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List of R75/5 threaded hardware?

nhbmw

New member
I'm freshening up a '72 SWB R75/5 and looking for new hardware. I've found several sources of stainless hardware kits, but nothing that's zinc plated, which is what I want. So..... 2 questions: Does anyone have a complete list of external hardware for this bike (that I can use as a shopping list)? Or, does anyone know of zinc plated hardware kits for sale?


Thanks for any help!

Art W.
 
I can tell you where to send it to get it cadmium replated & looking nice. A guy that sells on ebay, I think he's "StainlessCycle" or similar there sells SS kits and may have a list for his use . He's in WV.
 
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Hi Art. You shouldn't have too much trouble find zinc plated metric fasteners. But the OEM fasteners on the /5 were actually cadmium plated.

Our local Ace Hardware even stock stainless metric stuff which made my "spruce up project" fairly easy. One caution with stainless-on-stainless fasteners... then tend to gall easily, make sure you use an anti-seize lubricant when you assemble them.
 
make sure you use an anti-seize lubricant when you assemble them.

And reduce the torque settings where necessary. The anti-seize tends to allow the parts to slide easier, resulting in on the order of 25-30% higher ending torque.
 
Hardware source

I expect to purchase mine from McMaster-Carr. They have nearly anything you would ever want.

Unfortunately, you have to purchase in "packs" but even then if you can get listing of the bolts, nuts, screws, etc. Depending on the item, some "packs" are only 5 pieces, while other items (like small washers) might go in packs of 50. I think you can get nearly all for less than you might imagine, and I would bet even cheaper than the "already-made-up-kits" that some are selling by the bike model. Having some left over is better than spending an arm and a leg to get the exact quantities.

What I am doing right now, is to take a "survey" inventory and writing down the biggest mounts of certain sizes, and get a supply of them so that they are just "around" when I need them Of course, if you have a project, write down dim's of bolts, nuts, washers, and types (round head, phillips, nyloc, etc) and then order right away. They will ship immediately any you will have your new stainless, zinc plated, hardened, etc. bolts in time for reassembly!

Check them out on the internet. They have their complete inventory easily findable on their site. As a purchasing agent for a large corporation and smaller ones, I have NEVER had a mis-shipment or any problem

It used to be that they would only sell to business, but about 6 or 8 years ago they changed policy and nowsend to individuals.

I have had the occasion of going to their will call, and their business is state of the art. In the background, HUGE building with conveyors running all over - through the air, down spirals, etc. They usually ship same day. I have never - ever had a back order!!
 
Listings of hardware?

I would like a simple listing of bolts, nuts, washers, etc. (see my previous note) for my particular bike, a 1978 R100/7. On the project I am currently doing, I am replacing all with stainless AND using antisieze on everything - including the shanks where there are no threads.

A friend of mine, wanted to remove a steel SHCS from a straight-thru hole with a nut on the end. The nut unscrewed from the screw pretty easily, but the bolt shank was siezed up in a straight thru hole in an aluminum fork bottom. It will have to be drilled out!

Stainless and antisieze on everything for me!
 
I expect to purchase mine from McMaster-Carr. They have nearly anything you would ever want.

Unfortunately, you have to purchase in "packs" but even then if you can get listing of the bolts, nuts, screws, etc. Depending on the item, some "packs" are only 5 pieces, while other items (like small washers) might go in packs of 50. I think you can get nearly all for less than you might imagine, and I would bet even cheaper than the "already-made-up-kits" that some are selling by the bike model. Having some left over is better than spending an arm and a leg to get the exact quantities.

What I am doing right now, is to take a "survey" inventory and writing down the biggest mounts of certain sizes, and get a supply of them so that they are just "around" when I need them Of course, if you have a project, write down dim's of bolts, nuts, washers, and types (round head, phillips, nyloc, etc) and then order right away. They will ship immediately any you will have your new stainless, zinc plated, hardened, etc. bolts in time for reassembly!

Check them out on the internet. They have their complete inventory easily findable on their site. As a purchasing agent for a large corporation and smaller ones, I have NEVER had a mis-shipment or any problem

It used to be that they would only sell to business, but about 6 or 8 years ago they changed policy and nowsend to individuals.

I have had the occasion of going to their will call, and their business is state of the art. In the background, HUGE building with conveyors running all over - through the air, down spirals, etc. They usually ship same day. I have never - ever had a back order!!

Several years ago, McMaster-Carr was not the model of efficiency it is today. But, I agree they are (now) a model company. I think some of the transition came about the time they started selling to individuals. Although I have a corporate account, I use my personal account for many purchases.

A while back I managed to ruin a M5x0.8x45 mm socket head cap screw when removing the stator. McMaster-Carr had the stainless replacements, but 25 was the minimum order which raised the price per fastener when only four are needed. My local ACE hardware has a pretty good selection of stainless as well. McMaster-Carr sells any and all fasteners for my airhead but the cost may be a bit high.
 
Oh, the humanity!

To think, a nice old Airhead put together with Ace Hardware/Home Depot/McMaster Carr fasteners!

And while we're at it, lets use goop from PepBoys (antiseize).

Lots and lots of these bikes have truly exited the scene, haven't they? That includes these.

Sorry, BMW ... it's almost as if you shouldn't build them so well that when they get old they suffer such indignities.
 
Sorry, BMW ... it's almost as if you shouldn't build them so well that when they get old they suffer such indignities.

Indignities? Really....

I've owned my /5 since it came out of the crate 1974 and have lived within a mile of the deep blue Pacific since 1976. I guess I could have left the original fasteners with their forty year rusty patina .... the same goes for the oxidized aluminum cases, dry-rotted rubber bits, and faded out paint.

