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Trick for Stuck Caliper Bolts

spetch

Full Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2004
Messages
1,140
Location
Gainesville, VA
I learned a neat trick for getting stuck caliper bolts loose from the caliper.  I needed to replace the rear rotors today.  I had a 15" breaker bar with a socket, and I just couldn't break loose the rear caliper bolts on my 2004 Av 4x4.  I was banging on the breaker bar with a hammer and eventually broke the break bar near the socket.  :E: 

The high school student a couple doors down gave me a great idea...
Put your 1/2 inch socket wrench on the bolt and leave it stuck out to the side.  Put your floor jack underneath the handle and crank it up.  The bolt turned like butter.  :eek:  This was easy for the driver side.  For the passenger side, I had to flip the wrench over the axle and jack it up from the rear using a short crow bar between the jack and the wrench, but it worked out. 
 
Glad you got it off, I used a impact wrench
 
There was no way I could see to get the impact wrench back there.  I tried an impact socket wrench, but that was useless.
 
I took the whole bracket out with the caliper still in it.
 
MS03 2500 said:
I took the whole bracket out with the caliper still in it.
Yeah, I was actually talking about the bracket bolts.  The caliper bolts to the bracket, and the bracket bolts to the hub.  The big 3/4 bolts that hold the bracket on are called the rear caliper bolts.  Those were the ones that were stuck.
 
Troublemaker said:
You can also coat them with WD-40 and let them sit for about 20 mins....  that's what I did...  followed by the breaker bar and some brute force...
I used PB Blaster and let it sit for 30 minutes before breaking my breaker bar.
 
Here's a homemade penetrant that works wonders. Go down to the hardware store and buy some acetone, a quart of Dexron Mercon and a refillable spray bottle. In the spray bottle mix the ATF and acetone in a 1:1 mixture.

Spray on the bolts and walah!!!
 
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