[SpaceBar]

Back in the eighties when screws, bolts, and various fasteners were quietly replaced by cheap chinese look-alikes instead of high quality heat treated ASTM rated US steel on the shelves of Ace Hardware and elsewhere, some of us predicted the day when it would all find itself holding together America's infrastructure. And here we are.

[The Cajun]

Back in the eighties when screws, bolts, and various fasteners were quietly replaced by cheap chinese look-alikes instead of high quality heat treated ASTM rated US steel.........

Have seen this a lot on some supposedly grade 8 bolts. They will snap at 50 to 70% of their torque value.

[FreePaul]

These cheap look-alikes aren't just in hardware stores. They do show up in areas where specifications require otherwise. There are dishonest suppliers who will give fraudulent certifications and sell cheaper.

If a company doesn't have in house testing to uncover these frauds there can be serious consequences. Sometimes these defective bolts get by in spite of efforts to weed them out. Best remedy is to know your supplier and make sure that he takes all of the necessary precautions. Sort of like "trust and verify."

[Orange1998]

I remember it, They even had TV ads selling plastic box sets of bolts and nuts. They were cheap and poor quality but you would have every nut and bolt size handy.