disk brake

Icyseanfitz

im back lads, while trying to remove the pads from my elixer 5 i screwed the thread up in the hex bolt that holds the pads in, so effictivly they are stuck in and i cant remove them (why do they make hex bolts and star bolts so bloody weak :mad:) i was going about replacing the damn brake anyway just caught for euros at the moment.

This happen to anyone else and is there a way to remove the bolt?

xxyyzz

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

why do they make hex bolts and star bolts so bloody weak

Weak is one thing, Icyseanfitz-proof is another thing entirely.

Outkast_IRE

you can get a small steel bit for the drill thats meant to drill into it then when you throw the drill into reverse remove it with the bit , but that would be a last resort to me, usually i would get various size flat heads and use pressure and turning hoping to catch it and turn it a few turns.

Icyseanfitz

its those itty bitty little feckers that catch me every time you think you have the hex key in the bolt you go to turn it anti clockwise and bang thread is ruined , all bolts should be made from Tungsten so i cant ruin them

Icyseanfitz

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

you can get a small steel bit for the drill thats meant to drill into it then when you throw the drill into reverse remove it with the bit , but that would be a last resort to me, usually i would get various size flat heads and use pressure and turning hoping to catch it and turn it a few turns.

by sticking the flat head into the ruined thread, and putting pressure while trying to turn it anti clockwise? i have a drill so i could do the last resort........ dot 5.1 everywhere haha

Morgan

Does the caliper look like this?

Can't you just grab the head of the bolt with a needle-nosed pliers an unscrew it? I assume you've removed the clip from the end?

Icyseanfitz

Morgan wrote: »

Does the caliper look like this?

Can't you just grab the head of the bolt with a needle-nosed pliers an unscrew it? I assume you've removed the clip from the end?

yeah actually tried that just couldnt get a good grip as the other end of the bolt is circular, il figure something out now wheres that lump hammer of mine

rob1891

Don't bother trying to drill it, steel doesn't drill well and the bolt is so small you will make a mess. Probably too small for an easyout, though I've never used those so I don't know.

Use a dremel, or do some careful hacksawing to cut a deep slot in the head of the bolt and then use a well fitting flat head screw driver to turn it.

Failing that (i.e. impossible to get good purchase with the screw driver), take a vise grips, clamp on the head of the bolt and turn.

Failing that (i.e. you have pulled the head of the screw right off), cut the bolt in two so that you can dismantle the caliper into its two halves. Use the vise grips to unscrew the threaded half of the bolt, obviously the other half will just fall out. Leave in a bath of WD40 if the threads are seized ... probably need to take pistons and seals out with the WD40 ... nightmare!

That's what I'd do anyway ... or nuke it from space :-/

Icyseanfitz

rob1891 wrote: »

Don't bother trying to drill it, steel doesn't drill well and the bolt is so small you will make a mess. Probably too small for an easyout, though I've never used those so I don't know.

Use a dremel, or do some careful hacksawing to cut a deep slot in the head of the bolt and then use a well fitting flat head screw driver to turn it.

Failing that (i.e. impossible to get good purchase with the screw driver), take a vise grips, clamp on the head of the bolt and turn.

Failing that (i.e. you have pulled the head of the screw right off), cut the bolt in two so that you can dismantle the caliper into its two halves. Use the vise grips to unscrew the threaded half of the bolt, obviously the other half will just fall out. Leave in a bath of WD40 if the threads are seized ... probably need to take pistons and seals out with the WD40 ... nightmare!

That's what I'd do anyway ... or nuke it from space :-/

im going with the space and nuking option thanks for all the help lads, yer great as always

triggermortis

I would try vice grips first before you destroy any metal - and get the biggest ones that'll fit, not the thin nosed ones unless that's all that will fit. You might deform the head a bit, but the screw will to be replaced anyway so it's no big deal.
If that fails, I'd go for cutting a slot.

reallyunique

If it's truly a no hope situation I've found that putting a big blob of superglue (gel) on the damaged head then pushing the "best fit" hex into it and holding it 'till dry can sometimes give enough torque to remove it. I've used other sticky compounds too like a two-part epoxy and on a particularly stubborn one a two-part metal glue (sooo strong, I never did get the hex key back).

The main attraction of this is that it's very McGyver and if it doesn't work it hasn't reduced your options. Just don't superglue the whole thing

Holyboy

reallyunique wrote: »

If it's truly a no hope situation I've found that putting a big blob of superglue (gel) on the damaged head then pushing the "best fit" hex into it and holding it 'till dry can sometimes give enough torque to remove it. I've used other sticky compounds too like a two-part epoxy and on a particularly stubborn one a two-part metal glue (sooo strong, I never did get the hex key back).

The main attraction of this is that it's very McGyver and if it doesn't work it hasn't reduced your options. Just don't superglue the whole thing

That is fairly genius and an idea I may have to steal from you but if I do use it I will always give you the credits I promise:D

mgbgt0_0

You could try using a wire cutting snips, the sharp tip will cut into the bolt head and allow to turn, works every time for me.

triggermortis

mgbgt0_0 wrote: »

You could try using a wire cutting snips, the sharp tip will cut into the bolt head and allow to turn, works every time for me.

won't do your snips much good though...

Icyseanfitz

both the glue and wire cutter are brilliant ideas, any idea what that super strong metal on metal compound is? i dont care about my hex key ive plenty of em lying around

langdang

Like the epoxy/liquid metal + hex key idea - new one on me.
I suppose something like this is what your aiming for
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_176487_categoryId_255230_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1
Has potential for hilarious situations if you make a mess of it tho!:p


I have a thing of this hanging around for random emergencies

Filing/cutting/dremelling a slot in the head would have been my suggestion too. Don't think you'll get sufficient grip on that with a vice grips.

Icyseanfitz

langdang wrote: »

Like the epoxy/liquid metal + hex key idea - new one on me.
I suppose something like this is what your aiming for
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_176487_categoryId_255230_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1
Has potential for hilarious situations if you make a mess of it tho!:p


I have a thing of this hanging around for random emergencies

Filing/cutting/dremelling a slot in the head would have been my suggestion too. Don't think you'll get sufficient grip on that with a vice grips.

thanks for that, that stuff has great potential alright, it works on metal but does it work on skin drunken antics could go great with it haha