Broken caliper bolt won't extract

It s a 1985 300 SD. The upper/fwd bolt securing the LH front brake caliper to the wheel broke when pads were being replaced. It was frozen and I forced it too much. Big mistake! I think that part that the shank of the bolt is lodged inside (that the caliper bolts to) is part of the strut/hub assembly. Not sure of the exact name of this assembly. My Haynes manual doesn't show a complete breakdown of the front wheel/suspension. This is very bad, as no matter how much I tighten the other remaining bolt, the first time you hit the brakes in reverse, the top of the caliperl moves backward, and then it rubs against the inner surface of the wheel. Anyway, I bought a Sears screw extractor and matching Ti-Ni drill bit. Had a reverse-spiral and square end. Drilled out the center of broken bolt stud, all the way to the tip. Hammered extractor in. Put a lot of rust-dissolving lube on it. Waited for lube to do its thing a long time. With a pipe wrench on it, the broken stud still wouldn't turn out. So I applied blowtorch to the area next to the bolt hole while turning. The extractor broke! It broke flush, so there is nothing to grip on to, in order to back it out. So now I have an even worse problem. Need some advice on what to do next. Have never removed rotor from a car before, can I get access to the broken bolt stud from the outer side by removing the rotor? I could try just drilling it out the full diameter of the bolt and then re-thread both strut/hub for a little bit larger bolt. But trying to drill it out now is going to be next to impossible, as the hardened steel broken extractor is in there. Thanks for the help.

Reply to
Geronimo
Loading thread data ...

Run incrementally larger drill bits into there, until one of them reaches the very edge of the broken bolt. This will cause the broke stub to collapse and allow you to remove the remains. If you are VERY careful with this process you will not even need to retap anything.

Make sure to really clean out the whole your stub comes out of! Running a proper sized tap into is the best way.

I can't believe you actually tried to drive the car with this bolt missing? CRAZY!

Marty

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Is not going to work....now that there is a broken (5/16th in. I think it was) extractor in the middle of the stub. Yea, if I could get the broken extractor back out, then it would be easy to do as you suggest.

regards, Jim

Reply to
Geronimo

This is beyond hope unless you have a home machine shop. Start shopping the salvage yards for another caliper or just buy a rebuilt one.

A repair shop would have potential liability if this caliper fails so they'd install a rebuilt caliper; they wouldn't waste their time on this kludge. And the customer would pay for it. End of story.

Reply to
T.G. Lambach

"This is beyond hope unless you have a home machine shop. Start shopping the salvage yards for another caliper or just buy a rebuilt one. "

I think the bolt doesn't go into the caliper, it goes into part of the wheel assembly, doesn't it? So it's more involved than simply replacing the caliper, which would be easy.

Reply to
trader4

Dumb question: WHY did you want to remove the caliper bolts to replace the pads?!?!?

You drive out the 2 pins, remove the spacer, open the bleeder, take a screwdriver and pry the pads back so the piston goes into the caliper. [connect a hose to a jar and have it at the bottom, this way you won't suck air back in.]

Some people don't open the bleeder to dump the old fluid, but this just pushes the old fluid back into the master cylinder.

Reply to
Karl

He needs another spindle. No problem here in Fresno, Calif. I can get you a good used one tomorrow morning. Pmail me with the side you need.

Reply to
Karl

I see in your 1st post you need the left spindle. And you need to know that the caliper bolts come from the factory with blue locktight on them. Sounds like someone over torqued them.....

morning. Pmail me with the

Reply to
Karl

Your point is well taken. I read the post and thought the brake pad pin had broken, not the caliper's mounting bolt. Why was THAT bolt loosened to change the brake pads???

The 126 parts diagram shows the caliper's mounting bolts to the steering knuckle (piece between the ball joints)to be BEHIND the rotor. If that's so then how are you drilling them with the rotor in place? Isn't the broken bolt one of the brake pad pins?

