So, what are those differences, and what exactly does “custom fastener” mean to us? This article will fill you in.

What Are Custom Fasteners?

Custom fasteners are any fasteners that are manufactured to customer specifications. They don’t follow a standard design, which makes them hard to find in the general fastener marketplace. Specifications can be made for several characteristics, including part, size, head style, material, coating, and more.

Custom fasteners are also commonly referred to as special fasteners, specialty fasteners, and per-spec fasteners.

RELATED: Need a specialty bolt, screw, or stud? şÚÁĎÍř can help.

Custom Fastener Manufacturer Capabilities

“Custom” can mean a number of things, depending on which engineer, designer, or manufacturer you ask. But since the word “custom” can be so broad, it’s important to understand that every manufacturer will be limited to some extent by their capabilities.

As an example of what that may look like, we’ll list some of our custom fastener manufacturing capabilities. We specialize in limited-run, special parts made to the highest quality. However, we are limited by our size and equipment to a relatively small scope of parts. Please keep in mind that this is just what we can do; other manufacturers may be able to make more, less, or different parts.

Parts Capabilities

We can manufacture the following fastener types:

• Bolts
• Screws
• Studs
• Wheel studs

Head Style Capabilities

We can manufacture parts with the following head styles:

• Hex head
• Round head
• Square head
• Place bolt

We can also manufacture these head styles, but only with one particular part number:

• T-bolts (7069543)
• 12 point (9338540-2)

Size Capabilities

Our size capabilities vary depending on the type of fastener you’re looking for. Here are the size specifications we can handle, categorized by type.

Bolts & Screws

Diameters

• M5 – M30
• ¼” – 1 ¼”

Lengths

• Diameters up to 5/16” = 6” maximum length
• Diameters ⅜” or more = 8” maximum length

Place Bolts

Diameters

• M8 – M20
• ¼” – 1”

Lengths

• Diameters up to 5/16” = 6” maximum length
• Diameters ⅜” or more = 8” maximum length

Wheel Studs

Diameters

• M8 – M30
• 5/16” – 1 ⅛”

Material Capabilities

We specialize in the manufacturing of alloy steel and carbon steel fasteners. We do not manufacture parts with stainless steel or super alloys like Monel and Inconel.

How the Custom Fastener Manufacturing Process Works

Again, the custom fastener manufacturing process may look different depending on which manufacturer you choose to work with. Here’s a general idea of what our processes are like for customers who know the exact part they need and for customers who aren’t 100% sure of what they need yet.

Custom Fastener Manufacturing for a Known Part

Most of the time, a customer comes to us knowing exactly the part they need. An engineer or designer has determined the part that’s needed and what its specifications are. They’ve already drawn the blueprints for it.

At that point, they’ll submit an RFQ and blueprint to our team, which also states the number of parts that are needed. We’ll review it to make sure it’s in our wheelhouse of capabilities. If it is, we’ll send a quote out, and if the customer chooses to place the order, we run the job.

If the part is not within our wheelhouse of capabilities, we’re happy to refer the customer to a different manufacturer who will be able to help.

Custom Fastener Manufacturing for an Unknown Part

Occasionally, a customer will come to us without knowing the exact part they need. While we don’t have an engineering team on staff to design the part for them, we’re more than happy to offer recommendations based on the part’s intended application. We can also make suggestions to help make things easier and more affordable.

Some example recommendations we’ve made in the past include:

• Certain lengths are standard for certain diameters, and fitting within those standard dimensions can make the manufacturing and installation process much easier.
• We have existing tooling for some parts, so if the customer can work within the tooling we have, they won’t be charged for new tooling.
• Some fastener coatings are cheaper and easier to source than others.

If the part with all of its recommendations is something we can manufacture, we talk quantities, pricing, and lead times and send a quote out. If the quote is signed, we run the job.

It’s important to note that this is an instance where ordering in a limited-run quantity is especially helpful. Because we can make fasteners in limited-run quantities, customers can mitigate risk by ordering a smaller “trial run” before committing to high production volumes.

And, of course, if the part’s design isn’t within our wheelhouse of capabilities, we’re happy to refer the customer to a different manufacturer who can help them.

