andrew964

just bought a 91 c4cab that needed the discs / rotors replacing, unfortunatley in my eagerness to remove one of the rear calipers I seem to have rounded out the bolt!! (damm those dome headed allen keys!)
does anybody have any ideas apart from cutting the old bolt out, how I could remove the bloody thing!

johnfm

Andrew

I 'think' the bolts need to be heated up for removal. Try a search OR ring TEch9 - they are near you in the Wirral.

Jeff Curtis

The large (10mm) Allen bolts shouldn't need to be heated to remove them, although they have been known to get "stripped" from time to time.

I stripped one that holds on my right front strut when performing my suspension changeout last year. <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />

Were you using a LONG 10mm Allen socket on the bolt that you have to access through the trailing arm?? Are you sure it is in fact stripped out?

If so, try a chisel and create a nick in the shoulder of the bolt and try to get it to rotate by tapping (read as POUNDING) on it, counter-clockwise. <img border="0" alt="[ouch]" title="" src="graemlins/c.gif" />

Flying Finn

Take a one size larger allen key & file it down a bit so that it tightly fits in the bolt (hammer it in).

Would be good also to tap the bolt few times with the hammer before opening it.

warmfuzzies

I wouldn't thump an allen key into it, I would do as Jeff suggests, Or you could chisel a slot and use a screwdriver/impact driver, or I would drill the head off.
It depends upon how much is exposed, and how easy it is to get to.

johnfm

JimBob would suggest a small quantinty of nitro glycerine and a hammer....

schubee

I'm currently replacing my pads and rotors too. I sprayed some WD40, let them soak for a few minutes, used my newly purchased long 10mm socket ($47 for a 8mm and 10mm Snap On.....ouch!), and off it came with the use of a breaker bar.

One question, would anyone recommend the removal of the dust shield? I heard to remove them if you're replacing with a larger rotor but in my case, I am not. Just wondering if they really serve a purpose or not.

Thanks,

andrew964

Thanks for all the help,

Left the car dripping in WD40 overnight then hammered in a 10.5mm hex, bolt came straight off, just need to order up some new bolts now (thankfully these bits seem to be in stock at the dealer)

Jeff Curtis

Schubee, I would just leave the dust shields on, in the rear...I have BIG REDS so removal of the dust shields was required on my 964.

I don't really think there's any benefit to removing them except that they may get a bit more air to the rotors? I dunno, jury is still out on that one.

I do know for a fact that a lot of guys, especially if they're "trackheads" take them off.

No real reason to leave the rears off, for one, your exhaust is right there, so, at least you have some type of heat shield - and besides, the rears don't really get hot enough to warrant any extra attempts at providing additional cooling.

Andrew, glad to hear your bolts came out okay...I'm surprised to hear that a bolt that large stripped out in the first place!

When I stripped my front shock Allen bolt out, it was because I was using a large "L" Allen wrench due to the fact that my 10MM Allen socket hadn't come in yet from Snap On! <img border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" title="" src="graemlins/cussing.gif" />