 wheel bolts is 1220MPa which is far exceeds the standard grade 10.9’s. Since tensile strength is the amount of pull the bolt can withstand before breaking, changing to higher grade wheel bolts improves safety. All BONOSS steel wheel bolts are ISO grade 12.9. For most automotive applications, you will need at least metric grade 10.9 wheel bolts. However, grade 12.9 wheel bolts are much better and safer. The property class is expressed in raised or depressed numerals on top or on the side of the bolt head. Before purchasing a new set of wheel bolts, check the grade first.
How Do You Protect Corrosion from Wheel Bolts?
It is very important to keep the wheel bolts working well. If a wheel bolt breaks or otherwise fails, it may gradually loosen over time. To protect wheel bolts from corrosion-related failure, manufacturing companies often treat their bolts during production. How the wheel bolts are coated is also a critical factor in choosing safe wheel bolts. Here are two of the best corrosion protection treatments for wheel bolts.
- The Dacromet surface treatment offers excellent protection for wheel bolts. It is 7-10 times better than traditional galvanizing treatment. The neutral salt spray test can last for more than 500 hours and even higher, which is far better than galvanized. Since the Dacromet treatment fluid can penetrate into the tight joint of the workpiece to form a rust-proof coating, it performs greatly in automotive wheel bolts.
- Electrocoating offers good corrosion resistance performance, improving the rust prevention ability of wheel bolts. Moreover, it also behaves greatly to stand up to extreme environments such as water and sunlight. It can evenly coat the wheel bolts, which provides better surface quality.
