Any tricks for TIGHT caliper mount bolts?

[BoxMN]

I think I might even have asked this before, long ago... but does anybody have advice for removing the bolts on the caliper mounting bracket on rears of a truck that hasn't had them off ever?.?.?....

Can't get the impact on them. We (my 16yo grandson is learning and helping me, or I should say I am helping him) were able to get driver side off, but at the cost of a cheap china breaker bar and three of my fingers when it broke still hurts to even type,and that is basically what I do for a living, haha!

We did use jack and pipe and breaker bar but on the passenger side we won't be able to use the jack, as we will have to go "down" with our force. I did spray it a bit already yesterday.

Anyway, any advice, and any specific brand of breaker bar I should get that won't break the bank but also won't "break"? I do have a stanley brand 1/2" that ended up working. Thanks for advice!

[ZachD]

I think I might even have asked this before, long ago... but does anybody have advice for removing the bolts on the caliper mounting bracket on rears of a truck that hasn't had them off ever?.?.?....

Can't get the impact on them. We (my 16yo grandson is learning and helping me, or I should say I am helping him) were able to get driver side off, but at the cost of a cheap china breaker bar and three of my fingers when it broke still hurts to even type,and that is basically what I do for a living, haha!

We did use jack and pipe and breaker bar but on the passenger side we won't be able to use the jack, as we will have to go "down" with our force. I did spray it a bit already yesterday.

Anyway, any advice, and any specific brand of breaker bar I should get that won't break the bank but also won't "break"? I do have a stanley brand 1/2" that ended up working. Thanks for advice!

Did you try turning the steering wheel all the way to the side and able to get a impact on it? I believe you are suppose to use blue lock tight on those maybe red lock tight was used. In that case you need to apply heat.

Put a pipe on the breaker bar for more leverage.

Dont have a pipe try tapping on the breaker bar with a rubber mallet.

Use a 6 side socket not 12

What did you spray it with I suggest trying kroil

Good luck

[leech~~]

Did you try some heat yet?

[icehole10]

Did you try some heat yet?

+1, if you can try a little heat, not on the head of the bolt, but on the bracket that the bolt threads into.

[BoxMN]

Didn't use heat yet. Gotta find my little propane torch.... Do you hit the bolt head directly? How much, I am always afraid to use too much, but find out that I usually don't use enough, doh!

Zach yep, we turned the wheels on fronts and did them no problem, this is on rears. Thanks guys.

[icehole10]

Do you hit the bolt head directly?

If your asking about heating the bolt head, the answer is no. Heat will expand metal, so you want to expand the metal around it. How much, that's a tough one, I would try to heat it up a bit, and then work the bolt with a breaker bar. you can heat it till it turns read, but you have to be a little careful with cast steel, and you don't want to break the bolt, that will make for more work. When I used to work in our service dept years ago, if we had a real sticky one we would heat till red and then dump water on it to cool it quick, usually if we did that a couple of time it would break loose. We always used a rose bud on an acetylene torch. I'm not sure how hot you will get it with a propane torch.

[Walleyehooker]

heat is the way to go and a propane torch will be plenty of heat to get the metal to expand around the bolt. Like said don't heat the bolt itself. Watch out for rubber parts and grease when heating.

[Finns]

Trying to turn the bolt in the wrong/correct direction?

Please don't ask how I know it could happen.

[BoxMN]

Trying to turn the bolt in the wrong/correct direction?

Please don't ask how I know it could happen.

Ha! I had to tell grandson "righty tighty, lefty loosey" about 5 times yesterday. It tricked him when the bolts were pointed toward him rather than going away from him

Thanks for the tips on heat guys, I plan on using it in about an hour when he gets over here to do the last one, the passenger side rear. He even liked doing it, so that is cool! Then he has to go to his real job. For a lazy teenager, and he is (!!!) he sure works pretty hard when given direction, once you get him away from the fridge!

-edit oh yeah, and I think it finally set in after a couple times of not choosing the right size socket. He finally gets that it HAS TO be the right size and not just close enough... heh.

[Tom7227]

Kroil. I know they have it at the Wolf's Den.

[delcecchi]

-edit oh yeah, and I think it finally set in after a couple times of not choosing the right size socket. He finally gets that it HAS TO be the right size and not just close enough... heh.

Too bad that there isn't some requirement that they mark metric vs american bolts.

[BoxMN]

Well, you guys taught me how to use some heat, I showed him and the boy did a great job. He still needs to dig down to using ALL his muscles, but there is a difference between boy and man strength, even an old guy like me We got the last side off pretty easy, way easier than the previous. He finished it up with little input from me, and he got to work on time.

This was for a friend of my wife, whose husband (a cop) died last fall. Now her truck is stopping perfect (was down to metal on one side) and she didn't have to pay the "lady price" where she got quote. She is giving my grandson one her husband's homemade muzzleloaders as payment, but he would have done it for nothing.

And best of all, I got to spend some quality time with grandson, and my wife is REALLY happy with me

Thanks for your help guys, and I think I will get some kroil to have on the shelf. Got to stop by Wolfs Den, the guy with the white beard and the high school kid who shoot at the BESC were great help when we held a firearms safety course there, and I liked chatting with them. (Forgot their names already, maybe Kyle and Bill?...)

[Finns]

Well done all around!

[leech~~]

Well, good to hear some good does come out of this "Fishing site" after all!

Sorry to hear about your friend passing away! Good job helping his wife out!

[icehole10]

Good to hear, It always amazed me how easily a stuck bolt or lug nut could be removed with a little heat.