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Threadlocker for metal bolts

Updated: 23 October 2026

A fairing bolt works loose again, or a bracket bolt ticks after a week of short trips, and the first thing in the drawer is a tube of glue. Threadlocker for metal bolts is an anaerobic liquid that cures when you shut air out between clean metal threads. It is not putty, and it is not a sealant bead. This page is only that job, using the Vigorder 50 ml listing in the [metal adhesive comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/metal-adhesive). The shelf price in this comparison is about £7.99, with 4.8 from 22 amazon.co.uk reviews. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

A fairing bolt works loose again, or a bracket bolt ticks after a week of short trips, and the first thing in the drawer is a tube of glue.

Our top picks

Vigorder Vigorder blue threadlocker 50 ml

Best overall

Vigorder Vigorder blue threadlocker 50 ml
7.9/10about £7.99
View offer
Sika Sika Stixall Crystal Clear 290 ml

Rank 2

Sika Sika Stixall Crystal Clear 290 ml
8.2/10about £7.46
View offer
J-B Weld J-B Weld SteelStik 57 g

Rank 3

J-B Weld J-B Weld SteelStik 57 g
9.6/10about £6.79
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A rattling metal bolt is not a glue job
  2. 2.Blue is a convention, not a standard
  3. 3.What this 50 ml listing actually says
  4. 4.Where you stop

A rattling metal bolt is not a glue job

Anaerobic threadlocker stays liquid in air and hardens once the nut shuts that air off against metal. Putty in the same threads will not cure that way, and Stixall will not lock a thread. Vigorder is for metal threads only. A plastic boss is out. UK reviews name a motorbike fairing, a mountain bike, and car engine bolts, and a small amount is enough. It will not rescue a bolt that was never tight, or a stripped thread. SteelStik is the top pick for missing metal, and the wrong shelf for this rattle. That split is the metal adhesive buying guide.

Blue is a convention, not a standard

Blue, on Henkel’s Loctite range, means medium strength meant to come off with hand tools. Red is high strength, and removal can need localised heat above about 250°C. Colour is a maker’s convention, not a British Standard. LOCTITE 243 publishes about −55°C to 180°C, fixture about 10 minutes, and about 26 N·m breakaway on M10 steel, at a trade price roughly £33 to £49 for 50 ml. That torque is not Vigorder’s. Vigorder says medium strength and prints no torque and no temperature. UK reviews say the bolts came undone with tools. That is review text. Read the strength word on the bottle you bought.
Vigorder Vigorder blue threadlocker 50 ml

Testsieger

Vigorder Vigorder blue threadlocker 50 ml
7.9/10about £7.99
View offer

What this 50 ml listing actually says

Vigorder is about £7.99 for 50 ml, model LSJS-001, 4.8 from 22 reviews. Clean, dry, shake, and a thin coat. Initial cure is 20 minutes and full strength is 24 hours. The bottle is half-filled on purpose because the liquid cures without air, so a short-looking fill is not a short measure. It still drips. Oily threads weaken it. Do not tip unused liquid back in. The dimensions line, 1 × 1 × 1 cm beside 90 g, is a listing error. Food contact is asked on the page and not answered. Date first available is 27 April 2026, which is one reason the count is 22. That sample can suit a bicycle bolt. It is thin evidence next to 16,076 SteelStik reviews, so it is not the top pick of the set.

Where you stop

Do not use this bottle on brakes, steering, suspension, or seat-belt anchors, and do not heat those joints to release it. The 250°C figure is Henkel’s high-strength removal note, not a household trick. Leave the bottle for trims, racks, and fairings. Clean, dry, shake, thin coat, assemble, and wait 24 hours before you treat it as fully locked.

Common questions

Will blue threadlocker come undone with a spanner?
Henkel’s blue medium-strength grades are designed to come off with hand tools. The Vigorder listing says medium strength and prints no torque. UK reviews say those bolts could be undone later with tools. That supports a careful reuse on a bike or trim bolt. It does not prove every blue bottle, and it does not copy LOCTITE 243’s 26 N·m on M10 steel.
Is every blue bottle the same as LOCTITE 243?
No. LOCTITE 243 publishes about −55°C to 180°C, fixture about 10 minutes, and about 26 N·m breakaway on M10 steel, at a much higher trade price for 50 ml. Vigorder is a different product at about £7.99, with 20 minutes and 24 hours on the listing and no torque or temperature. Colour is a Loctite range convention, not a British Standard.
Can I use it on plastic or on a bicycle bolt?
Plastic threads are ruled out on the precautions. A metal bolt into a metal insert on a bicycle is the sort of job UK reviews describe, including a mountain bike, with a small amount and clean threads. A plastic boss is not. Oily or painted threads weaken the hold, and a bolt that was never tight is still loose afterwards.
Why is the bottle half empty?
The listing says the bottle is half-filled on purpose because the liquid is anaerobic and cures without air. Headspace is part of keeping it liquid in the bottle. Reviewers still met a cap that came off awkwardly and a liquid that drips. Do not tip unused product back in, and do not leave it open.
How long until the bolt is locked?
The Vigorder listing says 20 minutes for the initial cure and 24 hours for full strength. You can assemble it and leave it, but you should not treat a freshly coated bolt as fully locked the same hour. LOCTITE 243’s fixture of about 10 minutes is that other product. Do not shorten this bottle to match it.
Can I put epoxy putty or Stixall on the threads instead?
No. SteelStik is a putty for filling and rebuilding, and it will clog a thread you may need to undo. Stixall is a cartridge sealant and adhesive, and a grab bead does not cure the way an anaerobic locker does. Use the blue liquid on clean metal threads, or repair the thread properly if it is stripped.
Is it safe on brakes or steering?
Do not use it there. Brakes, steering, suspension, and seat-belt anchors are outside a household threadlocker comparison. Do not heat those joints to release a grade. A review or a bullet that mentions an engine or a pump does not clear a safety-critical fastener. Use the specified part, or a professional, for that work.

Related pages

Best metal adhesive

How to use metal adhesive

Epoxy or super glue for metal

Metal adhesive

Metal adhesive buying guide before you compare stars

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are from the listings for the six ASINs in this set.

  1. HSE SR22, solvent-based adhesives (retrieved October 2026)
  2. EUH202, cyanoacrylate label sentence (retrieved October 2026)
  3. UK REACH diisocyanate restriction (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Henkel UK, LOCTITE 243 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. J-B Weld SteelStik (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Sika Stixall Crystal Clear product data sheet (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Expert Reviews, best glue for metal (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Loctite consumer UK, how to glue metal to metal (retrieved October 2026)