No intent to pick a fight here, but what's your point Kent? What's wrong maintaining an old machine and a little pride of ownership?
 
fasteners on machines are like pencils,sometimes limited life & somewhat expendable...:dunno

!!!!WARNING!!! none of these listings below is a source for genuine BMW vintage fasteners!!!:violin
some of my screwy places: www.boltdepot.com , www.gotbolts.com-I like the service @ the MT branch & they sell more than they list online, www.theboltguy.com he sells bolt kits for the non-purist;), www.nutty.com , www.speedandsport.com -to get stuff cadmium & chrome replated which he sends off -he's in CA and he's not a place specializes in BMW restoration-(sometimes he can mix your few items in with his stuff) , www.albanycountyfasteners.com -I bought from them on ebay too-great prices for the limited sizes they have for sale-I can get 25 for less than a few from box store drawer.
 
A few of the fasteners are uncommon; I would say order them from BMW but BMW doesn't sell the right ones every time.

One is the lower left shock bolt; it's a thin-head, thin-nut, fine thread that now comes from BMW as a black bolt and a shiny full-thickness Nylok nut that looks like it came from Home Depot. Yuck.

The footpeg bolts on the later bikes (like the early '80s) were shallow-head piloted allens but are now standard head and - as of the last few months - with T45. So the heads stick out of the recessed hole in the footpeg mount.

Some of this stuff changes every few months.

It's easy to be a purist when you don't actually have to know this stuff.
 
Oh, the humanity!

To think, a nice old Airhead put together with Ace Hardware/Home Depot/McMaster Carr fasteners!

And while we're at it, lets use goop from PepBoys (antiseize).

Lots and lots of these bikes have truly exited the scene, haven't they? That includes these.

Sorry, BMW ... it's almost as if you shouldn't build them so well that when they get old they suffer such indignities.

That is an interesting perspective. I have never heard that before. None of the fasteners have any BMW markings. The McMaster-Carr fasteners meet DIN 912-A4 specifications, which is likely better or par with fasteners sold by BMW.


Certainly, the stainless fastener 'kits' sold are not 'official BMW'. If BMW were to sell marked fasteners, that would be a much more persuasive argument for using 'genuine BMW bolts'. Perhaps that would be an appropriate subject for your letter of complaint to BMW?
 
Nuts and bolts

First thing, do NOT use zinc plated hardware! That stuff will gall all the threads and drive you crazy. I worked for a dealer who will remain nameless, who insisted on zinc because it was cheaper than cadmium, and the zinc plater was literally across the street. (fast turn around time). Ended up running a tap and die over the threads before I could use the plated hardware.
I can deal with the stainless stuff, but you have to use anti-sieze on the threads, amd most of it is low torque application.
So you can see where I'm going with this. Although cadmium platers are somewhat hard to find, all my hardware gets "white" cad and heat treatment. The stuff looks like new.
If you look at just about any on line BMW parts source, the pictures will show you what you need and the description will often have the size bolt and quantity needed for what is in the diagram. If not, then just pull the item and measure it, then count the quantity that you have. All you need is a metric measuring device.
 
Local Hardware

I agree that for one or two items, local hardware may be OK. However, at my local hardware (one of the largest in the country - locally family owned) about 4 items at their price paid for a whole box of 25 from McMaster-Carr.

I have been a purchasing agent for several large corporations, and have done business with McMaster-Carr for 20 years. Not ONE error, misbilling or mis shipment! They are not always the cheapest on some items, but when you need next day, and with a lot of other stuff, they make up for it.

Like, inside the building - and I have been there quite a few times - it is state of the art and clean!

I guess as with any company, there will be a mistake from time to time, but I have never had one - after probably hundreds of purchases!

As for being a purist, I really get boiled when I hear some of the people make - once I got raked over the coals, because I had suggested that I might buy a battery from Wal-Mart or Auto-Zone. I will tell you one thing, I am not buying a $180.00 battery when a $79.00 will do just as well with the same warranty. I'll be darned if I will pay $5.65 for a Socket Head Cap screw that I can buy from my local hardware for $0.65 or get 25 from McMaster for $6.95.

You purists must have money coming out the wazoo. When it is all said and done, my bike will still run and look as good as yours!!
 
On my Bultaco project bike I have attempted to use the fasteners (I had available) head stamped by the mfg with "Bultaco" in the places that show. On a vintage bike I see the logic of keeping it the way it looks right, so long as it doesn't make it unaffordable for me. After all, what is the other purpose in having old stuff than what it is as an object that looks/operates a certain way? I used to do quite a bit of gunwork and it is an everyday thing to have to make a screw for a gun, at least an older one. Another purist e.g., I bought a decent 6v Honda horn on ebay last week for $9 and the same week a NOS sold for $139. I suppose the "purists" bid that pricey one?
Another e.g. of the non purist in me was to use SS screws in the alu trim pieces on my R75/5 seat. The seat was totally disassembled and properly refinished the metal but stopped short of using the tiny screws(Hucky's sells them) that slide in the back channel of that trim when I found that I could use box store screws/nuts/ washers instead & that wouldn't rust in place for the next person to fight with. So, when you flip the seat on my bike it will eat your heart out if your a purist, I suppose?
As for zinc plated threads galling-if they are not hot dipped like "power line hardware" or "farm gate post bolts" and are just flash coated I don't see the issue there as were talking MC's here? Even thin cadmium plating has some limited thread interference when freshly done.
 
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