Need help finding lower a arm bolts

[thinkfastroth]

So I have a spare c4 front suspension and was going to copy a flat out engineering design cradle but am having trouble finding a bolt or double sided stud for the lower a arm. The size I'm looking for is 1/2 x16 in long.

[c4racer2]

You sure it’s standard not metric ?
16” long ? Damn.
Did you try McMaster Carr?

[andrewb70]

Pretty sure you will have to make it yourself.

Andrew

[thinkfastroth]

Going to 1/2 because finding 12mm or 31/64 id dom tubing is impossible, looked at McMaster with no luck

[thinkfastroth]

Andrew if I have to make it any suggestions on what kind of steal to use?

[dontlifttoshift]

Common street rod front ends use ridiculously long bolts for the lower control arms. It doesn't take much for them to bend a bit and become impossible to get out. I recommend that you find another way to mount the control arms. I also do not care for the single shear of the that style mount, both sides of the bushing/bolt should be supported.

That said, what most of them, and what Flat Out does, is to use a steel rod and thread both ends, use an acorn nut on one end so it's pretty and a regular nut on the other end.

[thinkfastroth]

Common street rod front ends use ridiculously long bolts for the lower control arms. It doesn't take much for them to bend a bit and become impossible to get out. I recommend that you find another way to mount the control arms. I also do not care for the single shear of the that style mount, both sides of the bushing/bolt should be supported.

That said, what most of them, and what Flat Out does, is to use a steel rod and thread both ends, use an acorn nut on one end so it's pretty and a regular nut on the other end.


I'll take a look at the double shear , as far as the steel rod any idea on what kind it might be?

[David Pozzi]

Most tie rod ends, center links, steering arms, and balljoint housings are made of 1045 steel. I'd look at that for making bolts. 1045 is used to make Cable, (wire rope) and well shafting for turbine pumps where the motor is above ground and the turbine is down in the well. On the farm, it's know as "plow steel" and used for tillage standards, cultivating knives, chisel standards, gauge wheel assemblies. At our west coast seel yards, it's color coded with green paint on the shaft or bar ends.
If you look at Aircraft bolts, look for grade 5. Grade 6 is too brittle according to my local Machine shop owner who is an engineer and ex road racer.