brake disk retaining bolts
 

Hi all,

Any tips on removing the brake disk retaining bolts?
they feel like they about to round over with the allen key....

Probably best to tap them of from the outer edge with a hammer and small Chisel. Bit extreme and damaging but sometimes that's the way.

Warm them up to soften the threadlock, a heatgun or even a hairdryer will do it, give then give them a "tap" with a hammer as you loosen them. Good luck.

Al.

Once heated up Tighten them first just a tad, then undo them. If you had a impact gun that�s what I use if anything is stuck. Never fails

All of the above plus ..an impact screwdriver.

Apologies, but this is not really going to help now but I'm a stainless fasteners nut (excuse the pun) type of guy and use them where structurally safe. I have found 'dome heads' easily cheese because there isn't the shoulder material in the bolt head to support a torquing allen key / socket. Consequently they are used for low torque applications but often requiring thread lock as a result.

Everyone knows "right tool for the job" but quality keys will fit properly and reduce/stop the rounding out effect.

Disc bolts usually have a stepped shank so you can't just put any old bolt back in. Plus a "full cap head" allen bolt may actually contact the calliper when the wheel rotates.

In the past I have cut a groove in the bolt head with a Dremel and used a flat blade screw driver. If you've chewed the allen head out of it then that bolt is written off any way. You're going to have to order new ones and they ain't cheap. Easy on the hammer thing too.

Best of luck.

That would be my approach, prudent to replace the bolts anyway as they are starting to fail. You certainly don't want them bad boys failing... it's guaranteed to happen under hard braking.... :angel8:

If you taking them off to replace the disc then another option,although a bit drastic, is to use a grinder/dremel to take the heads off any you cant get out no matter what and then use a pair of molegrips to remove the studs..
The heat generated from the process can loosed the remaining stud too.

thanks for all the tips,

ended up using a combination of heat and a chisel for the ones that refused to come loose.
Wheels are all stripped down now and ready to be re spoked and fresh bearings while i'm at it.

i did have one bolt snap though, one of the pinch bolts that holds the front wheel axel...... it rounded out so i used a screw extractor tool. this worked but it just snapped the bolt leaving a section still in there.

I'll have to drill and try the screw extractor again, or end up drilling the whole lot and then re tap the hole.

either way every bolt (including all the disk bolts) is being replaced with new

I would use extreme caution, Helicoil repair kits aren't cheap! Though I did find one for �35.