> Stainless steel threads have a tendency to gall,
especially if the bolt is
> over-torqued. Once this happens, the bolt will not
reverse and the head
> usually breaks off while trying to remove it.
Most rotor cases are weak, soft, cast materials. I can't
imagine a quality stainless bolt galling or breaking before
the rotor housing fails.
In order to remain tight, something in the system has to
deflect or stretch. It cannot go past the point of remaining
elastic so it tries to return to original shape. That is
what keeps things locked and from breaking, not "junk" you
put on the bolt.
This is why automotive bolts do not require locking
compounds, and why even greased threads on wheel lug nuts
stay tight for many years when properly torqued.
What usually kills rotator bolts is they are not able to be
properly tightened and stretched because housings are too
soft and the bolt is often entirely the wrong grade. Also
holes in the rotor plate are often too large, and this lets
the bolt work sideways with constant impact against the
rotor mounting plate.
If I wanted to beef up rotor bolts, I'd use the same
techniques used in racing engines to beef bolts going into
weak stock castings. I'd use a moderately hard stud threaded
maximum depth into the housing and with light thread locking
compound, and a nut with load distributing very hard flat
washer below and above the rotor plate. If you really wanted
to torque the heck out of the stud I'd use a fairly hard
stud with a nut and safe torque against the rotor bottom,
and then you could torque the heck out of the nuts below the
rotor plate. I would always use a load spreading thick hard
washer against soft metals.
A second advantage of a double nutted stud sandwiching the
rotor plate, besides allowing significantly more torque
against the rotor plate without stripping the housing, is if
the stud breaks it is very easy to remove.
73 Tom
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