Why We Don’t Use Stainless Steel For Our Fasteners

From The Desk Of Bernhard Leitner, CEO

I’m a fastener guy. Sounds nerdy but it’s true. To me there is nothing more satisfying than assembling a mechanical part with the right tools to the perfect torque. Fasteners are one of the most critical parts of any structural assembly and getting it right makes the difference between an OK design and a great design. 

Not All Bolts Are Created Equal

Have you spent any time lately looking at what holds your car together? No matter if it’s an inexpensive 10-year-old commuter car or a new $3 million plus hyper-car they all share one thing in common: high-strength alloy steel bolts with an advanced multi-layer coating to prevent corrosion hold them together. In the aftermarket automotive industry, I see a lot of companies touting that their accessories use stainless steel fasteners. It’s a great marketing pitch; we all know stainless steel does not rust. However, if stainless hardware were superior, why are performance cars from the likes of Mercedes, Porshe and Ferrari still using steel fasteners? I'll tell you.

The truth is that aftermarket companies use stainless fasters because they are readily available and less expensive than a steel fastener with the correct coatings.  An 18-8 or 316 stainless steel bolt is less than half as strong in tensile strength than a 10.9 grade steel bolt. Stainless steel suffers from a term called “galling.” This is where the soft stainless steel actually rubs off the fastener onto the mating internal threads and permanently seizes, preventing removal at a later time. 

Stainless - On - Stainless Galling

Stainless steel and aluminum just don’t play nice. We manufacture almost all of our parts from aluminum and stainless steel fasteners are not an option because the assembly will suffer from galvanic corrosion. If you’re not sure what that is look at the white crust that develops around your cars battery terminals, and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Stainless and aluminum have different electrical charges and will develop corrosion over time causing any paint to suffer from chipping and corrosion. 

Galvanic Corrosion In Action

This is why we developed our own fasteners - not just buying off the shelf - for every part on your ACS FORGED bed rack and ACS ROOF rack. Our fastners are made from an alloy steel that is heat treated to a grade 10.9 hardness. We permanently affix a washer, so you never miss one when the joint calls for it. Our fasteners are then coated with a military-grade, Zinc-nickel coating to prevent corrosion for over 1500 hours of simulated salt spray. 

Leitner-engineered Fasteners:  Heat-treated Grade 10.9 Alloy Steel with Military-grade Zinc-nickel Coating

We didn’t stop there. The fasteners are then coated in a “friction modifier” that allows your torque wrench to get to the proper torque every time. 
And, finally, we give every bolt a “patch” of the proper thread locker to ensure that it remains in place for years to come yet still easily removed. 
We like to think that the “devils is in the details.” Every engineering choice has far reaching implications. And what you install today needs to come apart again sometime in the future. 

Standard Stainless Hardware: Common in Aftermarket Accessories

Thanks for reading my rant on why we don’t use stainless steel for our fasteners.