MTFCA Forum

I have been supplying top quality, correct Grade 5 wood wheel hub bolts for some years now; Lang's and Chaffin's also carry them. Now a distant relation of mine who owns a machine shop with a number of automatic screw machines has given me a more affordable quote on making correct Grade 5 hub bolt nuts from the Ford print, so I'm testing the waters to see if there'd be any interest in them. Retail price would be in the $8-9 range for a set of 6. Considerably higher than the currently available nuts--but--these would be exactly like Ford's in appearance, and at Grade 5, considerably stronger, like my bolts are.

So--any interest? Not looking for firm orders here, just looking for general interest before I commit to a run.

With the current run of hub bolts which don't strip out like some in the past, I personally have no issues with the current nuts as sold. The cars are not points cars, just drivers. I would however like to see the bolts sold in the correct length, so they don't have to be trimmed down for the front, instead of being supplied in only one length. At that price point, might be a good product to test the waters. With any new product, good to get it to the suppliers before the next catalog come out. We are a retail supplier for Model T and A parts, as such, our supplier sends out updates on new parts about once a month. For retail buyers, places like Lang's has a new product section on line.

It would be great to have longer wood wheel bolts for use with safety hubs. The current alternative is not ideal. Also, if you do make the nuts, cold form the threads, don't use a cut tap, the threads will be much stronger.

RV, I don’t have a print nor have I ever seen one, but I have had enough factory NOS nuts to do several sets of wheels. The ones I had were not made on a screw machine, I am certain of that. As Dan says, the threads were formed , not cut, and the nuts themselves were not machined , but formed, or headed. For what it’s worth. Of course , I’m subject to be wrong, and perhaps later they were made differently.

Originally they were cold punched, and about a Grade 1.5

Formed, headed= cold punched. Same thing. I would think that would be a tough look to replicate in a screw machine. JMHO

You are correct Tim. machined parts are like peas in a pod. Each one is an exact replica, unlike the punched/formed units. If RV's nuts are machined to the correct dimensions, they will be superior to the stuff presently available, and that is a good thing.
Machining replica parts can never produce exact copies of forged/stamped/punched items. langs now list machined flanged nuts and loose lugs for Kelsey wheels, and that meets a new demand, and I congratulate them for their efforts. But each one is a smooth, exact replica of the next. the original stamped nuts varied in the thickness of the flange, the hex was slightly tapered, getting thicker near the flange, and quite often the threaded hole was somewhat off-centre. These irregularities reflect the method of manufacture. The original loose lugs look to have been shear cut from a hot rolled steel section. The shearing slightly deforms each one. No two are exactly alike, unlike the new machined articles. Original parts have a different 'look' about them, because they are different.
None of this matters, if you are short of the bits you need, and the vendors can help with a practical, quality solution. Good on them!

Allan from down under.

I have no problem with trimming off the bolts to use them in front, especially if making two sizes would raise the cost.

Just a thought R.V., but also make them sold as bolts AND nuts in a set. This would ensure people are getting the correct parts together. You can obviously sell them separately too.

I know when I bought mine, I had to buy the bolts from you and the nuts elsewhere. I realize you didn't have them back then, but buying a set all together would have been nicer.

R.V. , I know however you make them, they will be quality , as all your items are. I’d pay good money to see and hear Henry’s machine that slammed 300 million of these out.

I'll buy some for my cars.

Steve: Yes it would; that's why I made them the correct length for the rears. The difference is only 1/8" so I figured some guys would trim the fronts and others wouldn't mind the extra length.

Chad: That's the plan. I have always hated to sell sets of the bolts and then have to send them elsewhere for the nuts, fully realizing the inconvenience.

Tim: Thanks for the kind words. When I mentioned the ASMs, I wasn't saying they'd be used for making the nuts, just that those machines form the heart of their shop. They've got quite a number of machines and can do pretty much anything that is made by turning.

I lost out by about a week once when they sold their machine that would have been perfect for making the correct early style muffler bolts, the long ones. If they'd known I wanted those bolts they'd have run them for me before disposing of it.

Sorry. Pronoun/antecedent issue. Send the BUYERS elsewhere, not the bolts.