Manufacturers have used race cars for decades as vehicles of experimentation. Specific race car fasteners that could endure the hardship of the track were certainly good enough for use in mass-production cars.
Fasteners are those small-but-essential components that hold two or more objects together. These nuts, washers, anchors, threaded rods, bolts, rivets, screws, bonnet pins and retaining rings consist of high-strength materials to endure the high demands and speeds of F1 circuits. Take bolts as an example. We use a bolt for a given application according to its grade as defined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). The rating scale runs from Grade 2 (the weakest) to Grade 8 (the strongest). Grade 2 bolts are low-carbon steel, and you’ll find them at any hardware store. This grade of bolt may be fine for a gardener putting up a fence or for any other low-strength application. However, they have no place on an F1 car.
Imagine you’re McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo doing 180 MPH round a lethal Silverstone bend. The last thing you want is to look in your mirror and see body panels flying off. High-quality, high-strength specialty fasteners prevent this crisis.
Many of these specialty fastener designs come from the aerospace industry and need to be as small and light as possible. Some also come with a reliable quick-release feature that is invaluable to pit crews, who, in the heat of competition, need to replace body panels and components fast.
During intense F1 contests, cars often bump into one another, cracking bumpers and damaging wings and spoilers. The pit crew must be ready at any moment and work with speed and accuracy. Using quick-release fasteners, they can replace parts in seconds – something that’s impossible with passenger vehicles.
McLaren has turned to the aerospace industry and JP Aero to supply reliable quality race car fasteners. JP Aero is ISO-certified and the ‘go-to-guys’ for expert fastener information and reliability of supply.
Aerospace-grade fasteners
The racing industry is one of the most demanding industries in terms of performance and reliability. When F1 cars achieve ridiculous speeds, they produce immense heat, and the slightest mistake or malfunction can lead to a serious accident. Therefore, all race car fasteners are specially designed to meet the demands of the track.
Today, high-performance vehicles have strict requirements related to fasteners. The problem is that each industry has its own set of standards, with racing and aviation being especially demanding.
To reach these high-tolerance requirements, race car manufacturers have turned to the aerospace industry to source reliable fasteners. Furthermore, each aerospace-grade nut and bolt comes with its own paperwork. So that in the event of failure, you can trace the part back to when it was made and who made it.
Using the right fasteners from the right supplier is critical in ensuring the safety of the drivers and their equipment. By getting it wrong, Formula 1 teams also sabotage their chances of victory.
The fasteners used in F1
Simply put, the shell of a race car consists of a frame of welded tubes and sheet metal, with all the other parts held in place with nuts, bolts and rivets.
For the purposes of F1 racing, a mechanic can’t just nip down to the local B&Q to pick up a few screws or nuts and bolts. Formula 1 fasteners are often bespoke designs, tailored to each individual requirement. Racers and their mechanics may be tempted to use what they have on hand, without much concern for grades or specifications. However, the proper race car fastener selection will save a racing team more than money. It could prevent a failure with more catastrophic consequences.
Formula 1 also requires parts to consist of very strong and durable materials but also be as light and compact as possible. In a sport where every millisecond counts, racing drivers can’t be weighed down by bulky fastener parts.
For example, the fastener that holds the bell-crank and torsion springs together may appear invisible to the naked eye. However, somewhere down there in the bore of the bell-crank lives a little clamping part that prevents wobbling, leakage or separation of the parts. It also transmits the load between parts. So although you can’t see it, that little clamp is as important as any other mechanism on the car.
Most race car fasteners are metal – but not all. For example, the hook that latches to the bonnet is rubber to soften the inevitable bumps and vibrations that come from driving at high speeds. Of course, driver safety is critical. Racers and mechanics should select fasteners that can withstand extreme heat, pressure, shock and vibration.
JP Aero stock and supply specialist fasteners for the aerospace industry and other industrial sectors. Contact us now for sourcing the specialist fasteners you need – we hold vast stocks to fulfil even the largest orders promptly and efficiently.