This paper presents an analysis of the main factors affecting the performance of connecting bolts for slewing bearings. For double row four-point contact ball bearings, major factors include the preload, friction coefficient and height of the bushes. First, bolt connection performances with different levels of each factor are calculated with the finite element method (FEM). Then, the calculation results are analyzed with the orthogonal method. The analysis indicates that the preload is the most important factor affecting the bolt connection performance, followed, to a lesser degree, by the height of the bushes. The friction coefficient is the least important factor.