Why I Hate Working on Vehicles

I decided to install the RoadLok today.
The instructions say it's a ten minute job.

It was a fifteen minute job finding my torque wrench.

When I re-read the instructions, I found the magic line, "torque to OEM specs".
Did it every say what the OEM spec was? No.
Did it say where to find the OEM spec? No.

So, off I go to search the internet for this last tidbit of info.
I can't find it.
What I can find is more references to "OEM spec".
Maddening.

The other thing I learn in the process is not to re-use bolts that have been torqued. The whole point of torquing a bolt is to cause it to deform. If you re-use it, it may break.

So, I have two bolts and need four. No worries. I'll just wander over to the hardware store and pick up two more.

You wouldn't think it would be difficult to find a stainless steel M10 x 30mm socket head cap bolt with 1.25 threads.

You wouldn't think so, but you'd be wrong.

Ace didn't have it.
Home Depot didn't have it.
Lowe's didn't have it.
Napa didn't have it... but, said the guy behind the counter, you can get it from Fastenal, just down the road. Only, not today, 'cause today is Sunday.

I've often thought that the guy at Napa was on meth, so I decided to see if there really was such a place. Sure enough, hidden in a tiny business park, there was Fastenal. In the parking lot was a Fastenal truck that said, "Order online at Fastenal.com!" Fabulous. I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

Home I go. My heart is light. Life is good.
Online I navigate to Fastenal.com and start drilling down on the bolts that I need. They don't have them. What the hell?

I broaden my search. After probably a full hour of searching all the "We have everything" sites, I finally found one site, in the UK, that has them. Except they're "fancy" ones with tapered heads. Fine. So I'll need four. They're $5.00 each--plus shipping. Four friggin bolts for $20 plus shipping? You've got to be kidding me! They're probably only worth a buck apiece.

Finally, I gave up. Tomorrow I'll call the people who sold me the RoadLok and see if they can send me two more bolts. Geez, what a hassle.

Now I'm back to my search for "OEM specs". There are torque tables on the web. I feel success creeping up on me. M5, M6, M8... no M10. Crud.
I tried another site and another. Finally, I found one that includes M10. Hmmm. It makes a difference if they're stainless steel. No reference to that.
It also makes a difference if they're lubricated or not.
I'm not putting oil on them, but I do have to use LockTite--is that considered a lubricant? God only knows.

I need a service manual. The comments that I see online indicate that a service manual could be anywhere from $25 to $100 (ouch!).

Fortuantely, I found someone online who sells the manual in PDF form for $20. I paid for it and downloaded it. At last: TRUTH. 31 lb-ft of torque.

So, my ten minute job is now at approximately five hours of continuous work and for all that, I'm still two bolts shy of actually being able to start installing the lock.

And that, my friends, is why I hate working on vehicles.