As the title suggests. While I can buy a cheap assortment off AMZ or the like, I know full well most of the sizes included will never see use in my lifetime. I'd rather just keep a supply of usable sizes for the Jeep.
Best split / cotter pin sizes to keep in the parts stash?
- Thread starter chili_pepper
- Start date
Ive got nuts, bolts and oddball stuff Ive been toting around for decades. Buy a small assortment, someday you'll use them all. Far as the TJ goes there isnt a bunch on it that come to mind. The front axle nut, tie rod ends, BJ's, maybe some linkages.
I carry a lower and upper ball joint castle nut and cotter pins. I believe there is one more on the front axle/unit bearing nut. And two on the tie rod ends. I also carry about 4' of bailing/mechanic/aviation stainless wire.
Don't forget a spare fuel line and don't forget to set up your bump stops correctly every time the springs fall out because you ripped off the shocks.
-Mac
Don't forget a spare fuel line and don't forget to set up your bump stops correctly every time the springs fall out because you ripped off the shocks.
-Mac
There are only 3 sizes on the TJ. The castle nuts used on the steering and OEM trackbar are all the same. That is also the same size used for the upper ball joint nut.
The lower ball joint nut is the second size which leaves the ones for the stub shafts which are the largest.
I'll get the sizes for you later but I would encourage you to test any you wind up with in the holes where you plan to use them. We order in and use 1000's of them in the brake kits. We did that successfully for many years and then we had to send back several thousand because they were slightly too large and you couldn't hammer them through the holes. We returned and they replaced them at least 2 times before we threw in the towel and just started paying more, a lot more from McMaster to get the correct sizes.
My original supplier was sad, they didn't change anything, and after the second time, I told them to test first before we went to pick them up. They related they rejected several batches before they threw in the towel.
Yes. I still have shit I pulled off of cars when I was a paint and body tech in the early 90's.
Noooo. That has never worked to date, and the aforementioned is either so random or specific to a car model, it has little other use.
This is good.
I knew you, if anyone, would give it good. As others noted, I suspected there weren't too many, but I haven't refreshed the suspension on my LJ as of yet so I'm not intimately familiar with it (this is part of the prep for that refresh). Appreciate any size information you can throw my way and fully understand and agree with the size verification thing. It's a shame we seem to be regressing from the brilliance of standardized fasteners for no other reasons than cheapness/greed.
For the small numbers I'll probably consume, McMaster-Carr will likely get the nod.
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Harbor Freight has a box of assorted cotter pin styles that I keep on hand. I try to use the ones that come with the parts, but sometimes you buy a new jeep and want to swap steering components so you have to source your own cotter pins. You know, or like whatever.
I will in a pinch, but they don't always come out in one piece, and since metal fatigue is real and I normally have 100+ on hand in several sizes that will work, I just grab a new one.
Yes. I still have shit I pulled off of cars when I was a paint and body tech in the early 90's.
Noooo. That has never worked to date, and the aforementioned is either so random or specific to a car model, it has little other use.
This is good.
I knew you, if anyone, would give it good. As others noted, I suspected there weren't too many, but I haven't refreshed the suspension on my LJ as of yet so I'm not intimately familiar with it (this is part of the prep for that refresh). Appreciate any size information you can throw my way and fully understand and agree with the size verification thing. It's a shame we seem to be regressing from the brilliance of standardized fasteners for no other reasons than cheapness/greed.
For the small numbers I'll probably consume, McMaster-Carr will likely get the nod.
1/8" x 1"
5/32 x 1 1/4"
5/32 x 1 1/2" for the stub shafts although you can easily make the 1 1/4" work.