Champion toilet bolt caps. No tool toilet bolt nuts and cap

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Mike__B

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I'm trying to find these toilet nuts that came in an American Standard Champion 4 kit. The new kits have these new bolts and include the soft close seat. Anyway, I want to replace the fasteners on an existing toilet that has a slight wobble. Ever so slight, you need to give it a little force, but it annoys me to no end. The problem is the normal, plastic disc, metal washer, nut combo is at tight as possible without bending the metal washer and plastic disc. This plastic nut has no washer or disc. you just hand tighten, then the cap fits snugly over the nut. It has a collar that goes inside the bolt hole, so it provides downward and some lateral support to the toilet. Does anyone know if any home store sells these?

Here is a pic of the bolt and nuts I'm looking for.

as-toilet-caps.jpg
 

Jadnashua

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First, tightening the bolts to stop a wobble is not the proper thing to do! You need to add shims so the toilet sits flat and stable. Because it does wobble, you should remove it, and replace the wax seal, and shim when replacing it. The wax is not a spring that can rebound, and when it wobbles back after compressing the wax, it can create a void and a potential leak point for sewer gas or waste (if the pipe gets plugged). The bolts and the nuts are not critical, and won't prevent it from wobbling - the shims do...the caulk really helps keeping it in place as well. If you tighten the bolts too much, you can crack the toilet. they don't need to be really tight, and shouldn't be. Use something like PolySeamSeal so it can be removed later without a big pain like you'd have if you used silicon based products.

then, most places recommend (and some require) a bead of caulk around the front 3/4 of the toilet (leave the back side open). This does two things, helps to hold the toilet in place (more important on a tiled floor verse vinal or sheet goods where the toilet will sink in a little and 'hold'), and second, prevents crud from seeping under the toilet where it will eventually start to smell.

polyseamseal_clear.jpg
 
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Mike__B

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Well, I guess secondarily, where can I get non-cedar shims? I've asked at the big box stores, and they had never heard of plastic shims or otherwise for toilets.

The instructions from American Standard actually say to caulk the toilet before install, but experience and general knowledge tell me not to. For example, if you caulk the front 3/4 of your toilet, and you have a slight pitch in your floor toward the front of the toilet (even a small pitch), water will trap under the toilet in the event of a seep. While it may not do any more damage, it may slow the detection of a seep.
 

Jadnashua

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Terry uses (I think) a composite shim - not sure where he buys them. I've just used coins - a penny, dime, or nickel usually gives you enough variations. Cheaper, and you probably have them in your pocket. A couple (or more) strategically placed does it. It's best to do a trial fit without the wax, lift the toilet after you determine the location(s), then reset with the wax.
 

Cacher_Chick

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I've found the composite shims at all the home stores. They are in the window and door dept, as they were intended for installing windows & doors.
 

hj

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Most good hardware stores will have plastic toilet shims. If the metal nuts do not tighten the bowl, then PLASTIC ones will definitely NOT do it either.
 

Jimbo

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Plastic shims have been a staple in the plumbing parts section of home stores for 15 + years. The fact that someone didn't know where to find it......well, that's another story. Plumbers did use cedar shims for years with good results. Trim the shim close, and caulk over it.
 

BobL43

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Yes, both Lowes and home Depot carry shims in the doors and windows departments as cacher_chick said. I bought a pack of them 3 weeks ago tp level a water feature gizmo outdoors.
 
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