Material

Socket cap screws are available in many of the same materials as traditional fasteners. Some of them are made of stainless. Other socket cap screws are made of alloy. Make sure the material is strong, durable and resistant to rust and corrosion.

Length

Socket cap screws are available in different lengths as well. You’ll need to choose a length that’s appropriate for the application for which you intend to use the socket cap screws. If you’re going to use the socket cap screws to hold two or more parts together, they must be long enough to fit through those parts.

Socket cap screws are available in metric and inch-based sizes. Regardless, you should choose socket cap screws in a length that matches the application for which you intend to use them.

Partially Threaded vs Fully Threaded

The shank of a socket cap screw may be partially threaded or fully threaded. The shank is the long cylindrical body of a fastener. All screws and bolts have a shank and a head. The shank is the body, whereas the head is the top to which the body connects. There are socket cap screws with a partially threaded shank, and there are socket cap screws with a fully threaded shank.

Coarse vs Fine Thread

Something else to consider when choosing socket cap screws is whether the thread is coarse or fine. Coarse thread is characterized by fewer threads per distance. Fine thread is characterized by more threads per distance. In other words, fine-thread socket cap screws have more, thinner threads than coarse-thread socket cap screws.