I am getting some bits together to make some form of towing frame attachment to the front of my Buggy and I am looking at replacing the four frame head bolts that hold on the front beam with something around 6mm longer to allow me to bolt a heavy plate on there.

Apart from size and length, which I can work out form measuring mine, what sort of spec / grade do I need to go for?   


Any other pointers / do`s / don`ts for attatching anything here would be much appreciated 

Don't buy the longer bolts that are sold for fitment with caster shims. The last ones I bought (Bugpack) were the wrong thread! They supplied 1/2 inch unf instead of M12x1.5 pitch.

The standard spec is 10.9

This is a good guide...

http://www.volksbolts.com/vwb2.htm

Brilliant link David - thanks !!

gives me the sizes I need without needing to take mine apart 

Brilliant link David - thanks !!

gives me the sizes I need without needing to take mine apart 

If you click on the eBay links it gives specs for most of the fixings.

Yep, they are M12 x 1.5 as David says, which is a fine thread - most M12's are 1.75

You can order them from specialist bolt suppliers rather than the VW scene guys, that's what I did when I was fitting my a-frame.

If you get stuck let me know cause i think I have some new ones left over from when I did mine, was a 10No. minimum order quantity or something, so can chuck them in the post if you need some.

Cheers,

Paul.

Paul,

What length are your ones you have left over?

Any pictures of your bracket that you made too?

I've got an M12x1.5 tap that you can borrow if you need to clean the threads up (maybe if the bolts are slightly longer). It's used to being sent off in a Jiffy bag...

Appreciate the offer David - will let you know 

Dave I have a set of bolts I bought for the same reason I got them from namrick you can get different lengths.

I will be interested in how you mount the towing frame.

http://www.namrick.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=315385&PN=Home_Metric_Fine_HT_Head_Bolts_29%2ehtml#SID=29?a315385

This is what I ordered I checked them today and they are 1cm longer than the standard bolts.

ITEMS ORDERED

Shopping Basket (Prices in British Pounds)
REF                  DESCRIPTION                    QUANTITY        PRICE        COST
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
315385                M12 x 100mm 1.5mm Pitch - Hex          4        £1.59        £6.36
                      Head Bolt                                                         
==========================================================================================
                                                                  Subtotal:        £6.36
                                                                        VAT:        £1.27
                                                                      Total:        £7.63

Micky

Micky,

the bolts on that link are only 8.8 grade and not strong enough for the beam -

10.9 is needed

general consensus from phoning about is that zinc plating can weaken the 10.9 grade, which is why self coloured seem to be the ones of choice   

still looking about, but this is what I keep coming up with

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231918187562

Thanks that's worth knowing I will get a new set, let me know what you get please.
 

Hi Dave, mine are 100mm but are 8.8 zinc plated as well.

Cheers,

Paul.

Hi Dave, mine are 100mm but are 8.8 zinc plated as well.

Oh bum.

Thanks for looking anyway 

Volksbolts suggests and supplies 12.9 bolts for all suspension components (including front axle) with Dracomet 'coating' which apparently is not a plating but a coating and does not affect the original bolt strength.  Depends how fussy you are about bolts strength at critical points I guess.  12.9 would seem to be original VW spec, but 10.9 might be OK given the reduced weight of a buggy.

This link to bolts strength may be of interest   https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/materials-and-grades/bolt-grade-chart.aspx