şÚÁĎÍř: Your Trusted Source for Custom Bolts, Screws, and Studs

şÚÁĎÍř is an American manufacturer of limited-run, hard-to-find, custom fasteners. Our jobs are manufactured to customer specifications and cold-formed for durable, high-quality results.

If you need a custom bolt, screw, or stud for your project, we’re your top-choice manufacturer. Send us your ideas or blueprints, and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help bring them to life.

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Let’s take a closer look into wheel studs vs. wheel bolts below.

What Are Wheel Studs and Wheel Bolts?

Wheel studs have a threaded shaft, an unthreaded body, a ribbed neck (usually), and a flat head that’s usually round (but not always). Yes, there are a few ifs and usuallys in that sentence, but that’s the complex nature of the fastener industry for you.

Wheel studs are usually pressed into the hole, where the ribbing grips the hole and holds them in place. The threaded parts of the studs don’t engage with the hole. They’re then paired with lug nuts.

Every characteristic listed above describes the most popular type of wheel stud: press-in. However, there is another type of wheel stud that is used pretty commonly as well: screw-in.

Screw-in wheel studs are a bit different and a little less common. They have a continuously threaded shaft all the way up to the head, which is usually a hex head. They’re installed by screwing them directly into the hole where the threads directly engage the hole and holding them in place.

Wheel bolts also have a threaded shaft and a tapered head that matches a vehicle’s wheel insert. However, they go in through the wheel insert, through the brake rotor hat, and straight to the hub, locking everything in place. They aren’t generally paired with nuts.

RELATED: Need a specialty bolt, screw, or stud? şÚÁĎÍř can help.

Wheel Studs vs. Wheel Bolts: The Key Differences

While both wheel studs and wheel bolts serve the same general purpose — holding wheels onto vehicles — there are some key differences between them, such as their insertion method, their ease of use, where they’re commonly used, and the number of additional parts required for installation. We’ll look at a few of these differences below.

Wheel Studs

Here’s the rundown on wheel studs:

• Insertion method — As mentioned previously, wheel studs are mounted in the wheel hub, stick out beyond the brake rotor hat, and are then paired with lug nuts.
• Ease of use — Wheel studs stay in place when you remove a vehicle tire, so you don’t have to go through the process of realigning everything upon replacement. This makes for quick and simple tire changes. However, wheel studs can be a pain to replace because you have to get them back out of the hole they were pressed into without destroying the wheel hub.
• Where they’re used — Wheel studs are the most popular choice for American automotive manufacturers.
• Additional parts required — Wheel studs need to be paired with nuts, so you have to purchase and obtain those additional parts. However, the nuts do help wheel studs maintain more consistent torque.

Wheel Bolts

Conversely, here’s how wheel bolts differ:

• Insertion method — Wheel studs are installed from behind the wheel hub and attached with lug nuts on the front, but wheel bolts are installed in the wheel insert from the front, through the brake rotor hat and directly into the hub.
• Ease of use — When wheel bolts are removed, the brake rotors can rotate freely. This means you have to realign the rotors with the wheel inserts whenever you’re replacing tires. It’s not the most difficult process in the world, but it does add extra time and hassle for regular tire changes. Plus, if any threads are stripped in the hub during the process, the entire hub must be replaced.
• Where they’re used — Wheel bolts are the most popular choice for European automotive manufacturers.
• Additional parts required — Wheel bolts are not paired with nuts, so no other parts are required.

Wheel Studs vs. Wheel Bolts: Which Is Best For Your Application?

There’s not really a wrong answer here. As long as you know the differences between wheel studs and wheel bolts, you can base your decision on what you think would work best for your vehicle. As you can likely tell from the information above, wheel studs are generally the best option for efficient automotive assembly — but there are also some situations where wheel bolts are best, like if you don’t have nuts to pair the studs with.

If you’re looking for per-spec, limited-run wheel studs, you’re in the right place. At şÚÁĎÍř, our team has over 70 years of experience in the fastener industry, and we’ve helped a bunch of local, national, and international automotive manufacturers find the right fastener solution for their wheel hub assemblies. We even specialize in MS wheel studs for military vehicles, mining trucks, and other heavy-duty applications. Contact us to see how we can help you.

