I'm planning on buying nuts, bolts and washers for stock in my garage

Is there a list of common sizes or do u just buy what u need

A know there's metric sizes and imperial sizes but that's it plus a also know there's poo loads of different kinds

[Edited on 27/7/15 by Rossmcleod]

Most fasteners suppliers will do 'assortment' bags or boxes
.
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I got bags of M8, m10 and m12. Then find I need imperial equivalents in UNF and also the odd metric fine for some steering and suspension parts.

Depends what you're building and what your donor is!

For car use, m6, m8, m10 and m12 hex head bolts.

8.8 bzp, 10 mm, 15 mm, 25 mm, 40 mm plus nuts, washers and spring washers, optionally locknuts and penny washers.

UNF 1/4, 5/16 and 1/2 in., possibly 3/8.

Should suffice for most jobs. Inevitably when you come to assembling something, the size you need will be the one you dont have.

quote:

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Originally posted by 02GF74
For car use, m6, m8, m10 and m12 hex head bolts.

8.8 bzp, 10 mm, 15 mm, 25 mm, 40 mm plus nuts, washers and spring washers, optionally locknuts and penny washers.

UNF 1/4, 5/16 and 1/2 in., possibly 3/8.

Should suffice for most jobs. Inevitably when you come to assembling something, the size you need will be the one you dont have.

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Literally buy twice as much as you will think you'll need. If I were starting my build again I would buy all stainless M5, M6, M8, M10 HEX head and Cap Heads. Nylocs for all sizes. Washers for all sizes and Penny washers for all sizes.

I would probably buy most from screwfix as their stainless stuff is cheap and good enough for cars. A lot of people will say that screwfix stuff is made of 'cheese' etc. It's not, its made to the grade they say its made to, they can't risk lawsuits.

Just use common sense. I would only ever use stainless for NON CRITICAL components. Any suspension parts need to be 8.8 or greater. Basically I used the rule: if the fixings broke when I am doing 80mph what will happen? If the answer was 'nothing, I'll fix when I get home' then I used stainless. If the answer was 'probably crash' I used grade 8.8 or 12.9.

I go to the local fasteners place and buy things by the 100's. I've got 2 tray crates of each size M4 & 5, M6, M8 M10, and one box of M12; each box either has 8.8 grade bolts, or A2/A4 stainless.

The 8.8 boxes have hex bolts in various lengths 10mm, 15mm, 25mm, 40mm, and 60mm, plus washers, penny washers, spring washers, nuts, nylocks, and castellated nuts. In the stainless boxes I have various size hex head bolts, allen bolts, dome head bolts, plus all the aforementioned washers and nuts.

The M12 is rarely used, so I only keep 8.8 or 12.9 grade hex and allen bolts, plus washers/nuts.

As for imperial, I keep a few odds and sods in a tub, but tend to buy them as I need them (unless I've got a specific purpose for them, such as Defender propshaft nuts & bolts).

I reckon each tray costs about £100 a throw to fill up from new, including the tray itself. But the time it has saved me by not having to "pop to the shops" has more than offset any monetary outlay.