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Brake caliper install?

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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 11:43 AM
  #1  
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Default Brake caliper install?

I had some red coalipers put on at a local shop. It seems they didn't tighten the bolts on one side. They both came out and i had a loud grinding/ rattling noise from the front left wheel. Took of the wheel and the brakes are all loose - no bolts.
I'm going to get new bolts at the dealer, but i need to know if i should use lock-thread or anything like that when mounting. Any inputs?
The grinding noise was the caliper against my new $3.5k wheels. :nonod:
The caliper is badly ground up and will probably need replacing.
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 11:55 AM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

Take photos and demand that the shop give you the name and phone number of their insurance carrier. Take your car to a shop you trust and have all the damage repaired/replaced with new parts. I would not let them even see the car again. You could have been killed if the piston blew out and you had no brakes. Worse yet...a loved one could have been in the car. Man I'd be pissed. :mad :mad
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 12:06 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

Those calipers are supposed to have locktite installed on the caliper bolt if they didnt use the locktite then thats what caused the caliper to come loose you can use DEVCON BlueThreadlocker


QUIMBO :seeya :seeya SEEYAAAH :party:


[Modified by quimbo, 12:10 PM 9/23/2003]
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 12:06 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

I had some red coalipers put on at a local shop. It seems they didn't tighten the bolts on one side. They both came out and i had a loud grinding/ rattling noise from the front left wheel. Took of the wheel and the brakes are all loose - no bolts.
I'm going to get new bolts at the dealer, but i need to know if i should use lock-thread or anything like that when mounting. Any inputs?
The grinding noise was the caliper against my new $3.5k wheels. :nonod:
The caliper is badly ground up and will probably need replacing.

30 ft lbs (the spec is 23) with some blue loctite will do it. You can also order caliper bolts with loctie on them GM# 14067559 Caliper Bolt 15MM head
and if you can force the shop to get you a new caliper here are the Z06 (red) part numbers Z06 Caliper
88895128 LF
88895129 RF
88895130 LR
88895131 RR
BTW the Z06 calipers are no more expensive than the standard ones!
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 03:49 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (Richin Chicago)

I'm trying to envision what you are talking about. If it was the slider bolts everyone above is refering to the whole caliper would have fallen off and you would have major damage plus the brakes would not have worked. It' possible they didn't tighten one of the sliders because typically you rotate the caliper with one bolt left in to put the pads in. You may be refering to th Bolts on the carrier mount. Those are large bolts and torque to 125# with loctite as suggested. If they were loose the whole caliper would wobble.

Either way what a bunch of hacks the guys were who did the install. :chevy
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 04:13 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

The book says to replace them everytime. I've had mine off numerous times, but replaced them 2 times ago. Each time I use the red container/blue liquid locktite. Seems to work for me.

Experts....am I using the right thing?
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 04:30 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (jjcslynn)

Yes, 125lb/ft with a torque wrench and some high strength locktite is all you need on those caliper bracket mounting bolts. The book does say to buy new ones, but if you apply locktite to the old ones you'll be fine. Its not a torque to yield bolt.
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 06:12 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (z060ntrack)

It was the slider bolts and yes the front brake did stop working. When i removed the wheel, the caliper was just loose and jammed in. It had been rubbing the bolts on the inside of my 3 piece wheels and the caliper is pretty mangled.
I just bought the bolts - $16.00 for 2! They must have gold linings or something. Where does GM get off chargine $8 for a bolt? :crazy:
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Old Sep 23, 2003 | 07:09 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

It was the slider bolts and yes the front brake did stop working. When i removed the wheel, the caliper was just loose and jammed in. It had been rubbing the bolts on the inside of my 3 piece wheels and the caliper is pretty mangled.
I just bought the bolts - $16.00 for 2! They must have gold linings or something. Where does GM get off chargine $8 for a bolt? :crazy:
What bolt are you speaking of? If it is 14067559 with a 15 mm wrench size it lists for $1.42. If you are speaking of the 14084051 large bolt with the 21 mm head it lists for $5.67 Thos are the only 2 bolts i know of on the caliper and caliper bracket?

Take a look at
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com

and check out the part prices.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 01:45 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

I too would be right back at the installer demanding that the damage be fixed, including any to the wheels. No excuse for this type of work. Glad you did not have any serious injuries because of this.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 08:10 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

Time for a BLANKET :party: for that mechanic. Wrap him in a blanket and beat the S_ _ _ out of him. Brakes are not to be taken lightly.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 10:28 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (quimbo)

Those calipers are supposed to have locktite installed on the caliper bolt if they didnt use the locktite then thats what caused the caliper to come loose you can use DEVCON BlueThreadlocker
I never use loctite on my caliper bolts...I just put my 8th set of rotors on. why would I loctite them each time I replaced them?

They came loose because the stupid mechanic only hand tightened them and forgot to finish the job and torque them to 125#.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 11:00 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (Gary2KC5)

Those calipers are supposed to have locktite installed on the caliper bolt if they didnt use the locktite then thats what caused the caliper to come loose you can use DEVCON BlueThreadlocker

I never use loctite on my caliper bolts...I just put my 8th set of rotors on. why would I loctite them each time I replaced them?

They came loose because the stupid mechanic only hand tightened them and forgot to finish the job and torque them to 125#.
Maybe were aren't talking about the same thing here.
The caliper bolts (15mm head) are only 23 ft lbs. The caliper bracket (21mm head) bolts are 125 ft lbs.
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Old Sep 26, 2003 | 11:53 AM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (Richin Chicago)

Those calipers are supposed to have locktite installed on the caliper bolt if they didnt use the locktite then thats what caused the caliper to come loose you can use DEVCON BlueThreadlocker

I never use loctite on my caliper bolts...I just put my 8th set of rotors on. why would I loctite them each time I replaced them?

They came loose because the stupid mechanic only hand tightened them and forgot to finish the job and torque them to 125#.


Maybe were aren't talking about the same thing here.
The caliper bolts (15mm head) are only 23 ft lbs. The caliper bracket (21mm head) bolts are 125 ft lbs.
Yeah, your right we ain't talk'n about the same bolts.

Here is another issue with the caliper bolts (not the caliper bracket bolts :withstupid: ) The bolts fasten to a slider pin that actually slide in and out of the bracket. When the top (or bottom) on is removed you can just swing the caliper away from the rotor and then slide it out of the bracket.

When tightening them you have to use pliers to keep it from spinning. If the mechanic just tightened them without using the pliers then they would come loose.
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Old Sep 26, 2003 | 04:53 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (Gary2KC5)

I installed new bolts two days ago. I just tightened to the 30lb-ft as specified in the service manual. There was no spinning of any thing else.
I also bought new bolts for all the calipers to install this weekend, just in case!
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Old Sep 26, 2003 | 07:42 PM
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Default Re: Brake caliper install? (ElanMike)

The bolts have their own loctite as you've probably seen by now. They were only a little over $1 at my dealer.

My service manual (1999) says 23 ft lbs on the slider bolts (it is 31 Newton meters). And it should take a 15 or 16 mm wrench to hold the "slider" from spinning when tightening the bolts. If it didn't, were you able to slide the calipers back an forth a little on the pins? Something may be bent if not.


[Modified by willi, 5:14 PM 9/26/2003]
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