Do you require fasteners such as Nuts and Bolts, Hex Bolts or Tek Screws that will keep two parts together while still allowing for movement or rotation? This is often the case with machinery, bicycles and automobiles. And the fasteners designed to fulfill this unique role are called shoulder screws.

Definition and Description

Shoulder screws are oddly shaped and made for a specific purpose. They have a head much like any other screw, often round but possibly hex or even square shaped. They also have a threaded portion that is often mated with a nut to secure the fastener in place.

The main characteristic of shoulder screws that make them different is the smooth portion of the shaft. Often longer than the threaded portion, this smooth cylinder shape is what allows for movement and rotation. When the screw is held in place with the nut the system works well to hold an item in place while still allowing it to be spun around the smooth portion of the screw.

Wheel axles are designed almost like a shoulder screw. Many different areas of your vehicles, as well as those on bicycles and other equipment that moves, are only operational because of shoulder screws.

They do not generally have a pointed tip, which means that predrilling is necessary. Mated nuts will also need to be used and often washers are a good idea as well, depending on how much pressure the fasteners will be under.

Various Applications

Sometimes called shoulder bolts, these fasteners are also available in square shapes. This type of shoulder screw actually performs the opposite task as their round cousins – when a square hole is drilled and the pieces are fit with a square shoulder screw, the assembly will be locked and unable to move.

Commonly seen in wooden play structures and swing sets, square shoulder bolts are used most often with wood. Special drill bits are needed and forming the square hole is not an easy task. But if there is a need for it, square shoulder screws will work wonders by locking two pieces of wood together.

Available in many different lengths and in both round and square shapes, shoulder screws are specialty fasteners that serve a very unique purpose and do so dependably.