Broken caliper bolt

[Bruce Wayne]

Originally Posted by KRAM36

Ready this thread does not make me happy. Will be doing pad and rotor change here pretty soon. Guess I better order some caliper bolts too.

Definately. Get a full set !!The older design bolts were hex heads, which of course can round out, the newer version is a large torx head.

What i find the best way of doing these is use a long breaker bar (2ft) pull it around so you have the tension wound up tight then 'snap' it around with the wrist to break it loose.

With the OP.. i'd try the two bolt method first, and get some heat on it before hand..

get heat on it then spray release oil on it, the heat helps the oil work down the thread, then get it hot again and try and work it out again with an extender on the spanner or socket. you may find it easier to work the both thread further in, before trying to turn it out.. Though if it's tight enough to break the head off without shifting you may be in for a fight with this bolt !!

What i have found with these bolts is that it is not the top of the head (shoulder) where they corrode up, it is the tip, so it will be the last half an inch as that is open and where moisture sets and causes the lovely steel/aluminium process that we all love (not).

Get the release oil on the end of the thread from underneath.

And if all fails.. dont be scared to take the hub carrier out and take it to an engineering place for them to get the bun guns on it.

All you'll have to do to get the hub carrier out is separate the ball joint, the track arm (if the ball joint on there is unlikely to shift (mine was ******************** - but was replacing the track rod ends anyway) and undo the bolt for the drop link bolt and tap that through (be prepared for more steel/alloy corrosion here (!) and tap the hub carrier down with a rubber mallet) i just did all this on mine as i stripped and repainted the struts as the surface corrosion was about to set in.

When you put the bolts back in, copper grease the bolts so they are not such a pain next time around!