The post What’s the Difference Between a Wheel Stud and a Wheel Bolt? appeared first on şÚÁĎÍř.

The fastener industry can be complicated, especially if you need a part that’s more specialized than your typical Phillips-head screw. There are a ton of new, technical terms to learn — but we’ve got you covered. Here’s a glossary-style list with some of the most important fastener terms and abbreviations you need to know.

A Guide to Fastener Terminology

Below is a list of about 50 different fastener terms and abbreviations, which are categorized into five different sections: types, manufacturing processes, measurement, testing, and standards and specifications.

While this is by no means a complete list of all the fastener terminology out there, it’s a good starting point for some of the most common terms to know going into your project.

If you have a question about a term or concept that isn’t defined on this list, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re happy to help. Also, be sure to browse the links associated with some of these terms, as they’ll lead you to our articles with more information regarding each subject.

RELATED: Need a specialty bolt, screw, or stud? şÚÁĎÍř can help.

Fastener Types

Bolt – An externally threaded fastener designed for insertion through holes in assembled parts. It’s normally intended to be tightened or released by torquing a nut.

Countersunk – Used to describe a fastener head that rests evenly with or below the material surface after installation. The design tapers toward the fastener shank, allowing the head to essentially “sink” into the surface.

Carriage bolt – A type of bolt with a threaded bar and a domed, enlarged head on one end that’s designed to keep the bolt from pulling through.

External drive – A fastener head that requires a tool, like a wrench, to wrap around the head for installation and removal.

External thread – Threading on the outside of a cylindrical fastener.

Head style – The type of head or top on a fastener, such as a round or hex head style.

Hex head – A fastener head with six vertical sides and a flat bearing surface.

Hex flange head – A fastener head with six vertical sides that expand out to a flat, washer-like bearing surface at the bottom.

Internal drive – A fastener head that requires a tool, like a screwdriver, to be inserted within the head for installation and removal.

Internal thread – Threading on the inside of a cylindrical, holed fastener.

MS fastener – Abbreviation for “mil-spec” or “military specification.” It’s a type of fastener that’s designed and maintained by the United States Military.

Non-countersunk – Used to describe a fastener head that protrudes from the material surface after installation, leaving the head fully exposed. The design includes a narrow shank that’s topped with an abrupt, wide head.

Place bolt – A self-locking, free-spinning hex head bolt that prevents loosening due to vibration. It offers up to seven times more vibration resistance than a conventional hex head cap screw.

Screw – An externally threaded fastener designed for insertion through holes in assembled parts, mating with a preformed internal thread, or forming their own thread. It’s tightened and released by torquing a head.

Specialty fastener – A fastener that’s designed and manufactured for a certain industry, application, or material. It’s made with unique specifications that set it apart from common fasteners you’d find at a hardware store or use in a widely practiced application.

Stud – An externally threaded fastener that typically looks like and operates as a threaded bar. It’s commonly used to join two components with internally threaded holes together

Washer – A thin plate with a hole in the middle, which is used to distribute the load and increase the bearing surface of a threaded fastener.

Fastener Manufacturing Processes

Cold forming – Also known as cold heading, this is a process of forming a fastener without heating up the material. It’s usually accomplished by striking or pressing the material within a form, or die, to create a part with desired specifications.

Fastener coating – A chemical that’s applied to the exterior of a fastener to improve its performance and longevity (e.g. zinc phosphate, cadmium electroplate, etc.)

Short-run production – Also known as limited-run production, this is a process in which a manufacturer accepts and fulfills orders involving relatively small quantities of product. At şÚÁĎÍř, we use short-run production to manufacture specialty fasteners in smaller quantities.

Thread cutting – The process of producing external threads on a fastener by cutting away, or removing, material from a round bar.

Thread rolling – The process of producing external threads on a fastener by rolling it through a set of threading dies that displace the material to form threads, without removing any material or changing its grain structure.

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Body diameter – The diameter of the body (or smooth part) of the fastener, which is generally located above the threads.

Major diameter – The largest diameter of a fastener thread. It’s measured from the crest (top) of a thread on one side to the crest of a thread on the other side.

Minor diameter – The smallest diameter of a fastener thread. It’s measured from the root (bottom) of a thread on one side to the root of a thread on the other side.

