I bought from them and would not do it again. I'd go with good cad plated from ARP. The stainless bolts were soft. Real easy to rip out the button heads. A lot of stuff missing. I made a bunch of trips to the local hardware to get nuts, bolts, washers that weren't included.

 

I ended up using only about half of the bolts that were provided in the Totally Stainless kits. I wouldn't say I would never use them again. I'd just be more scrutinizing of the kits I needed and what I could get away with from other less-expensive vendors.

I've purchased the following Totally Stainless bolt kits:

Brake & Fuel Line Brackets - None fit
Front Shock Bracket Bolt Kit - None fit
Engine Mount to Frame Kit - All fit
Transfer Case Crossmember Kit - Not used due to widening of holes
Axle Stop Bumper Mount Kit - All fit
Sway Bar Kit - All fit
Steering Box Cover & Mount Kit - Most fit
Engine Bolt Kit - Most fit

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the feedback! Definitely been of some help to me!

So, does ARP offer the cad plated ones in a kit, or do they have to be purchased separately?

 

I purchase all my hardware either at the local true value or mcmaster carr.
Mcmaster is hard to beat to be honest.

 

I actually liked my stainless kit. I went with the hex bolts. I thought it was nice that everything was individually bagged and labeled. Saved a lot of guessing.

 

Me to went with the 304 Total SS motor kit with the hex heads bolts and it was well worth the money

Also bought the dash bolt kit and it was complete

Ya I have had to go to the hardware store for other Nuts and Bolts

beats dumping the goolosh bucket out every time looking for a nut or bolt

So I liked the Total SS bolt Kits well worth the time and money

 

The customer service from this company is terrible. They refused to fill my order, saying it didn't meet their minimal dollar amount. I wanted to try out a few of their items before spending hundreds of dollars, especially after reading concerns about their quality. Use caution dealing with this company.

 

So, I am leaning toward removing the body from my '74 CJ-6 to do the body work.

1) When it comes time for reassembly, should I invest in one of the bolt kits advertised in the catalogs? The one for my applications is like 597 pieces, so I'm guessing the original hardware is bound to have some bum fasteners here and there, but the kits are kind of expensive ($139). Not a lot in the overall scheme of things, but when you add it to all the other little stuff, it can add up quick!

2) They offer them in hex head and button head. Which is preferred?

Thanks!

No, save your $$$$! :thumbdown:
LG

 

ARP has some kits, like flywheel and bellhousing kits. Their customer service is super in my experience.

IMHO SS is way overrated except in high rust fasteners like exhaust.

JS

 

The OP asked about this in 2010.

 

:rofl: I guess it would help if I read the dang date!

JS

 

For those looking for a current review, I have nothing but good things to say about Totally Stainless' products and customer service. Top notch company, IMO.

Matt

 

BTW: Stainless fasteners have their place in corrosive environments but are not a cure-all that can be used anywhere. Perhaps winter road salt qualifies as a corrosive environment and one would be tempted to use SS fasteners in the frame and other exposed areas in the undercarriage, but most common stainless steel fasteners are 316 or 318 SS alloy and though stronger than plain ungraded mild steel fasteners are not as strong as SAE grade 5 or SAE grade 8. I recommend using the proper grade for the job at hand and using SS where cosmetic appearance is more important than strength.

That's my 2 cents.

Makanak

 

Does any one have any experience with this ebay seller?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300329382919?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
They say that they are genuine ARP in stainless with a grade 8 rating but I don't know if there is something I'm missing.

 

Why not see what ARP is selling them for?

js

 

I did. They are not listed on the ARP website. This appears to be a kit this ebay seller has put together themselves. It appears to be a real brick and mortar store in Florida but as we all know that doesn't mean that the bolts will fit correctly.

 

little note about stainless,I've never been happy with the strength of SS bolts, if you need it for show, go for it, but I wouldn't use it for anything that required strength. Grade 8 bolts are a good alternative as they holds up pretty good to corrosion and are strong.

 

The ARP bolts, with their smaller hex, are stronger than regular grade 8 bolts and are stainless too. I use the same ones on my 258 engine, drive shaft U-joints, axle flange-to-backing plate and other high stress areas. You can get the bolts in a 12 point head as well.

I purchased all of them from Totally Stainless out of Gettysburg PA.

 

This is from ebay Reviews & Guides

Stainless steel bolts are not stronger than ordinary steel bolts
This is clearly true for the majority of stainless steel bolts. Stainless steel in general has very little carbon, and because of that, most grades of stainless steel cannot be hardened by heat treatment. Stainless steel bolts are, in most cases, just slightly stronger than Grade 2 hardware store junk bolts, and in nearly all cases, significantly less than Grade 5. You do NOT want to use common-grade stainless fasteners in any application that would call for a hardened (Grade 5 or Grade 8, or stronger) fastener. ARP makes a fine line of stainless bolts that have a tensile strength of approximately 170,000 lbs per square inch. This is greater tensile strength than a typical Grade 8 fastener, but keep in mind that tensile strength is not the only measure of bolt quality/strength. Common grades of stainless steel may have reasonable tensile strength, but significantly less yield strength than a "regular" steel bolt--the stainless bolts are more "stretchy". Those ARP-made bolts are the ONLY stainless fasteners I'm aware of that are suitable for general use

Another issue with common grades of stainless steel is that the threads often seize ("gall") between the bolt and the nut. I suggest the use of an anti-seize compound, coupled to CAREFUL USE OF THE TORQUE WRENCH when tightening stainless steel. You MUST use a torque setting on the wrench suitable for the mechanical limits of the fastener, as adjusted for the reduced thread friction inherent when using a thread lubricant like anti-sieze compounds. As a rule of thumb, and unless the manufacturer says otherwise: Consider a stainless steel fastener to be capable of Grade 2 torque loads, and then adjust the torque DOWNWARD by 20% because of the lubricant properties of the anti-sieze.

Example: A common 304 (A2) 3/8-16 stainless bolt should accept the same torque as a 3/8-16 Grade 2 bolt--only about 20 ft/lbs. But since you've lubricated the threads with anti-seize compound, you'd reduce the torque by 20%, for a torque-wrench-setting of 16 ft/lbs. That is NOT VERY MUCH for a 3/8 bolt!!! There are stronger stainless bolts--some but not all 316 alloy bolts will take almost but not quite Grade 5 torque specs, but again you must adjust downward when you use anti-sieze. If you're used to working with hardened fasteners (Grade 5 and Grade 8) you won't believe how little torque is the maximum acceptable amount.

 

WoW!
I just downloaded an copy of the ARP (Automotive Racing Products) catalog and found it has an extensive and very well written discussion of alloys, metalurgy, fasteners, and the proper installation of fasteners. This is perhaps the most comprehensive discussion I have found yet that can be understood by a layman.

Makanak

 

Factor in the exaggerated expansion rates of stainless steel and you have the worst possible engine bolts made......

 

I can't think of a good reason to use a stainless head bolt.

Concerning ARP information, I recommend reading their instructions for installing studs. Lots of studs are installed incorrectly, ARP spells it out.
Cheers JS