Caliper Bolt Replacement
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,151
Likes: 98
From: Conroe TX
St. Jude Donor '11
Caliper Bolt Replacement
I am replacing the brake pads and rotors on my 00 Nassau. The Service Manual says to replace the caliper bolts anytime you remove them. How many of you actually get new bolts rather than just use the old ones? It is Sunday, and Auto Zone, O'Reilly's and Advanced don't carry them.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,393
Likes: 17
From: Belleville Mich.
Manual states not to re use them.
I'd say most members that don't race their cars, re use the caliper mount bolts.
If you bought the car used & are not sure that it hasn't been tracked, I'd just go ahead and buy new ones.
If re using the bolts, remove the old lock tite from the threads & apply fresh red loc tite.
Check with the manual for specific torque spec.
I'm thinking in the neighbor hood of approximately 129 ft lb.
You can use an air impact gun for re moving but.....
Don't use an air impact for installing these bolts.
I'd say most members that don't race their cars, re use the caliper mount bolts.
If you bought the car used & are not sure that it hasn't been tracked, I'd just go ahead and buy new ones.
If re using the bolts, remove the old lock tite from the threads & apply fresh red loc tite.
Check with the manual for specific torque spec.
I'm thinking in the neighbor hood of approximately 129 ft lb.
You can use an air impact gun for re moving but.....
Don't use an air impact for installing these bolts.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The factory caliper bracket bolts have a threadlocker already installed on them.
All you need to do with the large bolts is to remove the old threadlocker material using a wire brush and some brake parts cleaner. You should also clean the female threads on the bracket. I use a brass 12 gauge shotgun bore brush and that works to clean up the threads.
When you are ready to reinstall the caliper brackets, apply some Blue Loctite to the bolt threads and thread the bolts in and torque to spec. The red Loctite requires an application of heat to loosen the material.
Same with the small bolts that hold the caliper to the bracket. Clean the threads on the bolts, then the female threads in the guide pins and apply some Blue Loctite. Then torque to spec. If you don't want to bother cleaning the small bolts, you can get the same bolts at Home Depot or Lowe's. Just make sure they are metric Grade 8.8.
All you need to do with the large bolts is to remove the old threadlocker material using a wire brush and some brake parts cleaner. You should also clean the female threads on the bracket. I use a brass 12 gauge shotgun bore brush and that works to clean up the threads.
When you are ready to reinstall the caliper brackets, apply some Blue Loctite to the bolt threads and thread the bolts in and torque to spec. The red Loctite requires an application of heat to loosen the material.
Same with the small bolts that hold the caliper to the bracket. Clean the threads on the bolts, then the female threads in the guide pins and apply some Blue Loctite. Then torque to spec. If you don't want to bother cleaning the small bolts, you can get the same bolts at Home Depot or Lowe's. Just make sure they are metric Grade 8.8.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 10,367
Likes: 1,271
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C5 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
I've never had an issue reusing the stock bolts... they aren't tty bolts like the heads or crank bolt, I think they say to buy new ones because of the loctite that comes on them which you can easily reapply... I think they do that to try to get more money
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 241
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
The factory caliper bracket bolts have a threadlocker already installed on them.
All you need to do with the large bolts is to remove the old threadlocker material using a wire brush and some brake parts cleaner. You should also clean the female threads on the bracket. I use a brass 12 gauge shotgun bore brush and that works to clean up the threads.
When you are ready to reinstall the caliper brackets, apply some Blue Loctite to the bolt threads and thread the bolts in and torque to spec. The red Loctite requires an application of heat to loosen the material.
Same with the small bolts that hold the caliper to the bracket. Clean the threads on the bolts, then the female threads in the guide pins and apply some Blue Loctite. Then torque to spec. If you don't want to bother cleaning the small bolts, you can get the same bolts at Home Depot or Lowe's. Just make sure they are metric Grade 8.8.
All you need to do with the large bolts is to remove the old threadlocker material using a wire brush and some brake parts cleaner. You should also clean the female threads on the bracket. I use a brass 12 gauge shotgun bore brush and that works to clean up the threads.
When you are ready to reinstall the caliper brackets, apply some Blue Loctite to the bolt threads and thread the bolts in and torque to spec. The red Loctite requires an application of heat to loosen the material.
Same with the small bolts that hold the caliper to the bracket. Clean the threads on the bolts, then the female threads in the guide pins and apply some Blue Loctite. Then torque to spec. If you don't want to bother cleaning the small bolts, you can get the same bolts at Home Depot or Lowe's. Just make sure they are metric Grade 8.8.
I have found acetone to be the best solvent to use on Loc-Tite type thread locking material (quart can cheap at Lowe's or Home Despot), along with the aforementioned wire brush of course.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 12,412
Likes: 501
From: Rio Rancho NM
Shoot I have had mine on and off so many times I stopped counting. I didn't know you were supposed to buy new ones. I just added Loctite and called it a day and my brakes see plenty of 150-0 blasts
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 740
Likes: 82
From: MN
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Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,812
Likes: 46
From: Taylorsville North Carolina
I have mine off and on 2x a month for track days to switch out rotors. They probably say to repl at shop because it takes a while to clean the loctite off of them. Just quicker at $80/hr to repl with new.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 241
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Keeping the lawyers happy......
To say nothing of the potential liability factor for GM. This is, after all, the brake system being repaired. Kinda important. "Official" repair procedures/recommendation(s) are the FIRST thing the bloodsu,......er, lawyers go to in a lawsuit. A LOT of what we see in the FSMs are due to CYA factor(s).
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,148
Likes: 889
From: South Western Ontario
I suppose you shouldn't, but besides re-using the bolts I've also never used any type of thread locker on either the large bracket bolts or the smaller caliper mounting bolts. The first time I had them off was when I bought the car and that was probably 60k miles ago.
So, I agree that lock-tite blue would be more than enough to hold them if you want that extra assurance of a thread locker.
So, I agree that lock-tite blue would be more than enough to hold them if you want that extra assurance of a thread locker.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 422
Likes: 2
From: Palatine IL
I suppose you shouldn't, but besides re-using the bolts I've also never used any type of thread locker on either the large bracket bolts or the smaller caliper mounting bolts. The first time I had them off was when I bought the car and that was probably 60k miles ago.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 470
Likes: 58
This is one of those ****ling questions every time I'm under the car. The new tty bolts are expensive if you buy new every time. If you google torque to yield bolt failure and or broke, there are no results--that's amazing. I'm going to reuse mine, and bring the new as spares, and save the question for some of the engineers at the track. But, willing to bet they reuse theirs. If an aeronautical engineer reuses his, that's good enough for me.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Caliper bolts aren't TTY. The required re-use is to get the thread locker applied to the bolt. Depending on which bolts you are tightening, the torque values are different. Make sure you have the correct values. I only use the Blue 242 Loctite on brake bolts.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,954
Likes: 135
From: Maryland
I also reuse mine and frequently change between street and track pads. The first few times I cleaned the bolt and coated them with VibraTite. Its closer to the original treatment. Now I just use Loctite. I use red, blue is too weak for my liking.