thread Type

[Mrbrylcreem]

Hello. I would like to know if someone could please tell me what thread type the old Dodge trucks have. I am busy cleaning up all the nuts and bolts and would like to run a tape and die through all. I am from abroad and not familiar with the Imperial threads.

[Jeff Balazs]

You will need NF (National Fine) and NC (National Coarse) with the Lions' share being NF.

5 /16" - 24  &  3/8" - 24 got the most use on my truck.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Mrbrylcreem]

Jeff. Many thanks for the prompt reply. If I was to purchase a set. What set would cover all.

[Don Coatney]

Buy a good quality set such as 2631A5 from McMaster Carr

 

 

24-Pc. Set 1/4"-20, 1/4"-28, 5/16"-18, 5/16"-24, 3/8"-16, 3/8"-24, 7/16"-14, 7/16"-20, 1/2"-13, 1/2"-20, 1/8"-27 (NPT) Die Wrench (1), Tap Wrench (1) 2631A5 $95.45

[Jeff Balazs]

You are very welcome. Like Don says get a good quality set. You will probably use them all. This is a very important bit of kit ....especially considering your location. I can't imagine that US type fasteners etc are all that common there. Besides....I have a soft spot for anything Africa......my wife was actually born in Ethiopia. She is a keeper even if she does get a bit fierce at times.

 

I have had my old set for many years. It gets used fairly often. I have had to replace certain items and have added to it as well. Some good additions include a nutcracker, a quality set of easy outs and several different sizes of NPT taps. They all got a good workout on my truck. Since you are so far from the source you may also want to have a decent thread repair file and a thread gauge.

 

Jeff

[Mrbrylcreem]

Jeff. Would one be able to purchase the thread repair file and thread gauge from the same source.

[Don Coatney]

If you are referring to McMaster Carr the answer is yes

[Mrbrylcreem]

Don. Yes I was. Thanks for that.

[Don Coatney]

Over the years I have purchased many things from McMaster Carr. I have always found there quality very good as just about everything they sell is industrial grade. There prices have always been fair and there shipping is super quick. Many times my orders have shipped the same day as placed and arrive in 2 days. Most likely that wont be the case in Africa unless they have a branch there.

[ggdad1951]

McMaster is far from fair priced...good stuff yes...huge variety yes...but overpriced

[Jeff Balazs]

Some perspective:

I used to be really involved with vintage British motorcycles. They had all sorts of imperial sized fasteners but there were many different thread forms. None of which were related to the forms used here. Not only did they employ different threads per inch counts but also a different thread pitch. Quite often I could purchase the correct taps and dies and even heli-coil sets here from specialty tool suppliers. Most of the time though I had to get the fasteners themselves shipped over from England.

 

I bring this up because there is nothing worse than an unreliable supplier when it comes to working on something like this. You can wait weeks on stuff ordered from an over-seas supplier only to find they have sent you the wrong thing or worse....rubbish. It is extremely frustrating.

If you have a local specialty company I would suggest you use them. If they are reliable then continue to support them even if it costs a little more. It will be worth it to you in the long run.....and they are not getting rich doing this. Stock like this can sit on their shelves for ages. If you don't have anyone local then a firm like McMaster- Carr or Travers Tools is a safe and reliable bet for a decent value on your purchases.

 

Hope this helps, Jeff

[pflaming]

Grainger's is another good source which in my experience is on par with M-C. I've used both.

[Don Coatney]

Some perspective:

I used to be really involved with vintage British motorcycles. They had all sorts of imperial sized fasteners but there were many different thread forms. None of which were related to the forms used here. Not only did they employ different threads per inch counts but also a different thread pitch. Quite often I could purchase the correct taps and dies and even heli-coil sets here from specialty tool suppliers. Most of the time though I had to get the fasteners themselves shipped over from England.

 

Your posting brought back memories. I still have a few Whitworth spanners somewhere in my massive tool stash. I found this interesting article at the link below. I never knew that Whitworth clamping power was greater than American Standard. I also never knew that Sir Joseph Whitworth was a for-runner in gun barrel rifling.

 

http://www.enginehistory.org/british_fasteners.shtml

[Jeff Balazs]

Don;

That is a real "duesey" of an article.

I brought this up in this topic to highlight the importance of having the correct tools available when working on a project made in a foreign country that uses a different set of standards. I don't imagine our friend in Africa has a lot of sources for this aspect of his project but I suppose I could be wrong. At any rate I have been through this myself with projects in the past and it can stop you in your tracks until you get the right stuff.

 

One of the truly interesting aspects of that article is the reference to how and why certain standards are adopted, changed and dropped. People these days seem to think that our modern standards and forms are better than what was used years ago. In reality it is more about politics and the egos of engineering societies than it is about what form is best for the application. IMO we would be using some form of Whitworth today if the selection of standards was based on using the best for the job at hand.

 

In it's day the British Motorcycle industry was at the top of the game. Anyone interested in technical innovation and real applied engineering would enjoy a study of what they built in the period from just before WW1 until around the mid 50's. The economic hardships they suffered as a result of WW2 and the lack of investment capital after the war is what brought them down. But prior to their collapse the built some truly interesting and fantastic machines. If you have worked on some of this machinery you may be familiar with the significance of their approach to thread form selection and the use of specially engineered fasteners. One very important aspect is the use of several different size fasteners with a thread count of 22 TPI. In the early days of m/c manufacturing fasteners loosening up due to vibration was a problem. Studies were undertaken that pointed at the fact that this was less likely to happen when a 22 TPI thread was used. As a result you will find fasteners in the most commonly used sizes of 1/4" to about 5/8" dia. all share the 22 TPI thread pattern. And guess what it works extremely well.

 

Jeff

Edited July 4, 2014 by Jeff Balazs

[48Dodger]

Its been a good day for reading the forum....catching up on the other sections of the forum.

Being in a positive mood and reading lots of  posts...I hit the like button more than a few times.

 

I liked your post Jeff, but the computer program told me "oh no...no, no....you can't like that many posts....we're cutting you off for the day, drive safe" 

 

Who knew? So I guess I have to yell it from across the street...  "HEY JEFF! LIKED YOUR POST MAN!"

 

48D

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Tim;

Thanks buddy.    Glad you enjoyed it

I guess I should learn to use that button more often myself. I will admit that I "resist" more often than I probably should. Suppose it is a cranky "old school" guy thing. You know? Like you never want to make anyone feel too good about themselves.......then they start thinking they are something special. Can't have that......right? Maybe I just have a ingrown tendency to always hold back some?

Like "Hey that Tim is a great guy!........................when he's sleeping".

 

Jeff