Brakes and rotors

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DOMO

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01 MP3, 03 MSP
So yesterday I spent my day off working on the p5 and one of the things i was gonna do was change my brakes and rotors but for some reason the top 17mm bolt holding the calliper to the strut wouldn't come off . I tried wd40, using a makeshift breaker bar, my impact drill from work and no dice. :( I eventually gave up after 2 hrs fighting and went to work . So my question is is there any other way to get the bolt off? I don't wana have to go to my mechanic just to change my rotors and pads when I know how to change them, it's just that bolt has me on my knees confused as ****.
 
Yeah, I had trouble with that last summer. All of them but one came off. I was able to swap out the brake pads without removing that one bolt so I did.
Now, I have to get the calipers off to get the rotor, pad and caliper replaced. I don't know. I think it is still going to be as stuck as last year. I am going to try heat. Get a propane torch, put the tip of the flame on the metal surrounding the bolt, not on the bolt. The heat expands the metal enough for to get you to loosen up the bolt or nut. Reminds me, I have to get another tank. I don't know if it's going to work. I usually do this on nuts that are frozen on bolts.
I'll get back to you on this.
 
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I could try this I have an acetylene torch ( I'm a plumber) but thing is i don't know if applying heat to the calliper would be a good idea. Wouldn't the heat damage the calliper piston ? Correct me someone of I'm wrong
 
Investing in a 1/2" drive breaker bar might be a good idea, Canadian Tire puts their's on sale for pretty cheap. They're just about as handy as a good hammer and vise grip. It's not just the leverage but your ability to comfortably apply it. You'll need it if you ever have to attempt the motor mounts.
 
Well I have been using a 1/2" wrench and abs pipe and I got off the bottom bolts on both sides and it works for taking off my lug nuts on the tires it's just that dreaded top bolt... When you see it it looks welded on that's how bad the rust is on the caliper is their another alternative to the breaker bar because I can only jack up my car about 2 feet more or less ...

Just thought would one of those flexible extensions for a 1/2 or 1/4 wrench work Mabe ?
 
Get it on there with breaker bar, have one person hold it while one smacks it with a hammer. Or kick/ jump on it
 
Buy a liquid called PB BLaster its wayy better than wd40 and has proven itself to me many times over the years so much that i no longer use anything else... spray it let it sit a few min then attempt to remove the bolt
 
Alright thanks guys ill try out the stuff u guys mentioned hopefully it works for me lol
 
update: bought a breaker bar and a can of pb blaster. it took a bit of work and a few curses and grunts but managed to get the bolts free. thanks for the help guys now i can finally brake without having the car shake like crazy .
 
Now you get to try it on your rear motor mount some day!! HaHa (did you get the one on sale at Canadian Tire this week for $11.88??)
 
yea i did last one they had too! ive heard stories about the rear motor mount and how its a pita to get out. i dont think ill be getting at that for a while ive checked all the mounts and they look to be in good condition
 
I just read what people thought of that breaker bar and a lot of people had problems with it,... the ratchet head would jam but at least it wouldn't let go, it just doesn't ratchet anymore. I've got pretty much the same one but my handle is 21" so it might have a different head. At least if yours jams it won't just spin free,... you could break your arm or crack your head if that happens. The one guy says to make sure the selector is fully switched and if it jams, put pressure on it then force the selector to move.
Yours (and I guess mine too) will just work like regular breaker bars if they jam. (although I wonder if it jams while tightening if it would let go while pushing hard the other way. I'm kinda nervous now??)
 
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dont worry about it in your questioning your ratchet mabe you have a crappy one lol. i got mines from princess auto for 20 bucks and works great no problems here . but get pb blaster i reccomend it now seeing how well it works. oh and having some pipe lying around helps if you need that extra bit of leverage
 
I'll check out PB blaster at C.T. tomorrow, but I'm worried about my breaker bar now,... if that ratchet head lets go especially with a pipe on it, I'm in for a world of hurt. I shoulda got a regular one at Princess Auto like you did,... I'm there all the time anyway,... maybe I'll pick another one up there, without the fancy ratchet head.
 
It was bugging me so I went to the garage and brought my breaker bar in and took the ratchet head apart to study it. I don't like what I saw. There is too many teeth so they are really fine and you can tell that if it jams one way then you apply a lot of force the other way, it can let go and start ratcheting the wrong way. I'm thinking I'll make sure I only use it to loosen nuts and bolts, you generally use a torque wrench to tighten anyway. I just don't want it to let go backwards and crack my skull. Mean while I'll try to find my receipt or just try to exchange it for one without a ratchet head they might go for that.
 
I'm just looking for an excuse to not use my breaker bar to tighten anything. I'm gonna try to return it or maybe try to weld the head if they won't help me.
 
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