Broken Caliper Bracket Bolt

[Solar_Eclipse2]

So my friend has an '05 that he bought used in '09 and let me just put this out there now, that I have no idea what regular maintenance he's done to it.

He desperately needed new pads and rotors so he set out about doing that today. Wheels came off fine, calipers came off with a little persuasion. Caliper bracket not at all. For starters neither of us knew they were left handed threads. Once we figured that out we got down to business. ONE caliper bracket came off with persuasion. The next one he tried, the bolt snapped off right in the middle.

How boned is he? Does anyone here have any suggestions? Surely someone has done this before.

 

[Kalatrax]

Unless the made a change, my 08 doesn't have reversed threads on the caliper bracket bolts. They are either 15 or 17mm heads and you should be able to get some from the help section at Autozone or just source them from the dealer for a few bucks.

 

[Solar_Eclipse2]

Unless the made a change, my 08 doesn't have reversed threads on the caliper bracket bolts. They are either 15 or 17mm heads

Yeah I've never heard of them being left handed either. Weirdest freaking thing ever. They were a 15 mm head though.

 

[NDSP]

They are 15mm, but I'm thinking that you might be confused with the left handed thing because the bolt head is on the inside facing the car( away from you ) and thus would "seem" like they turn the opposite direction than they should. Either way Autozone, Ford Dealership, or a junk yard to source your bolt.

 

[chopper_man]

Definitely not a reverse thread on them, just a regular ole bolt. Should be able to drill out the broken one and use an ez-out, little heat may help it. If it broke with enough bolt to grab, a bit of heat and some vice grips.

 

[J.Kidd]

Definitely not a reverse thread on them, just a regular ole bolt. Should be able to drill out the broken one and use an ez-out, little heat may help it. If it broke with enough bolt to grab, a bit of heat and some vice grips.

Add a decent amount of time and a TON of patience.

Just had to deal with this on my 4Runner - two hour job turned out to be 14 hours (including going to the stores for bolts and tools).

Good times...good times.

 

[86GT351]

Are you using hand tools or Air Tools? I ask because if they have never been off before and you are using a 3/8 drive ratchet it is going to be ALOT of Muscle to get them to break free.

 

[J.Kidd]

It was air tools for me. Started on passenger side with hand tools and realized I could get my air gun in there. So, fired that up and they came out without issue. Went to driver's side and skipped the hand tools and went right to the air gun and BAM! - broke BOTH bolts.

Hours on hours of drilling out, using easy-outs, heat, LOTS of PB Blaster, heat, etc. Didn't help that I drilled out one of the bolts crooked (the hole went from the center of the broken bolt into the caliper bracket - that took a bunch of time with a hammer and a punch and patience to manually back that bolt out).