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Washers · Trade series (cross-bracing washers) · Application guide

What Are Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify cross-bracing and hillside washers, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers are used for spreading bolt load across braced or sloped structural members with a matched washer form. They are manufactured to Trade series (cross-bracing washers), and selection is driven by the screw size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Spreading bolt load across braced or sloped structural members with a matched washer form
Governing standard
Trade series (cross-bracing washers)
Screw size range
1/2 to 5/8~1-1/4
Category
Washers

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers Used For? application image

Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers (Trade series (cross-bracing washers)) are specified where the joint requires spreading bolt load across braced or sloped structural members with a matched washer form. The sections below cover the typical end-uses by industry, the size and material decisions for each, assembly practice, and the applications this fastener type is not suited to. Stocked across roughly 1 to 5, they cover light-duty and instrument-scale work.

Typical Applications for Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Timber bracing: Large hillside washers spread bolt load across angled or sloped wood surfaces.
  • Agricultural structures: Galvanized options support exposed cross-bracing connections.
  • Pole and frame work: The formed profile bears on an irregular timber face.
  • Heavy carpentry: The washer geometry follows the bolt size and brace angle.

How to Specify Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers for Your Application

  • Size: Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product spans 1–5; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Type & OD: Select flat for load spreading, spring/serrated for anti-loosening, or fender/large-OD for soft or oversized holes.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to Trade series (cross-bracing washers). Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Installation & Assembly Practice

  • Place the washer under the rotating element (usually the nut) so tightening does not score the surface.
  • Chamfered-hole side of a hardened washer faces the bolt head fillet.
  • On serrated-flange hardware, do not add a plain washer — it defeats the serrations.

Common Selection Mistakes with Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers

  • Relying on a spring washer for locking on class 8.8+ joints — at high preload it flattens and adds nothing.
  • Choosing an OD too small for soft material, so the head pulls through or embeds.

Where Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers Are Not the Right Choice

A washer does not replace a locking feature on its own in severe vibration, and a spring washer adds little clamp on high-strength joints.

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

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The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

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Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (Trade series (cross-bracing washers))

Bolt size (in)A (in)B (in)C (in)D (in)E (in)F (in)G (in)H (in)J (in)K (in)L (in)M (in)N (in)O (in)P angle (deg)Finish options
3/813/167/163/89/161-3/47/89/161/41-1/161-3/167/165/163/81-3/853plain / galvanized steel
1/213/43/85/82-1/1615/165/87/81-1/41-5/169/161/43/81-1/254plain / galvanized steel
5/8~1-1/4plain / galvanized steel
Inside the plant

Manufactured in our own plant

This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided.

  1. Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine
    01

    Cold heading

    Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail.

    Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift.

  2. Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads
    02

    Thread rolling

    Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch.

    Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g.

  3. Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment
    03

    Heat treatment

    Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it.

    Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1.

  4. Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket
    04

    Surface treatment

    Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list.

    Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers used for?

Spreading bolt load across braced or sloped structural members with a matched washer form. They are supplied to Trade series (cross-bracing washers).

Which industries use Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers?

They are commonly specified in pole and frame work, heavy carpentry and timber bracing, among other sectors.

How do I choose the right size of Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers?

Match the nominal size to the mating thread or hole. This product is available from 1 to 5; the full dimension table on this page lists each size.

Do Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers actually stop bolts loosening?

Spring and serrated washers help maintain tension under light vibration, but for critical joints a prevailing-torque locking nut or adhesive is more reliable. Flat washers mainly spread load and protect the surface.

Can I get a quote for Cross-Bracing and Hillside Washers in the size and material I need?

Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time.