Brake caliper removal

[Joe789]

First time changing rotors and pads - front and rear.

Problems removing caliper. All bolts frozen.

Squirted them all with penetrating oil, first one took almost 2 hours to break (kept trying every 15 min). Other 2 still waiting on. (No give to them and I do not want to overapply pressure).

Curiousity compels me to ask - Is there a quicker way?

I really cannot see a shop taking this long.

Thanks,
Joe

[curtis73]

It really helps if you post the details about the car. Some don't require the calipers to come off at all.

[Joe789]

Please accept my apologies for my lack of specificity.

Was a tad bit peeved at the whole issue...

1998 Olds Intrigue - calipers most definitely have to come off.

Wound up taking me the whole day, 2 trips to the local library, a trip to a corner auto parts store and a trip to a local gas station mechanic.

All to get one wheel done and it was not completed correctly due to darkness.

I wound up using a can and a half of penetrating oil and was not able to remove the caliper. The rotors did not look scarred so I believe they will be ok. Pads went in with difficulty, I had to remove one shim. Bushings simply would not fit (yes, I tried a bigger hammer...) they are partially installed, crossing fingers that that is good enough.

On a side note, I have to say that Chilton manuals are worthless to a beginner. Wound up going to a local gas station and paying the mechanic $20 for 15 minutes of his time.

I do remain curious - How in the world do mechanics stay in business? I really doubt mine was the first brake job with frozen screws.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by Joe789

they are partially installed, crossing fingers that that is good enough.

When it comes to brakes, or anything do with suspension, wheels, etc, that is not enough.

It needs to be done right, or it could kill you, or someone else on the road.

If you didn't get all the shims back in, then you have done it wrong.

Take it apart and do it again, properly.

If you have a digital camera you could take some photos of what your having trouble with to.

[sad-lumina-owner]

If you were trying to get the bolts loose with a ratchet, I'm not surprised.

You should use a Johnson bar, or if that won't fit in the space, use a steel tube over the end of your ratchet to lengthen the arm and give you enough torque. These bolts are supposed to be torqued back on (using a torque wrench) with at least 90 to 140 ftlbs (check manual for your make and year).

Also, WD40 is nearly useless. The only thing that might work is Liquid Wrench.

shims?! I don't get it. why would there be shims in the first place?

Sounds pretty scarey. Get an experienced mechanic friend to look at your work.

[RaeRae1]

^^ completely agree. Sounds VERY scary. Brakes are not an issue to be taken lightly and if you are uncertain you should take it to a professional.

On a side note, I agree about the WD40 being all but useless for this, but I have found that PB blaster works really well (I have a 69 that has many many frozen bolts).

[shorod]

I've had good luck with PB Blaster and Rust Eater.

Shims are pretty common with modern cars and imports. They are usually of a softer metal than the pad backing plate and help to minimize vibration and squealing. If there wasn't room for the shims, either the shims were installed incorrectly or the caliper was not fully compressed. Or something wasn't correct for the application (wrong pads, wrong rotor, etc.). Joe789, you should have your work inspected by a professional or DIYer that's done a few brake jobs.

-Rod

[goongrinch]

its honestly no more then 80 for labor 70 for parts....150 bones at most places to get your front brakes done...and mechanics stay in business because of people like you, plus i do an averege of 6 brake jobs a day on the weekdays at my workplace...hope that answers your question.



frozen screws get manhandled by my impact gun.

[bobss396]

I've yet to see a caliper bolt that stuck. Old time tricks, use an impact "nut buster" that transmits a shock through the bolt and maybe frees it up. Another one I liked was an air chisel with a blunt punch. I'd crank down the air otherwise it would tend to snap things off.

A last resort is the "blue wrench", aka a torch. Concentrate the flame where the threads are, but keep the flame cone backed way off. A propane torch works well too. You will possibly fry any rubber parts and can boil the brake fluid in the caliper, disconnect the brake hose first.

As others suggest, get some help with your project. Offer to pay a mechanic for some of his time if you can find a friendly one. I used to do this for people who got themselves in trouble.

Bob

[partsmgn]

By the sounds of it.... if you try to remove the bolt you will probably break it.... in my store our mechanics dread intrigues because of simple engineering problems.... in the end you will end up buying a new caliper due to a snapped bolt. Ask them to put some anti-seize compound on them. Due to excessive vibration the last person to install the breaks (perhaps the factory?) used a thread lock. My caliper pins in my pontiac 6000 became loose so we used lock tight on them