TheClairvoyant

One of the allen head bolts on my passenger side brake caliper is stripped.

I've tried vise-grips to no avail. I've tried slotting the head and using a really big chisel as a screwdriver. No luck. I've yelled at the bolt with really dirty language. That still didn't work.

The bolt head is a tad mangled at this point. Is it possible to weld a nut or something onto the allen head to allow removal with a socket?

Is there anybody here in NJ that could do this for me?

The bolt didn't loosen a bit, so the caliper is still on securely and the car is safe to drive.

I could drive wherever needed to get the bolt out and already have a replacement bolt.

Help. This damn bolt is driving me nuts (& bolts )

Attached is a picture of the bolt in it's current form.

Speedtoys

Wow..ya think you could have stopped trying earlier?

Id drill it out at this time I think

TheClairvoyant

I'm afraid to try drilling it out myself for fear of causing further damage.

aaddpp

I have had great experience with Irwin's bolt extractors as well as Grabit screw / bolt extractors. Search "bolt remover" in Amazon and both will show up...though you can find something similar at Harbor Freight for less. I used the Irwin socket to pull a hex bolt out of the water bridge that looked worse than your caliper bolt. If it works it's a two minute solution.

Dave

Speedtoys

Well, the allen area is opened up..theres nothing left to grab up there.


I dont recall the diameter of the shank..but use that size bit..and once you're thru the head, you're clear.

Wont even bite into the caliper body any if you go nice and slow.


Then pull up the caliper, turn out the remaining bolt with pliers.

Speedtoys

Theres nothing left of the head of the bolt in the well, to grab..its been busted open.

inactiveuser1

If welding another bolt onto it,I would unhook the ECU,elctrical units etc.
Drilling out the screw and using extractor like they said should work once drilled out undersize the wall is weaker and the screw collapes easier to turn out.There's not much room you could try filing flats on the od to get a wrench on.

TheClairvoyant

Prior to performing surgery on the bolt head, I went to Sears and Harbor Freight. Neither had the type of extractors I needed.

I've seen the Irwin sets online, but I fear the point where they'd be useful might be passed. The picture isn't the best, but the bolt is now notched on 2 sides to about half of the allen head hole depth.

Drilling could work, but I've never done it before don't want to mess up the caliper.

I did try flattening spots on either side of the OD to give the vise-grips a better surface, but it still didn't come loose. The vise-grips still wound up slipping.

My mechanic must have tightened it a lot when I had the brakes done a couple years ago.

aaddpp

You are right, its certainly not ideal for sure. If it were me I would try and hammer the bolt head back to center and then lightly hammer the Irwin socket on to it and pray it grips. I am fairly reliant on these extraction tools since I don't have a ton of experience and have never had the chance to drill a bolt out

Rob Edwards

Speedtoys

-Im- a chickensh*t, and I dont mind drilling a bolt head out/off.

RyanPerrella

wow what a messed up bolt

you get a medal for that one

Listen to Rob, he is the tool master but beware of cheap imitations. I have a set of bits that look like the ones Rob has pictured at the bottom of his post above but the ones I have are useless! Actually, if i were a fisherman I could use them as weights.

Speedtoys

Those work fine..but the 'well' in the head of the bolt is gone..nothing to pound an extractor into anymore it appears.

Ed Scherer

See also:

• Stuck front caliper bolts - now unstuck - but new problem
• caliper bolts torque

Don't fear the drill, especially if you can get a cobalt drill bit: they go through these bolt heads like butter. BTDT; drilling it out was really easy.

s928s

I am just north of Philly if you still need help..I should be around in the afternoon tomorrow working in the garage if you still need a hand.