Nominal diameter – This is shorthand for “nominal major diameter” — and, in most cases, “nominal” just means “basically.” So it’s an estimated major diameter.

Pitch – The distance from a point along one thread to that same point on the next thread. You can measure pitch from the crest, the trough, or any point in between.

Pitch diameter –  The diameter of a theoretical cylinder that exists halfway between the major and minor diameters.

TPI – Abbreviation for threads per inch. As the name suggests, it’s calculated by counting the number of thread peaks along a 1-inch length.

UNC – Abbreviation for Unified National Coarse thread. It’s the United States’ standard for fasteners with coarse threads. Coarse threads are bigger, and there are therefore fewer of them on a fastener.

UNF – Abbreviation for Unified National Fine thread. It’s the United States’ standard for fasteners with fine threads. Fine threads are smaller, and there are therefore more of them on a fastener.

Fastener Testing

Bearing surface testing – Fastener testing method that measures how much the amount of surface area and roughness of the bottom of the fastener head or washer will affect friction.

Coefficient of friction – Fastener testing method that measures the kinetic and static resistance of the surfaces of a bolted joint as it’s being tightened.

Hardenability testing – The testing of a material that provides data on the changes in hardness of a material as it’s heated to various temperatures.

NSS testing – Abbreviation for neutral salt spray testing. It’s a fastener testing method that measures corrosion resistance by inserting it in a test chamber with salt spray for a specified number of hours.

Proof load – The minimum amount of force a fastener must be able to withstand for a given amount of time without experiencing permanent deformation.

Tensile strength – The maximum force that a fastener can withstand before fracturing.

Torque-tension testing – Fastener testing method that measures the input torque required for a bolted joint to achieve a specified tension.

Yield strength – The load that’s carried at the point where a fastener experiences permanent deformation.

Fastener Standards and Specifications

ASME – Abbreviation for The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. It’s an organization that creates quality standards for five main industries: bioengineering, robotics, clean energy, manufacturing, and pressure technology.

ASTM – Abbreviation for The American Society for Testing and Materials. It’s an organization that created one of the first quality standards sets, and it now focuses on six types of standards related to the manufacturing process: test method, specification, classification, practice, and guide and terminology.

DIN – Abbreviation for Deutsches Institut fĂĽr Normung, or the German Institute for Standardization. It’s an organization that creates quality standards, but many of those standards have been outright replaced by ISO standards.

IATF – Abbreviation for The International Automotive Task Force. It’s an organization of automotive manufacturers and their trade associations — all of who work to provide consistent quality management standards for automotive suppliers worldwide.

ISO – Abbreviations for The International Standards Organization. It’s an organization that establishes widely used standards for a multitude of manufacturing applications. It’s by far the most common standard for establishing an overreaching quality management system (QMS).

Grade – A set of characteristics, defined by a standard, that determines the material, hardness, and strength of a fastener. Many standards require distinct head markings to make the grades easier to identify.

Property class – The metric equivalent to the standard (or inch) term “grade.”

QMS – Abbreviation for quality management system. It outlines all the policies and procedures put in place by a company to ensure that its products and services meet customer requirements.

SAE – Abbreviation for The Society of Automotive Engineers. It’s a United States-based organization that’s composed of automotive and aerospace engineers, and that creates its own quality standards for manufacturing applications.

Have More Questions on Fastener Terminology? Contact Us.

The fastener industry can get a bit technical and confusing — but by working with şÚÁĎÍř, it doesn’t have to be. Our specialty fastener experts are here to help you decipher the details and find the right solution for your application. Contact us to learn more about our products, processes, and how we can best support you.

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The bottom line is, if we were to write about all the types of fasteners available, our fingers may just fall off. So in this article, we’ll be focusing on just three of the more commonly used fasteners: bolts, screws, and studs.

3 Common Types of Fasteners

Bolts, studs, and screws are just a few of the many types of fasteners out there. They can also be some of the trickiest to distinguish from each other. In terms of both appearance and function, their differences are often pretty unclear and ambiguous, especially when you mix in each type of fasteners’ various subtypes. Below, we’ll provide you with some general guidelines to understand what each type of fastener is, what it’s used for, and how it’s different from the rest.

