Ss bolts are a little tougher to drill if ever needed. A little antisieze would be your best bet with either bolt. the thing is the aluminum can corrode and stick a bolt no matter what the bolt is made of. Even thread locker can seal the aluminum and help prevent corrosion. Silicon gasket maker works ok as well for sealing threads and prevention of corrosion

 

I don't like stainless bolts in aluminum. They use them in outboard motors, thay don't rust but break off from corrosion all the time.

 

X2 on the never sieze

 

I put it back together with the factory bolts and anti sieze.

 

Good call...factory hardware is good

 

Don't use copper based anti-seize with aluminum. I actually find dielectric grease works best when putting stainless fasteners in aluminum. Dow Corning 111 costs much less and is the same stuff.

The biggest reason not to use stainless hardware is because it's not very strong. Secondly, if it's the threads rusted out, stainless won't prevent that from happening again, check crevice corrosion.

 

Don't use copper based anti-seize with aluminum. I actually find dielectric grease works best when putting stainless fasteners in aluminum. Dow Corning 111 costs much less and is the same stuff.

I used Permatex 133K, which is now called #80078. They also added the word "Aluminum" on the front label. It says it is "a highly refined blend of aluminum, copper and graphite lubricants". I was careful to read the entire label and there was nothing saying not to use on aluminum. Are you thinking galvanic action?

 

The MIL spec C5a anti-seize warns against use on aluminum. It's actually copper colored. It may have much more copper in it. I'm not exactly sure why some are not recommended for some metals. All I know, as someone who maintains marine equipment, greases work much better than anti-seize on aluminum and silicone grease work best of all. Lanolin seems to work well, too.

 

I always use the anti-seize made with with pure nickel. Costs more.... works better.

 

This is what I use too and I've never had any problem with it on any type metal. I don't think the problem is the type of anti-seize, I think the bigger problem is that most mechanics fail to use ANY kind of anti-seize.

 

I think there is a over use of anti-seize and should be used sparingly. Someone borrowed my chipper, changed knives and took upon himself to use anti-seize on the cap screws and the knives loosened up, I saw firsthand how brittle chipper knife steel is. In another case a contractor I know used anti-seize on the backhoe swing cylinder bolts on a 580K after a cylinder repacking; after an hour or 2 of work, one bolt dropped out and the other was loose. I can't know if proper torques were used but the guy that was involved with my chipper was the type of guy to use a long breaker bar on sockets.

 

There has been much discussion of using anti-seize on wheel lugs for the reason you stated about coming loose. Northerners who deal with road salt tend to favor it on the lugs. Southerners seem to like oil on the lugs. I have never experienced anything coming loose that I had anti-seize on, but I am pretty fanatical about using either a lock washer or nylock nuts on everything I work on. I am always thankful when I run into a project that the previous mechanic used anti-seize.