Threaded caliper bolts, HELP please

peter212693

peter212693

peter212693

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Hi all,

I changed the pads and disks on my focus today and threaded the caliper holding bolts.

Now ive tryed re-tapping the hole on the thread on the bolt but now it screws in but gets to the end and just keeps spinning.

Can I use a thread repair coil thingy ive seen or some thread lock stuff? Or is it a whole hub replacement job?

Thanks all
Pete
 
Ok, Im a bit confused here. Have you stripped the thread on the bolts or the thread in the caliper carrier?

If you've damaged the bolts, i'd replace them. If you have damaged the thread in the caliper carrier, you could try and re-tap them or replace the caliper carrier.

Hard to say from my armchair, without seeing whats actually happened or knowing the Focus setup.

n
 
When you retap a threaded hole, by definition you are taking some material away, making the hole bigger - as to how much bigger depends on the size of the tap.

The same idea applies to the bolts, if you use a die - the bolt will be smaller again depending.

I don't ever believe in mucking about when brakes or tyres are concerned, so my limited advice would be to replace the bolts and the calliper carrier (I am assuming here that a carrier is used to connect the hub and the caliper). If I was there I might be able to suggest otherwise, but Im not, so I wont.

On the plus side, this isnt very expensive. Replacing calipers and hubs is.

n
 
I retapped the thread on knuckle to the size i used of the die to re-do the bolt but I think it made the tapped hole slightly bigger than the bolt thread now, so it just turns and turns when it gets all the way in. So I need to tap the thread a little bigger still but then I will need the thread on the bolt to become bigger :S
 
Throw bolts away, and as you suggested, go buy a coil insert kit (Helicoil) for the correct size of bolt (buy new bolts too).
If it doesn't come with a drill bit you will need to purchase of of them those the correct size for the kit too..

Easy
 
I did this on a Mondeo. It's a weird arrangement of metals, the bolt is quite soft so is easy to chew the thread on it - however the thread on the caliper carrier (which is bolted to the hub on the Mondeo IIRC, might be one whole unit on the Focus) also breaks up easily.

I replaced the whole carrier in the end.
 
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