Fitting brake calliper

[combemarshal]

Ok, Long story short!!
Got Bored..
Decdied to clean up callipers..
Bolt snapped removing it....
Bolt extractor snapped in side suspension arm...
Drilled new hole to fit longer bolt...
Bolt doesn't pass through calliper as the new one is 10mm and the old one is 9mm.

SO, Can I get the calliper welded to the suspension Arm, I have one good fixing, It just looks like a bit of a mare to get the Suspension arm off, The only down side is I'd not be able to ever change the disc again, pads would be no problem, can do those with out taking the wheel off!!

And help would cheer me up so what, I'm now bored and car-less.
I blame it on the lack of motorsport over the winter!!!

[falcemob]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Have you thought of drilling the calliper mount so the bolt does fit through. I assume you have taped the mounting hole or does the bolt screw into the calliper?

Edited by falcemob on Thursday 4th January 20:00

[motorwise]

whatever you do don't start bodge repairing brake or suspension components - I don't know what car you have but the bit the bolt screws into will need replacing however inconvenient or expensive that is or you'll end up killing someone - and that may not be just you

good luck

[combemarshal]

No, It wont pass through the calliper, but it will pass through the mounting hole as the bolt is 1 hole mm larger!

I was just curious how good welding is, I keep hearing that it is stronger than the metal itself and stuff!!

[motorwise]

combemarshal said:

No, It wont pass through the calliper, but it will pass through the mounting hole as the bolt is 1 hole mm larger!

I was just curious how good welding is, I keep hearing that it is stronger than the metal itself and stuff!!

welding strength depends on the materials involved as well the skill of the welder - a caliper welded to the carrier would certainly not get anywhere near an MOT pass certificate

[wildoliver]

This has got to be a joke right?

if its not then first off you need taking to one side and severely beating with a large sharpened haddock for managing to break the bolt in the first place, I mean how????

Then the fish should be moved up to a barracuda for doing the same with a stud extractor!

And how stupid do you have to be to get a bolt that doesn't bloody fit!

As for welding the caliper on, A: it would be much easier to enlarge the hole in caliper to match your bodge no1. B: the weld would crack very quickly, most likely resulting in either a locked up wheel or a massive depressurosation of braking system, either one of which could be life threatening in the right scenario, and not just to you, basically if you ever did anything like that and caused an accident you should be put in prison.

So please admit to this being an evil joke to see who rises to the bait, alternatively please never consider working on your own car again.

[motorwise]

wildoliver said:

This has got to be a joke right?

if its not then first off you need taking to one side and severely beating with a large sharpened haddock for managing to break the bolt in the first place, I mean how????

Then the fish should be moved up to a barracuda for doing the same with a stud extractor!

And how stupid do you have to be to get a bolt that doesn't bloody fit!

As for welding the caliper on, A: it would be much easier to enlarge the hole in caliper to match your bodge no1. B: the weld would crack very quickly, most likely resulting in either a locked up wheel or a massive depressurosation of braking system, either one of which could be life threatening in the right scenario, and not just to you, basically if you ever did anything like that and caused an accident you should be put in prison.

So please admit to this being an evil joke to see who rises to the bait, alternatively please never consider working on your own car again.

exactly my first thought as well

[GreenV8S]

Well logically it probably doesn't *really* need both bolts, you might want to araldite the broken end of the snapped-off bolt back into position though just to keep it looking tidy. What's the worst that's going to happen, the caliper falls off and you have to stop on the remaining three brakes? No problem.

[motorwise]

GreenV8S said:

Well logically it probably doesn't *really* need both bolts, you might want to araldite the broken end of the snapped-off bolt back into position though just to keep it looking tidy. What's the worst that's going to happen, the caliper falls off and you have to stop on the remaining three brakes? No problem.

or the caliper swings out and locks up the wheel at high speed causing an accident

you don't glue weld or bodge suspension or brake components ever - what planet are you from?

of course the caliper needs two bolts - when it's pushing the pads onto the disc it will be pushed outwards radially by the spinning of the disc

for christs sake promise me you'll repair this properly

[wildoliver]

I reckon its a joke personally.

[combemarshal]

wildoliver said:

This has got to be a joke right?

Excuse me for asking a question

wildoliver said:

if its not then first off you need taking to one side and severely beating with a large sharpened haddock for managing to break the bolt in the first place, I mean how????

Was taking it off to clean up the mating surfaces (as they are very large and solid) applied the lightest of pressure to undo the bolt and it just came off, must have been doing nothing for ages

wildoliver said:

And how stupid do you have to be to get a bolt that doesn't bloody fit!

