Ok I have figured out my bolts do not have to go into tension for a specific load case I am looking at. I cant share any files due to the nature of them but in the specific load case I am looking at they don't go in tension. Their was a mistake in a previous run that made me think they were but a few hand calcs today have led me to the correction.
That being said for each of my load cases I run two different runs, one with preload and one without. I do this so we can show applied loads do not go over the clamp load and so that we can use the data from the non preload case in a simplified model to see the effects on a countersunk bolt geometry by using preloaded beam elements and contacts on the counter sink.
So in this case, with no preload, my plates are in bearing (no tension load in fasteners) why is the fastener seeing light compressive forces? I am guessing that this is due to the interface at the head location being bonded to the part surface and being that those parts are being compressed together putting a light compressive force in the bolt? Would that be a correct assumption?
Also thank you for the literature I have just started diving into it!