Sidi Screws - Again

Rebecca Bob Morris said:

To those interested, I believe that I found a quanity source for Sidi sized
cleat screws.

Check out www.mcmaster.com

Look under Socket Cap Screws - 5mm diameter by 14mm long

Part 92095A211 for stainless steel 50 for $16.87
Part 91239A230 for black oxide - 100 for $14.72

Click on the technical drawings to see what they look like. Thin head and a
3mm hex key drive.

A couple of questions:

Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws rust
on their shoes?

See any problems with a hex drive?

Those are button head cap screws. Don't use them. They use
a smaller hex key than a regular socket head cap screw. In this
case, they are M5 screws that use a 3mm wrench; regular M5
socket caps use a 4mm wrench. Also the thin head means the
socket is not very deep. You may wind up stripping the screw
heads when you try to remove them after they've got dirty from
riding for some months. Regular socket head cap screws may
have too tall a head. You could try using pan head slotted or
Philips screws, or maybe even hex head bolts.

I don't really understand why you want special screws. Length?
IIRC this was about Look cleats on Sidi shoes. I have some
Look cleats on old Sidi Technos and they fit fine with the flathead
slotted screws that come with a new pair of Look cleats. If the
screws aren't long enough you could try substituting thinner
washers.

BTW, stainless screws might be a nice idea, but the plate
you're screwing them into still corrodes. Use grease.

Rebecca Morris said:

To those interested, I believe that I found a quanity source for Sidi sized
cleat screws.

Check out www.mcmaster.com

Look under Socket Cap Screws - 5mm diameter by 14mm long

Part 92095A211 for stainless steel 50 for $16.87

Part 91239A230 for black oxide - 100 for $14.72

Click on the technical drawings to see what they look like. Thin head and a
3mm hex key drive.

A couple of questions:

Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws rust
on their shoes?

See any problems with a hex drive?

Thanks
in advance

Bob
Morris

Hi there.

I would be very leary about using small hex socket heads as they can be
a real problem indeed to remove or TIGHTEN if the heads are small.
These small hex sockets are easily stripped and then are extremely
difficult to get out. This happened to me when I went to remove some
small hex socket bolts on an mtb rear rack. Very nasty when the sockets
on heads stripped as there was not enough bolt head to grip them with a
vice grip. Also, if the heads get worn from wear you might not even be
able to get the hex key into the socket. With a slot head bolt you can
tap a screwdriver into a worn bolt head to open it up again.

Cheers from Peter

Rebecca Morris said:

A couple of questions:
Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws rust
on their shoes?
See any problems with a hex drive? Thanks
in advance
Bob Morris

Stainless is fine but don't use the button heads. The hex will strip.
Get some 5mm machine screws at the hardware store or from the toe clip
box at your LBS. If you have rusting froblems use anti seize on the
screws.
Phil Brown

philcycles said:

Rebecca Morris said:

A couple of questions:
Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws rust
on their shoes?
See any problems with a hex drive? Thanks
in advance
Bob Morris

Stainless is fine but don't use the button heads. The hex will strip.
Get some 5mm machine screws at the hardware store or from the toe clip
box at your LBS. If you have rusting froblems use anti seize on the
screws.

I checked at a good-sized bike shop here in Austin, Tx. Someone makes
14mm long, button head, combination slot/phillips head screws. They had
one <g>...

I've used the 15mm long screws that come with Sidi shoes, and maybe a
Campy screw (from Profit cleats) for the toe-end screw on Look
cleats/Sidi shoes. They make the footbed bulge a little but haven't
seemed to actually damage the shoe. You can always run a nut onto the
screw, grind the screw shorter and back the nut off to clean up the
threads.

You'd think the popular shoe/pedal combination would offer, from one or
both companies, a nice little bagged set of good-quality screws, maybe
with a little Loctite on them, 2x12mm, 1x14mm. Do it like Campy: $5 a
bag, good parts.

Seeing as how the mechanic I talked to in the shop says people
stripping out Sidi screw plates is a pretty common problem. Oh well.
--D-y

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

philcycles said:

Rebecca Morris said:

A couple of questions:
Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws
rust
on their shoes?
See any problems with a hex drive? Thanks
in advance
Bob Morris

Stainless is fine but don't use the button heads. The hex will strip.
Get some 5mm machine screws at the hardware store or from the toe clip
box at your LBS. If you have rusting froblems use anti seize on the
screws.

I checked at a good-sized bike shop here in Austin, Tx. Someone makes
14mm long, button head, combination slot/phillips head screws. They had
one <g>...

I've used the 15mm long screws that come with Sidi shoes, and maybe a
Campy screw (from Profit cleats) for the toe-end screw on Look
cleats/Sidi shoes. They make the footbed bulge a little but haven't
seemed to actually damage the shoe. You can always run a nut onto the
screw, grind the screw shorter and back the nut off to clean up the
threads.

You'd think the popular shoe/pedal combination would offer, from one or
both companies, a nice little bagged set of good-quality screws, maybe
with a little Loctite on them, 2x12mm, 1x14mm. Do it like Campy: $5 a
bag, good parts.

Seeing as how the mechanic I talked to in the shop says people
stripping out Sidi screw plates is a pretty common problem. Oh well.
--D-y

This is what drove the issue to begin with - a stripped out screw plate by
using the (too short for Sidi) screws supplied with the LOOK cleats. I've
gone to hardware stores to get the screws but have run into two problems.
The first is getting the length. Usually they are 16 mm, which as you
noted, can be cut back. The more difficult problem is the head height.
Ideally, one wants a head height of roughly 2.5mm; I have come across varies
heights from 3.2 to 4 plus mm. The 3.2 mm seems to be usable, but the
thicker heads don't clear the cleat bottoms.

I just wanted to have a handful of spares in case I drop one and it rolls
under the workbench - at 11:30 PM. I have been using the same screws for a
couple of years now.

Another simple problem that has turned into a pain in the ass.....

Thanks for the help

Bob

Rebecca Morris said:

To those interested, I believe that I found a quanity source for Sidi sized
cleat screws.
Check out www.mcmaster.com
Look under Socket Cap Screws - 5mm diameter by 14mm long
Part 92095A211 for stainless steel 50 for $16.87
Part 91239A230 for black oxide - 100 for $14.72
Click on the technical drawings to see what they look like. Thin head and a
3mm hex key drive.
A couple of questions:
Are stainless steel screws a good idea? Anyone have their cleat screws rust
on their shoes?
See any problems with a hex drive?

We tried those but a panhead screw is easier to torque than a wimpy 3mm
allen. Either will work well.
Yes, feet are wetter than you might imagine - stainless is a great idea-
as is grease.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971