Teach Me Your Tricks: Stuck Caliper Bolt

[RustRocket]

Hi all, I've recently gotten myself into a little predicament; one of the caliper bolts is completely stuck, and I've stripped the alan head on the back of it. I have new calipers, rubber lines, rotors, bearing, pads, and bolts, so I'm only really worried about damaging the spindle itself. I just need to get this bolt out and this car will be driveable soon. So if I can get this out without damaging the spindle, that would be great. The other parts don't matter. I need to know some tricks of yours that might work, I've used an entire can of PB Blaster and It has had two days to penetrate, spraying it more periodically, still nothing. Please help me out here, I really need this to be done. I've tried using visegrips on the end of the bolt, as you can see, and I got it to spin maybe 1/16 of a turn before the visegrips couldn't hold it anymore. Please, share any advice with me, thanks in advance

 

[tc1959]

Use a propane torch and heat up the area red hot where it threads into the spindle. Then try your vice grips.

 

[RustRocket]

Thanks, that's one that I'd heard, I just want to get as many suggestions as possible

 

[clean8485]

Boy, it looks like both the pads and the rotors are pretty badly worn. Along with putting some heat on the area of the spindle where the caliper bolt goes through, you could try a couple of good, solid taps on the outer end of the bolt, using a punch on the end of the bolt, and hitting it with a hammer. Sometimes, the shock of the impact on the threads will help to loosen them up. Just don't get carried away with your efforts-you don't want to inadvertently damage the threads. Good luck.

 

[ssn696]

Damn, I think you got just about all there was in that rotor.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Those bolts suck! I would like to meet the "engineer" that thought of using those bolts and kick him in the balls! What worked for me was a combination of vise grips, a hammer, and liquid wrench. I sprayed the bolt real good with liquid wrench then I "aggressively tapped" it with the hammer to try and break it loose. It took a few tries but once the adrenaline from my anger kicked in I was able to get the vise grips tight enough to turn it without the grips slipping. If you have a torch try that because im pretty sure if I had to do that again I would lose my bowels from squeezing the vise grips so hard!!!

 

[RustRocket]

Damn, I think you got just about all there was in that rotor.

Yeah, the last time it was driven was three years ago by a friend of ours when the brake lines finally busted. He drove six miles home with no brakes and parked it behind the shop, where it sat until I picked it up for dirt cheap

 

[Flyers9928]

When I did the brakes for the first time, both caliper bolt heads snapped right off! I managed to get the vice grips on the bolt right above the rotor. They actually broke free and came about surprisingly easy. I also let some PB blaster soak in. Good luck

 

[tobyp]

Since I went to a Wilwood 12" brake setup I took my spindles, rotors (new), calipers(new), pads(new) all hardware (new) off as an assembled unit. They had 1500 miles on them. I installed new timken bearings as well as goodridge steel braid brake lines, and packed with hi temp grease. I am interested in selling the whole thing if you are interested. Basically break the ball joints, separate and hang the new assemblies.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Since you did get it to move, use the heat and the oil again. But this time use the vise-grip to wiggle it back and forth a little at a time. Don't try getting it out all at once . It will loosen a bit each time and finally come out.