Front Caliper Bolts backed off???

[Jomama]

Did my axle/brakes over memorial day.. I've driven it a lot, one hwy trip. Tonight was heading up a washboard road, mabey a mile or so. Clanking on the DS front tire, I initially thought "FAWK, my birf grenaded or something...."
Turned the tire to get a look at it and yanked on the caliper. Top bolt gone, bottom bolt almost all the way out. Me no tools
Got it home after hand tighting the bottom bolt and stopping to check it a few times on the way back..


Can some one tell me the size and thread of this bolt, I need to get it replaced relatively quickly tomorrow :\

1993

 

[cruiserdan]

I am not in the office today but if memory serves it is 12mm. I do not recommend that suspension related fasteners be substituted. Get the correct fasteners from your dealer of choice.

 

[Doc]

If memory serves, when trying to helicoil mine they were talking about using a 12 x 1.5 mm fine thread helicoil....

 

[Jomama]

I do not recommend that suspension related fasteners be substituted.

I don't understand this Cdan? I'm a noob

 

[cruiserdan]

What I mean is do not use "any thing that will fit in the hole". Your life depends on the brake parts and suspension bits remaining where they belong. Suspension and brake bolts are specialized and almost always harder than hardware store generic fasteners.

Substituting a standard fastener in place of the specific one could result in a catastrophic failure at a very bad time.

 

[Doc]

He means, do not use a bolt that is NOT the right size- make sure you get the correct bolt from a dealer, you not only want the thread and legth to be correct, but bolt hardness as well.

 

[Jomama]

Rgr, I was not just gonna go to a hardware store....

But I doubt my dealer has it on hand, I'll check but

I was thinking of looking for a "fastener" supplier? I thought they might have more selection & quality?
s***, this timing is not good.

 

[cruiserdan]

If your dealer does not have one on hand and you must operate the vehicle while you wait to get it, you could take the other bolt out and use it as a sample to get as close a match as you can. You could then use that to limp the vehicle around until you get the right one.



Note: I do not recommend or endose this approach, you are on your own.


D-

 

[Jomama]

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.


I saw another thread where someone else was having prob's with this "backing off"....

Anyone else?

Anyone using locktite or something? This scares the hell out of me. Is is just cause I didn't torque them down right?

 

[RavenTai]

There is quite a bit of heat in the area Locktite may not help much, I would not bother did you tighten them to the proper torque? Spec is very stiff at 90'lbs, if you elbow clicked them you probably went to low.

I would go one step further and make sure the threads and especially the washer and under the head are free from oil or grease, spray the bolts and the mating surfaces with brake cleaner before assembly , be careful threading them in, several here have stripped the threads in the knuckle,

 

[Doc]

several here have stripped the threads in the knuckle,

Yes, be very careful about cross threading it!! I just went through that myself.


RavenTai is on point with the torque spec- there's a lot more torque on those bolts than you realize.

 

[Rogue]

About a year ago, the top bolt in my DS caliper backed all the way out. I immediately ordered the bolt from the local dealership, and found a temporary substitute bolt at NAPA. The substitute was only on for a couple days until the correct bolt arrived.

If you don't have a torque wrench, go to Autozone and use thiers in the parking lot. It's free.

 

[Jomama]

thanks guys

I have a torque wrench..
I think its likely I flubbed torquing them down right, I hit everything else.... and just missed these..... :\

 

[landtank]

If you use some sort of anti-seize on the bolt that's ok but on the threads only! Be sure the head and it's mating surface is clean of any of that compound.

 

[GXO]

I stripped my knuckle...you don't want to do this...trust me.

Torque them to spec and check them after the first several trips to make sure they stuck.

 

[Jomama]

Torque them to spec and check them after the first several trips to make sure they stuck.

roger, that is the plan. I bought a set of 4 OEM that are in the mail in the morning, and found a temorary at a specialty "fastener" store... Torqued them down, and will carry the torque bar for a while just in case, checking periodically...


thanks guys