How to get "frozen" caliper bolts out??

You | 3/20/2017 | Me

[Paul R.]

Advice needed: It's either corrosion or a gorilla with a wrench, or both, but I cannot get the brake caliper bolts on our Ford Explorer out. FoMoCo exacerbates the problem by using bolts with shallow heads, so it is difficult to keep a socket on them. I have tried various penetrating oils such as PB Blaster, smacking the bolt heads with a medium hammer, etc. to no effect. More info. in my 1st comment...

[Paul R.]

I suspect the penetrants never get to where they need to be: The threads on the end of the bolt facing me. (For those not familiar with typical brake caliper setups, the bolts have a mostly smooth shaft, with threads at the end that screw into the caliper "body", said threads facing outward toward the wheel, but buried into that caliper "body". They are a long way from where penetrating oil can be applied.)

I have considered heating the caliper body in the location of the threaded portion of each bolt, but, I figure that will destroy the Neoprene(?) boots that protect part of the upper shaft of the bolt.

Any ideas?

[Lurkinanloomin]

Electric impact wrench.

[libertarian27]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=frozen+caliper+bolt

[JudgemAll]

On my F-250 I use a crecent wrench as a sort of crowbar pushing its side out a bit one at a time , using the housing on the disk for
leverage. They have stuff on youtube describing it

[chuckles]

Try whiskey!. This is not a joke. Pour some whiskey on the bolts and tap on the head to try to vibrate the whiskey into the threads. I have released many hard rusty, corroded bolts with whiskey.

[Mechanicos]

Use a Ford tool (Big hammer) and smack the head in a couple whacks. Then use an impact gun to hammer it out. That’s assuming you already used penetrating oil and let it soak for awhile.

If it breaks then you needed a new caliper anyway....

[Berlin_Freeper]

Short of burning bolts out with a torch when I was an iron-worker we would use dw40.

[wrench]

Impact gun as already mentioned. A shop would use an air powered one. The DeWalt battery powered should do it as well.

[Paul R.]

Windflier had a great thread regarding a somewhat similar problem, several days ago: Maybe some of the responders have run into this sort of brake caliper removal problem as well.

(I don’t need to entirely remove the calipers — just swing them “out” to do a brake job / replace pads.)

[llevrok]

And after, you get your daily dose of iron too! Clever!!

[ClearCase_guy]

"frozen" caliper bolts

Let'em go!
Let'em go!
Let'em go!
Let'em go!
-- Elsa

[Migraine]

With a torch, heat that end of the bolt until cherry red. Tap on it a little, then loosen as usual.

[Malsua]

Don’t worry about messing up the boots. If the bolts are that bad, cleaning them up won’t matter much, within a year or so you’ll be back in the same boat. It’s going to need a new caliper.

You need an impact or a long breaker bar. If you wreck the bolt heads, you’ll need to torch it apart.

[UCANSEE2]

The trick is to have a very volatile chemical (alcohol) that can draw the lubricant (the flavoring) into the thread area.

It turns out that the most effective mix to use is 1/2 ATF fluid and 1/2 ACETONE. IT way outperforms BLUE WRENCH, KNOCK’R LOOSE, PB BLASTER, and is much cheaper by volume.

You can drink a shot of the whiskey will waiting for the ATF/ACETONE mixture to soak in, so... having the whiskey will help.

[Flick Lives]

You can drink a shot of the whiskey will waiting for the ATF/ACETONE mixture to soak in, so... having the whiskey will help.

---

Just don’t bring an acetylene torch into the picture with the whisky and acetone! (Hold mah whisky and watch this!)

[rebelskid]

2nd on the heat. A cheap mapp gas torch from the hardware store will work fine. Before reinstallation coat the threads with anti-sieze and torque to the proper spec. Will never be a issue again

[Bob434]

wouldn’t it be cheaper and quicker to just steal a vehicle?

clean em up real good if you get them out- put never cease on threads- out back in, and should be good for a few years - If you torch the bolt- If there is a rubber seal- you might have to replace that- Can’t remember if there is one or not-

[USS Alaska]

You need an impact or a long breaker bar.

This guy says you need a long bar and another guy says try whiskey and I say, good advice.

Go to a long bar, drink whiskey, let the auto shop put on the new brakes, get a cab to take you home, take 4 aspirin and call me in the morning.

[Red Badger]

Torch..........................

[tet68]

As a last resort, you might get some dry ice from
a grocery store, chip off a piece and hold it with
pliers against the bolt. This will make it contract
and pull away from the caliper, then it should come out.