It's a 1985 300 SD. The upper/fwd bolt securing the LH front brake caliper to the *(left) STEERING KNUCKLE *broke when pads were being replaced. It was frozen and I forced it too much. Big mistake! I think that part that the shank of the bolt is lodged inside the STEERING KNUCKLE. Anyway, I bought a Sears screw extractor and matching Ti-Ni drill bit. Had a reverse-spiral and square end. Drilled out the center of broken bolt stud, all the way to the tip. Hammered extractor in. Put a lot of rust-dissolving lube on it. Waited for lube to do its thing a long time. (1 or 2 DAYS?) With a pipe wrench on it, the broken stud still wouldn't turn out. So I applied a blowtorch to the area next to the bolt hole while turning. The extractor broke!

*DON'T USE a torch on suspension parts - ever.*

It broke flush,*(WITH the caliper?? or with the steering knuckle?)

*If even with the steering knuckle remove the caliper's other mounting bolt and remove the caliper. If even with the caliper remove the caliper's other mounting bolt and try, between the caliper and steering knuckle, to cut off the stud so you can remove the caliper for a full frontal attack on the stub in the steering knuckle.

There's going to be a lot of bruised knuckles and colorful words before this is done.

Reply to
T.G. Lambach

Sorry I misread that bit... I think Karl can get you a replacement spindle...

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Yea....the bolt (and later the extractor) broke off flush with the SPINDLE. Actually slightly below...thus nothing at all to keep top end of caliper from rotating. Sorry for the confusion from not knowing the proper terminology for that part. By turning the steering wheel all the way to the right, I could work on the broken stub from the INSIDE of the left spindle. Yea, I'd have to take off the rotor to attack it from the outside.

Okay, how much would a new LH front spindle and a couple of caliper bolts cost me, Karl? Its a 1985 300SD, W126. Do you have an internet store? If it is something real expensive, then I would have no choice but to remove the spindle and have a machine shop fix it....that is if they have any way to deal with drilling out a hole with a hardened steel extractor in it! Thanks all.

screwdriver and pry the pads

the old fluid back

Reply to
Geronimo

New is big $$$. I am talking good used. Nothing wrong with good used as long as it has a good lower ball joint.

Not sure on price until I go get it. But you are probably in the $40 range + postage.

Pmail at my email address in my post. ASAP

screwdriver and pry the pads

air back in.]

pushes the old fluid back

Reply to
Karl

it has a good lower

screwdriver and pry the

air back in.]

pushes the old fluid back

Reply to
Geronimo

"By turning the steering wheel all the way to the right, I could work on the broken stub from the INSIDE of the left spindle. Yea, I'd have to take off the rotor to attack it from the outside. "

Uh, oh! I think I might know a big part of what went wrong here. Geronimo said he broke the screw extractor off. Well, a screw extractor is made to wind a bolt out to the left, ie it has a curved face pattern to grab into the drilled hole when turned to the left, counterclockwise. BUT, since he was attacking the broken bolt from behind, he was working on the tail end of the bolt, not the head end. That means you would need to turn the bolt to the RIGHT, clockwise to remove it. But a regular screw extractor wouldn't work that way, it would just slip. Did you use a special left handed screw extractor (assuming there is such a thing), or were you turning it in the wrong direction? If so, that would explain why it wouldn't come out!

Reply to
trader4

No, that is a nice theory, but I believe the inside of the spindle is the head of the bolt.

Marty

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Reply to
Peter W Peternouschek

Karl. thanks for the tip!! I was always one of the latter people, but getting rid of that bit of fluid makes a lot of sense and, in addition, no more spilling in the engine bay :-)

cheers, guenter

Reply to
Guenter Scholz

Jim, I have emailed you this morning. Waiting for a reply.

as it has a good lower

the pads?!?!?

screwdriver and pry the

suck air back in.]

pushes the old fluid back

Reply to
Karl

Good idea!

WEAR EYE PROTECTION!!!!

Marty

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Hopefully, he won't need to do this. He has a spindle with all the bolts on the way.

Reply to
Karl

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.