1. Bolts

Bolts are externally threaded fasteners designed for insertion through the holes in assembled parts. They’re incredibly versatile fasteners, and they’re known for their holding strength and durability. They also allow for easier assembly and disassembly when needed.

Normally, bolts are intended to be tightened or released by torquing a nut, not a head. However, some subtypes do have heads on them and are used for different purposes. Amongst many others, some common bolt subtypes include:

• Carriage bolt – A type of bolt with a threaded bar and a domed, enlarged head on one end that is designed to keep the bolt from pulling through. It’s generally recommended for applications that involve attaching wood to metal.
• Hex bolt – A type of bolt that has a six-sided hex cap on one end. It’s intended to work with a nut and is commonly used in construction and heavy machinery applications.
• Flange bolt – Also called a hex flange, it’s a type of bolt that has a washer on the underside of a hex head, which helps distribute the force from a bearing load more efficiently. It’s commonly used in the automotive industry, especially in framing applications.
• Machine bolt – A type of bolt that has a threaded bar with a square head on one end and a semi-cone point on the other. It’s used for general hardware and fastening metal to metal.
• Specialty bolt – A type of bolt that is specifically designed and manufactured for a particular use. Due to their specificity, specialty bolts tend to be manufactured in smaller quantities, and can therefore be harder to find than standard parts.

2. Screws

Screws are externally threaded fasteners capable of being inserted into holes in assembled parts, mating with a preformed internal thread, or forming their own thread. In most cases, they’re self-tapping, meaning the threads of the screw mate with the material it’s turned through to hold the screw in place.

Screws usually have threads that aren’t compatible with nuts, so they’re tightened and released by torquing a head. Screw subtypes are generally defined by the material they’re used for, but there are a few outliers. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Hex head cap screw – A type of screw with a hexagon-shaped head that’s designed to be inserted into a pre-tapped hole. It’s commonly used in automotive and heavy machinery applications.
• Wood screw – A type of screw that has coarse threads, a smooth shank, and a tapered head, making it perfect for wood construction applications.
• Masonry screw – A type of screw that either has a flat head for countersinking or a hex washer head to sit on the surface of the material. It’s primarily used to fasten materials to concrete, mortar joints, and brick.
• Sheet metal screw – A type of screw that has sharp points and a flat or hex washer head. It’s primarily used for metal applications and can secure multiple materials at a time.
• Machine screw – A type of screw that has a rust-resistant coating and fine threads, making it a durable option for heavy-duty applications like joining machine parts.

*The difference between a bolt and a screw can be especially difficult to determine, so if you’re still confused after those descriptions, you’re not alone. Luckily, some organizations, including the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), have established criteria to help identify key elements of each. Although this is just one agency’s opinion, we like it because it’s clear and concise. You can learn more about it in this past article of ours.

3. Studs

Studs are externally threaded fasteners that typically look like and operate as threaded bars. Most studs are threaded at both ends, allowing both ends to be paired with nuts. However, some studs do have a head at one end, allowing it to be permanently attached to a tapped component through welding, swaging, or bonding.

Studs generally work great for joining two components with internally threaded holes together. However, depending on which stud subtype you’re working with, their function can change. Although there are quite a few stud subtypes, some common ones include:

• Hex stud – A double end stud with threads on both ends and a hex in the middle. It’s often used in wheel hub assemblies.
• Fully threaded stud – A type of stud that is essentially just a piece of threaded bar with no chamfered ends. It can be used for fastening large parts of structures and machinery together with nuts at each end to form a bolt.
• Flange stud – A type of stud that is almost identical to a fully threaded stud bolt, except that it has chamfered ends.
• Tap end stud – A type of stud that has a short length of thread at one end, which is designed to be screwed into a tapped hole. The other end has a shank and longer length of thread at the other end, which is paired with a nut.
• Double end stud – A type of stud with a shank in the middle and threads at each end — both of which are paired with nuts. The threads can be different lengths, and even different diameters, on each end.
• Welding stud – A type of stud that has a full-length machine thread and a thin, wide head that makes them easy to weld permanently to a component.

RELATED: Need a specialty bolt, screw, or stud? şÚÁĎÍř can help.

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