AHHHHH!!! Help, can't get the calipers off!!! UPDATED!!!

[whiteSE]

I just don't know what to do..... My left front pad is digging in to the rotor (I had no advance warning until I felt it grinding last week). Weather was OK today so I went to get the parts to redo the brakes.

 

Jack up the car - one lug literally sheared OFF!!!!! No prob, 4 left. Anyways, I go to take the caliper off and the bolts are surface rusted bad! The caliper is held on by two Torx bolts but the inside surfaces of the torx are so badly disintegrated that the bit can't bite. So I can't get the caliper off!

 

What can be done that I can do myself with basic hand tools. Am I screwed? I really don't want to go crawling to the local guy and have him do it if I don't have to.

 

Thanks for any help.....

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

The T60 Torx bit did it along with the breaker bar I already had - It was so easy, I can't believe how easy it can be with the right tools!!

 

Can you imagine I was trying with a T55, I thought for sure the T60 would be too big. The fact that one of the bolts was stripped made no difference since the larger bit just dug in deeper.

 

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I think I like my GP again!!!

 

 

 

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[Guest TurboSedan]

maybe you can spray it down with some liquid wrench or PB blaster and let it sit overnight, the try it again with a breaker bar? otherwise maybe you just need to swap the whole front strut/knuckle out. if that's the case then it would be a great time for the '95+ front brake upgrade.

joshua

[93CutlassSupreme]

my pop's has something from craftsman called bolt out, it is special sockets that are supposted to grip and remove rusted or painted over bolts

 

maybe something like that would work? i've haven't used them yet

 

just a suggestion

[mihela816]

You might be able to get those bolts off with a pipe wrench

[Heza]

get the t60 torx bit and a nice breaker bar. thats what i did when i did the brakes on the '94....itll come off, it takes some force though.

[5speedz34]

I would say:

 

Breaker Bar with a lotta pb blaster

or A torch

or final resort drill the bitch.

 

We spent 2 days(me and a friend) trying to get the caliper off his lex, which froze up..

-Tony

[mihela816]

sounds like they are stripped, a braker bar isn't going to help any at that point.

[Z34door]

what year GP??? the caliper should be hex bolts and the bracket should be Torx....

[whiteSE]

Thanks for the replies all....

 

One of them is pretty well stripped, bottom one is fine just can't budge it.

 

I might just try the T60 and go and get a breaker bar for it. I have a breaker bar but it's 3/4 not 1/2 so I need to maybe pick one of those up and try again...

 

I did soak it in the penetrating fluid so maybe combine with that, and a breaker bar I can get the SOB off and then replace the offending one with one that isn't destroyed..

 

Man I don't want to have to drill it out!

 

Thanks.

[GutlessSupreme]

Someone please tell me, what the hell is a breaker bar? Like a crowbar?

[Z34door]

ur kidding me its like a ratchet but it doesn't rachet ... well kinda............. its typically 3/4 in diameter and has a joint with a pin so it will make a 90 degree angle the pin is hardened and strong enough to put brute force on whatever you're turning

[Guest TurboSedan]

hmmm...my breaker bar is simply a piece of pipe that i slide over my 1/2" drive ratchet handle. a breaker bar is just something to give you more leverage.

joshua

[gp90se]

Even though your not supposed 2, I ended up torching mine for 10 minutes before I could get either 2 budge. the stripped 1 i might want 2 try a pair of vice grips with a large steel rod 2 break the stripped bolt free.

 

pb breakfast the hell outta it a few times and let it soak, good luck.

 

-Jeff

[Slade901]

Here's the picture of the breaker bar http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?sourceid=NO+SOURCE&dept%5Fid=500&pf%5Fid=68996&mscssid=52BE9HMD5AH89H1T8URV4Q7DGA471U72

The tip can be moved 180 degrees.

 

I never use a ratchet and a pipe initially to loosen any large bolt. I always use the breaker bar and if possible extra pipe to initially loosen any hard bolt. Once the bolt is loosened, then I use the ratchet with a pipe for more leverage to continue loosening the bolt. I don't want to put stress on the ratchet gears when trying to remove the bolt.

 

BTW, make sure you turn the wheels out when servicing the calipers and that way you have more clearance.

 

If the bolts are sticking up a bit and the head is stripped big time, try to use a monkey wrench or pipe wrench to get more better grip and use a pipe for more leverage.

[GP1138]

If I didn't read well enough, ignore this.

 

Enough can not be said about the Godsend that is vise grips.

[GP1138]

And yes, I realize that last statement didn't have proper grammar. I did that on purpose because this is my 300th post, baby!!!

 

Enough can not be said about the Godsent vise grips.

[stockgp]

i used a pipe wrench to get my bolts out. but your caliper bolts should be i tihnk 13 or 15 mm hex bolts. the bracket bolts are torx and the don't have to come off to do brake pads. oh but they do have to come off for rotor, sorry. if a small pipe wrench doesn't work, get an allan wrench that's just a little too big, and drive it in with a hammer. you'll have to replace the bolts anyhow right? i've used bothe the pipe wrench and allan wrench, so you should be ok

[whiteSE]

To say the least, I am ecstatic that a new T60 Torx bit and my breaker bar did the job.

 

It's funny because that head was good and stripped but the T60 torx still had plenty enough to bite on.

 

I am just happy I didn't half to go crawling to the local grarage and have them fix it!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really think it was the suggestions that enabled me to get this done. Especially the one about the T60 torx because I was trying to use a T55 :oops: