Loctite on Break Caliper Bolts

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Ford SportTrac Forum

Help Support Ford SportTrac Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
G

Greg Jorczyk

Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
Location
Austin, TX
Just did for the first time a front brake pad replacement on my 2003. Could not beleive how easy it was. Is it necessary or a good idea to use blue loctite on the Caliper bolts?



I did not use any and starting to question if I should have



Thanks



Greg
 
Not a bad idea especially if you reused the bolts. Workshop manual recommends replacing the anchor plate bolts and torqueing to 83 ft./lbs. I used a drop of red on each.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I guess I over tighten things... LOL
 
To clarify, I am talking about the two small bolts I removed to lift the caliper bracket off the rotor to just replace the pads. They should be torque to 85ft/lbs and use blue loctite?
 
NO! Slider bolts are only 24 ft/lbs. Make sure they move freely and are properly lubed with the proper silicone brake grease.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NO! I have never used loctite on any brake caliper bolts, and have never had a caliper mounting bolt come loose. I also never purchased new caliper bolts, and I have done hundreds of brake jobs over the past 45+ years. That does not mean that you should not replace the brake hardware from time to time but, 5 t0 10 years is typically the life expectancy of springs, clips, bolts and other fasteners.



I am not aware of any manufacturer that uses "Stretch to Torque" bolts on their brake caliper mounting bolts?



...Rich
 
I think the bolts he was referring to with the 83 ft-lbs and the Loctite were the anchor plate mounting bolts that hold the anchor plate that the caliper attaches to.
 
dreman,

Why would you ever need to ever remove the anchor plate mounting bolts to change the brake pads? swshawaii said that the anchor mounting plate bolts needed to be torqued to 83 ftlbs, but the anchor mounting plate bolts do not need to be removed to simply replace the pads???



...Rich
 
^ True Rich, unless the brackets are toast and need to be replaced. Interesting post from the past linked below.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here is what I did, removed the two bolts holding the caliper in place, removed the pads, removed the sliders pins greased them and put on new rubber boots, then installed the new pads. Then compressed the caliper piston, put the caliper back in place and tightened the two bolts to 24ft/lbs. I think I did this right? Did not use loctite?



I appreciate the help.



Greg
 
Correct, no Loctite on threaded slider retaining bolts. Also a good idea to replace and lube the stainless abutment clips where the pad ears make contact.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have never used Loctite on brake caliper Bracket bolts (They were torqued correctly) and I had a bolt come loose. The caliper and bracket wedged against the wheel and locked the tire up. It also caused the tire to go flat.



I had to buy a new bolt, a new wheel, and pay to have the tire swapped to the new wheel.



I always use Loctite now.



Do as you want.





Tom
 
One of the most common mistakes that shade-tree and even professional mechanics make is forgetting to recheck that bolts are tightened properly.



Loose Brake caliper mounting bolts is a common problem because mechanics tend to snug them down finger-tight while they check the alignment and fitting of the brake pads, etc. Then they get distracted or forget to go back and check that everything was tightened properly.



A properly torqued caliper bolt does not require Loctite (unless otherwise specified), and should never come loose on it's own unless the threads are stripped or damaged....and that should have been inspected and noted when it was removed.



When you simply follow the instructions from a manual, you will often overlook little things that experience has taught others....And, YES I have been guilty of doing that myself, that's why I pass this little tidbit on others. "When you have finished the job, go back and check that all the bolts are properly tightened".



...Rich

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Richard,



You are so right about going back and checking everything! I changed the brakes on a friend's Jeep Cherokee once and missed doing the final tightening on one of the wheels. I was amazed with two things...one, when she told me one of the wheels came off while she was driving down the road, and two, that she said the Jeep hardly moved at all when the wheel came off! I was totally floored that I could have gotten her killed, and now I don't work on other people's cars anymore. And I always go back and check EVERYTHING two or three times now.



And the only reason to remove the anchor bolts is to remove the anchor plate, which is only necessary if you want to take the rotor off. Which is not what the original question was about, but was what swshawaii was referring to.
 
Thanks dreman, forgot that most important detail when replacing RWD and 4WD rotors. If not maintained, the anchor plate slide pin bores are also prone to wear and corrosion.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
as mentioned, it doesn't say to apply loctite on the bracket bolts but it does say to use new bolts every time AND the new bolts already have loctite on them. At least this was the case with dorman
 
as mentioned, it doesn't say to apply loctite on the bracket bolts but it does say to use new bolts every time AND the new bolts already have loctite on them. At least this was the case with dorman
 

Latest posts

Top