How strong are stainless steel screws?
A common misconception about stainless steel screws is that because they are alloy steel they must be very hard, like a Grade 8 bolt, or better. Not so! Without the complicated heat treating and carbide structure of hardened steel, stainless steel screws can actually be as soft as a Grade 2 bolt. The average tensile strength is in the range of 80,000 – 100,000 psi while the minimum for Grade 8 is 150,000 psi. This means that it is important to use a torque chart for stainless steel screws & not the typical Grade 8 torque chart. Watch out for lubricants when using stainless steel fasteners. Lubricants reduce friction and may cause over-tightening during torquing. Most torque charts are written for dry, clean threads. Threadlocker use will similarly require a different torque value. Stainless steel screws are a great product for deflectors, mirrors and other external equipment that may have to be removed later or where ordinary fasteners would rust and/or streak. Keep stainless steel scr
