Being someone who used to fly (and has flown in a performance aircraft
[read F class] that I'm now fairly sure had some sub-standard bolts in it and
the resulting terror is high) and as someone who now builds performance (read
race) cars for himself, I don't buy bolts at the hardware store anymore.
I will if I really have to, but it just isn't worth it on 2 fronts.
1) safety. Never compromise. If you're in doubt, don't use it.
2) cost. Subordinate to #1 at all times. Fasteners (the correct
term to encompass nuts, bolts, studs, washers, etc) available
at the local Value Ace HW store come from the lowest bidder. Tracing
a bad one to the manufacturer- Hah. And the markup is very high,
I'd venture on the order of 500-1000%. Find yourself a local fastener
dealer and buy in bulk from them. You'll find higher quality, better
reliability, and lower per item cost. You may find a minimum purchase
however.
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