Author Topic: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers  (Read 6180 times)

Offline ttelracs

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Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« on: 11 February 2013, 22:21 »
Need I say more.
Tried to remove to change wheel bearings on the rear drivers side only to find someone else had either tried and failed and rounded the bolts OR tried and succeeded, but put it back together badly AND rounded the  bolts.
Failed with the impact wrench, freeze ya nuts off, gas torch, drilling through and finally hitting it several times with a heavyweight hammer. No joy. 

I then decided to get the angle grinder out and grind of the lower bolt and then trying to hammering it a bit to allow the disc to come off.  In the end I simply used the angle grinder to cut out a segment of the disc to remove it allowing me better access to the carrier bolts.
Have also invested in titanium drill bits which I appear to have burnt out trying to drill these out with the vague notion of retapping it and using some new M8 bolts.
Starting to think I should have just paid the garage the £ 280 I was quoted !
It's only taken me five days of sheer frustration and I know I still have the other side yet.
ARGH... and just as I was getting it to run nicely too.
I'll buy some more drill bits tomorrow and try again.  Looking in the forums, maybe I should have bought some Stilsons or a whole rear beam,
I forgot to mention, when I started I couldn't find the locking bolt key and so spent half the day hammering and damaging sockets before buying an impact one from Halfauds.

Offline Leon27

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #1 on: 11 February 2013, 22:42 »

I understand your frustration and before I had to buy a full set of bolt grippers I was doing the same thing... mine were over £100 for a range of sizes but if you can get a small set:

http://www.tooled-up.com/product/irwin-bolt-grip-fastener-remover-expansion-set-394002/121815/?Referrer=googleproductlisting&gclid=CMH07seor7UCFczHtAodzhAA1g

You hammer it onto the bolt head and with a big bar just undo. Its designed to grip the bolt head from the outside and has always worked for me.

And to make yourself feel better, I don't know what garage you got the quote from (£280 for rear brakes and bearings?!!! - Must have been other stuff right?!) When faced with the same situation you have they might have turned around and said they need an extra hour to get the bolts out, meaning more money from you...

Offline MereKat

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #2 on: 11 February 2013, 23:03 »
Took 9 hours to do mine, ended up welding a bolt into the rounded Allen head...the other side took a couple of hours...

Offline tweed

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #3 on: 11 February 2013, 23:07 »
Just like any normal bolt on mine easy job.

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Offline thai-wronghorse

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #4 on: 12 February 2013, 07:03 »
These are always cvnts to undo. Irwin bolt extractors are your friends.

Offline Dogbot

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #5 on: 12 February 2013, 08:26 »
Jeeez what garage do you go to for that price??!!

And jeeez 5 days that's painfull......

Probably find your extractor drills burnt out because you had them on to high speed an no lubricant,

Irwin extractors to grind two flat edges clamp on, stilsons or a good quality set of mole grips, heat up an away you go

Offline thai-wronghorse

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #6 on: 12 February 2013, 09:05 »
I'd like to see you get a grinder on the upper carrier bolt.

Offline spikenipple

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #7 on: 12 February 2013, 10:21 »
You could grind the top carrier bolt out with a die grinder, eg. a Dremel.

Offline thai-wronghorse

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #8 on: 12 February 2013, 10:26 »
Ok,  maybe with a die grinder and with the back box removed and on a proper ramp...

Offline boneybradley

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Re: Utter Frustration, Rear Brake Caliper Carriers
« Reply #9 on: 12 February 2013, 10:37 »
I always give them plenty of plusgas a few days before attemping removal..... maybe too late for you now but it's worth a try (next time!!)
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