alpinista wrote:
I just removed mine to install a new Tides Strong Track system. 4 screws per side, not bolts.
Jay,
After reading your post, you got my curiousity up as to whether the fasteners are indeed screws or are they bolts?
After a little searching on the net, including an engineering site, the nearest conclusion that I can ascertain is that the definition is somewhat ambiguous. One distinction between a bolt and a screw is that a screw has a more course thread that "cuts" its mating thread into a drilled hole, such as a wood screw or sheet metal screw whereas a bolt has more of a machined thread which goes into a tapped hole or threads into a nut. Still other sites indicate that a bolt needs to be secured with a nut. Some sites indicate that a screw should have a tappered thread so it self tightens as it is screwed in place. Some indicate that the size(diameter) of the fastener is the determining factor.
Again, from what I have seen in the research, is that people use the names almost interchangeably.
Cheers,
Tom