OE Dana ring gear bolts are of the slick serrated head variety. Are these necessary or can I simply use equivalent grade 9 hex head bolts with a dab of lock tite?

Additionally, if I go the hex head bolt route, should I throw an equivalent grade washer under there?

cm "short, but pointless" k

Buy the proper bolts. I have seen several come loose with normal bolts, and the correct ones are cheap.

What happened to the original ones? Try the parts place in Elkhorn if you can't find any in stock anywhere :)

And I agree, get the right ones.

Squash
p.s. sorry I didn't make it over for :beer:

I never really noticed, but when you buy gears or an install kit, they come with normal looking grade 8 fasteners with loctite or equiv.

Bryan

I'm building up a couple axles that came to me as bare housings. Read: no fasteners of any sort or even carrier/gears for that matter.

I've been leary to buy "rebuild kits" from the warehouses ever since I got a couple in a row that came with "bad" ring gear bolts. They started to stretch and neck down before they ever reached their torque spec.

Because of that, I would sooner find a quality source from which I can buy a bunch in bulk. Then, I always have them handy for whenever I need 'em.

BTW, Oxjockey ... all the ring gear bolts I have seen have been grade 9. I would hope those kits aren't coming with grade 8's ... maybe that was the problem I ran into ... I didn't look real close.

Squash ... you'll just have to drink double next time. :)

cmk