Anyone Got Square Nuts?

[Grant Bowker]

Rob,
Last I heard you were looking for bumper nuts (for those who don't know.... see photo), why the change in your quest?
More seriously, is it the size of the nuts or the quality that is the problem? I've never seen any square nuts marked for grade, so I assume they are no better than grade 2, in other words not to be trusted for anything in particular.

[Keith Webb]

The square nuts on a CMP are only used as captive nuts from what I can see in my restoration for securing sheet metal on the cab and body.
They're in 3 sizes from 3/16 for the drivers toeplate to 1/4" for things like securing the windscreens, floor plates and grille to 5/16 for mudguards and holding the front shell.
They are also very well known for seizing and turning in their cages in the most inaccesible places. The others either come out nicely or helpfully shear off, both speeding disassembly and hindering reassembly.
Thread is UNC, or Whitworth.
I found it helpful to have taps and dies in all the sizes to run through them before putting them back together.

[Bob Carriere]

http://www.msc-stainless-fasteners.c...are-nuts-title

http://store.nutsandbolts.com/square-nuts.html

....and Valley Hardware has in stock 5/16 square....plain or plated 100 for $10

3/16 or 1/4 20 could be ordered.....

Over an out..... I need to spend more quality time in the barn with you guys....

BooBee

PS ...talk to me about the plate...... I have repaired old soft pewter items before in my younger days....... you just need to be delicate and fabricate your own tools out of wood for correcting the dents........ we may have to be creative for the actual finish...... a couple of beers will do wonders....

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

...and Valley Hardware has in stock 5/16 square....plain or plated 100 for $10 3/16 or 1/4 20 could be ordered...BooBee...

Now, this is the thread you should have gotten "cute" on. Thanks for the URLs. I'll bring the plates out in two weeks - the frau is working Sat and Sun...sniff, sniff...

[notenoughtoys]

The absolutely best source I have ever found for square nuts is McMaster Carr (out of Chicago) www.mcmaster.com

They are currently listing sizes from 6-32 up to 3/8-16 (flat top & flat bottom) in plain steel, black oxide coated and zinc plated steel.

If you want flat bottom and rounded top, they list from 6-32 up to 1&1/2-6 in 18-8ss, grade 5 (zinc plated), grade 2 & hot dipped galvanized.

Absolutely fantastic shipping and pricing is more than reasonable.

Only problem I have ever had with them (based on past experience) is you'll end up ordering an absolute pile of other stuff once you get a hold of the (3664 page) catalogue !

Best advice is to have the stuff delivered to your work (or on a day the wife's not going to be home !)......

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by notenoughtoys

The absolutely best source I have ever found for square nuts is McMaster Carr (out of Chicago) www.mcmaster.com...

Thanks for the URL - that killed an evening...

[Grant Bowker]

I agree that they have an amazing variety of stuff, but I have a significant "issue" with one of their corporate policies.
They absolutely refuse to ship to Canada and refuse orders if they think that the product will end up being exported from the USA to Canada. In my case, I was paying by credit card for shipping to a USA address and they somehow saw that the billing address for the credit card was Canadian and this was enough for them to cancel the order they had previously accepted. When I called them to try to overturn their decision they were very polite but wouldn't reconsider their policy. I never did find a reference to their anti-Canadian policy on their web site.
Please let me know if you find they've changed their policy because I'm sure I can find more things to order from them.