Rounded off caliper bracket bolt heads in the rustbelt | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Rounded off caliper bracket bolt heads in the rustbelt

Excellent.
 



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Both bolts broke loose in under 10 min. using the turbo socket. I had to use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter to use my longer 1/2" drive longer breaker bar on the first bolt. Once you have one nut out you can tap on the caliper bracket in the opposite direction to help loosen the second bolt. I only needed my 3/8" breaker bar on that one.

Instead of using a hand sledge I used a big brass hammer that I have to drive the socket on. Less chance of damaging the socket.

This socket was worth it's weight in gold, it made this job that easy and should work for anyone else who gets stuck like I did.

Again thanks for all the suggestion and help.

Steve

I love that. It sounds like the tool is very good steel, and got a nice strong bite of the bolt head, to turn it out. Well done.:chug:
 






I love that. It sounds like the tool is very good steel, and got a nice strong bite of the bolt head, to turn it out. Well done.:chug:
I was expecting something much thicker and heavier so I had my doubts, but it went on pretty easy with the hammer and never slipped at all. From what I experienced I think that you would snap your cheater or the bolt before the socket slipped.
 






Both bolts broke loose in under 10 min. using the turbo socket. I had to use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter to use my longer 1/2" drive longer breaker bar on the first bolt. Once you have one nut out you can tap on the caliper bracket in the opposite direction to help loosen the second bolt. I only needed my 3/8" breaker bar on that one.

Instead of using a hand sledge I used a big brass hammer that I have to drive the socket on. Less chance of damaging the socket.

This socket was worth it's weight in gold, it made this job that easy and should work for anyone else who gets stuck like I did.

Again thanks for all the suggestion and help.

Steve
Great!!!
 






I bought a set of Irwin Bolt Grips when I rounded off a spark plug a few years ago. I got them at Lowes, but I think Advance Auto sells them too, as well as other places. The set of 5 larger sizes cost just over $20. Worked great.
 






When I had to do lower ball joints on my 00 Ranger 4x4 one of the big caliper bracket bolts rounded off, I put a set of vice grips on the bolt as tight as I could ( which at age 63 is not that tight) & then smacked the vixce grip with a 5 lb sledge hammer & it broke free. Here in NJ they salt the crap out of the roads & EVERYTHING under the vehicle is rusted.
 






Have you removed the 17mm caliper to spindle bolts? I never remove the caliper small bracket bolts, those have grease in the boots and can get contaminated by removing them. Those only need servicing every many many years apart, say once in ten years. I do brakes about every year on one of my many Fords, and I do those greased bolts no more than about once every ten years, just for the hell of it to be sure the grease is good and the rubber boots still seal.

The big caliper bolts are very tight, they should be almost lug nut tight, 75lbft or near that. I use a long swiveling 3/8" ratchet and a six point deep well socket, I've never rounded one of those bolt heads off. When you put those big bolts back in, place one small drop of red loctite on them, just one drop. That will keep them from loosening if you get them properly tight.
Ya, but how does he get the rusted ones out?
 






When I had to do lower ball joints on my 00 Ranger 4x4 one of the big caliper bracket bolts rounded off, I put a set of vice grips on the bolt as tight as I could ( which at age 63 is not that tight) & then smacked the vixce grip with a 5 lb sledge hammer & it broke free. Here in NJ they salt the crap out of the roads & EVERYTHING under the vehicle is rusted.
Nice! You’re lucky!
 






Both bolts broke loose in under 10 min. using the turbo socket. I had to use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter to use my longer 1/2" drive longer breaker bar on the first bolt. Once you have one nut out you can tap on the caliper bracket in the opposite direction to help loosen the second bolt. I only needed my 3/8" breaker bar on that one.

Instead of using a hand sledge I used a big brass hammer that I have to drive the socket on. Less chance of damaging the socket.

This socket was worth it's weight in gold, it made this job that easy and should work for anyone else who gets stuck like I did.

Again thanks for all the suggestion and help.

Steve
Just remember the cardinal rule in dealing with rusted fasteners…don’t round or break the heads off!
Been there, done that (regrettably)!
 






Just remember the cardinal rule in dealing with rusted fasteners…don’t round or break the heads off!
Been there, done that (regrettably)!
this would have been the one time that snapping the bolt would have been ok because it actually screws into the bracket on the rotor side and the rest of the bolt would have just slid through the hole as I pulled the rotor and backet off together. I had thought about grinding the heads off and doing it that way at one point
 






Got the driver's side brakes done with no issue. When I went to do the passenger side brakes the caliper bracket bolts were pretty rusted up. So I wire brushed them by hand and soaked everything in Kroil for a day. Finally went at it tonight and they both rounded off. I've ordered this from amazon and it will be here in two days.

Amazon product ASIN B002Z32PGM
View attachment 340504

If that doesn't work I'm about to clean up the pads and rotor, reinstall and button it all back up and drive it 4 blocks to a local shop. I'm really beginning to hate rust.

I don't have a torch, has anyone resorted to grinding the bolt heads off and sliding the bracket and rotor off together. I can get a new bracket pretty easy.

Thanks




You can also weld a large nut to the bolt.
 






As discussed, he has never welded, and doesn’t have a welder.
 






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