ME! I took it to a specialist fixings wholesalers and that's what they gave me!

wildoliver said:

As for welding the calliper on, A: it would be much easier to enlarge the hole in caliper to match your bodge

And you said my idea is bad, you want me to drill a whole through the calliper it self!!

wildoliver said:

So please admit to this being an evil joke to see who rises to the bait, alternatively please never consider working on your own car again.

Sorry, will refrain from asking honest questions on here again, I don't no nothing about welding so I thought I'd ask for advice BEFORE doing anything.

Anyone got any helpful suggestions??

Edited by combemarshal on Friday 5th January 10:57

[GreenV8S]

motorwise said:

you don't glue weld or bodge suspension or brake components ever - what planet are you from?

Same one as you - I've just got a different view about whether a mechanic proposing to permanently weld a caliper to the upright is likely to be serious.

[wildoliver]

combemarshal said:

Was taking it off to clean up the mating surfaces (as they are very large and solid) applied the lightest of pressure to undo the bolt and it just came off, must have been doing nothing for ages

Why? cleaning the mating faces is not a regular service job? yes I'd clean them if the caliper was off E.G. replacing a disk but not remove the caliper to clean them, unless the caliper had been fitted recently and was not sitting true.

combemarshall said:

ME! I took it to a specialist fixings wholesalers and that's what they gave me!

Fixing suppliers will give you what you ask for, as you then tapped out the hole at 10mm I guess you also asked for a 10mm bolt.

wildoliver said:

As for welding the calliper on, A: it would be much easier to enlarge the hole in caliper to match your bodge

combemarshall said:

And you said my idea is bad, you want me to drill a whole through the calliper it self!!

Provided there is enough meat around the hole, enlarging it from 9mm to 10mm is not a bodge, provided we are talking about the mounting bolts here. In fact it is a perfectly acceptable engineering practice.

Depending on the car were talking about I think the only accpetable repair in this case is to go and find a good second hand upright, and if the caliper has been altered or damaged a good caliper too. Ebay or scrapyard is your best bet.

I still cannot understand how anyone (it might not have been you, it may have been broken previously and glued back in to look normal) can break a caliper mounting bolt, I've taken them out of 40year old cars that are pear rotten and had to use a 4ft breaker bar to loosen them and never come close to breaking one.

[grahambell]

When you say you drilled a new hole to fit a longer bolt I take it you mean a clear hole rather than a tapped one so you could use a nut and bolt?

If so there are two possibilities.

First, as wildoliver says, if there's enough meat around the hole on the caliper (highly probable) then opening it up slightly to 10mm is fine.

Second, you might be able to get a 3/8" UNF or UNC bolt through the existing hole as that's slightly smaller than 10mm.

Actually as you didn't say what car it was we don't know if it has metric or imperial fasteners anyway.

Just make sure that you use decent high tensile fasteners (8.8 or higher number on head for metric or 3 equispaced radial dashes for imperial) not low grade crap.

[wildoliver]

In fairness I was assuming the thread is in the upright not the caliper.

I think all posters should look at the chaps profile and some of his previous threads.

[leorest]

OK I've resisted the temptation to be sarky and have chosen to assume you are asking an honest question before things go too far...

Bin all the broken/bodged bits and buy new ones or decent ones from a scrappy/Ebay. Fix it properly or give up and pay someone to do it for you.

Just think of the consequences of your actions.

I imagine that your insurance company would find any of these "modifications" grounds for not paying out and you would be left with an expensive legal case where you don't have a leg to stand on. Presuming that after the inevitable incident that you do indeed still have a leg left to stand on!

Hope you make the right choice for the sake of yourself and everyone else who uses the same roads.
Leo

[falcemob]

OK, I guess this is a Citroen from CM's profile, the bolt broke, say no more it is a feckin Citroen. It's a 9mm bolt, who the uses 9mm bolts?
As has been said welding it is dangerous and it wont pass an MOT.
So either fit a bigger bolt if you can re tap the thread and there is enough room to drill out the hole, it is only 1mm so you should be OK.
If all this fails get another upright.

[motorwise]

GreenV8S said:

motorwise said:

you don't glue weld or bodge suspension or brake components ever - what planet are you from?

Same one as you - I've just got a different view about whether a mechanic proposing to permanently weld a caliper to the upright is likely to be serious.

I read ya

[combemarshal]

wildoliver said:

In fairness I was assuming the thread is in the upright not the caliper.

I think all posters should look at the chaps profile and some of his previous threads.

I don't get where your coming from, whats wrong with the threads?

I have managed to get it sorted, got help from else where.

[combemarshal]

falcemob said:

OK, I guess this is a Citroen from CM's profile, the bolt broke, say no more it is a feckin Citroen. It's a 9mm bolt, who the uses 9mm bolts?

ER Pug and Citroen, one of the biggest car companies in Europe!