Caliper Carrier Bolts...Arrrgh!!

[STORM 2 0]

a couple of hours of swearing and skin shearing,

will only result in a great deal of weeping,

why oh why are things never straightforward,

then I looked at my corrado and understood,

that volkswagen have designed them I say

so fools like us can't get in the way

of the handsome profit VAG insist upon

Oh look in my wallet! Its all completely gone

They laugh and they joke and my plight they then teased,

When they found out that my carrier bolts have seized!

 

 

:-(

 

How dos heating the bolt with a blowtorch make it easier to remove? wont it cause more expansion of the bolt than the hole?

[bcstudent 0]

Only if you heat the bolt directly. The idea is to heat the carrier so it expands away from the bolt. Either way, expansion can only be a good thing when it comes to rusty things!

 

Personally, I find welding a nut onto the siezed bolt works a treat. New bolts are obviously a good thing to have on reassembly (but not essential)...

[kebabman 0]

You welded a nut onto the carrieer bolts!? Touch excessive. :?

 

Blowtorch works a treat, who cares how, just give it a quick flam and hammer a socket on the back, works a treat. :lol:

[STORM 2 0]

right, out comes the blowtorch then...

[wilkes 0]

ive just had the same trouble with the winter hack (mk3 gti) ,i got a 15 mm socket and fookin belted it onto the outside of the allen key then used a bar to crack it ,again you'll need new bolts though

[bcstudent 0]

Wow, this must be attack-BC-day :)

You welded a nut onto the carrieer bolts!? Touch excessive. :?

 

Blowtorch works a treat, who cares how, just give it a quick flam and hammer a socket on the back, works a treat. :lol:

How is that excessive? It's the price of a nut and two blobs of weld. Potentially destroying a socket sounds more excessive to me.

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

If the bolt isnt rounded then a good fitting socket preferably same sided as the bolt and a massive extension bar will do it. I used a 10ft piece of scaffolding as an extension bar to undo a hub nut!! The air impact driver I have couldn’t even undo it and its rated to 320nm.

 

If the bolt is rounded then attack it with a grinder to square it off and use some good vise grips or sacrifice a socket and whack a smaller socket onto it with a lump hammer. :lol: :-) If its an alen head you could try whacking a oversized torx into it or again a socket or spanner onto the outside of it.

 

Good luck!

[bristolbaron 10]

Wow, this must be attack-BC-day :)

You welded a nut onto the carrieer bolts!? Touch excessive. :?

 

Blowtorch works a treat, who cares how, just give it a quick flam and hammer a socket on the back, works a treat. :lol:

How is that excessive? It's the price of a nut and two blobs of weld. Potentially destroying a socket sounds more excessive to me.

Grade A was telling me the other day that thats exactly whatt they do at the phirm. you're not on your own!

[bcstudent 0]

We are talking about the cap head bolts that require a hex key to undo, right?

[gradeAfailure 0]

I'd have thought so, and yup, The Phirm welded nuts onto the bolt heads in order to be able to remove them...

[kebabman 0]

We are talking about the cap head bolts that require a hex key to undo, right?

 

Sorry had had a few beers, wasn't meant as an attack. :oops:

 

Really I just meant most people don't have a MIG lying around. ;)

 

Don't know what the guy above is on about with "if the bolts aren't rounded", they're made round from the factory! :lol:

 

8mm allen head carrier bolts are the ones I thought we were talking about too....

[bcstudent 0]

Really I just meant most people don't have a MIG lying around.

Me included at the moment since my mate is really taking his time with returning it. The git.

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

I didnt know they where allen head bolts.

[Andy T 0]

Use a hexagon socket bit rather than an allen key, much more secure. I got them undone using that with a 18" breaker bar with a 3/4" square drive. Soaked the bolts overnight with plus gas, need to be careful to support the carrier with a axle stand so that the force is going through the ground, and not bending the hub carrier/suspension.

[dinkus 10]

PlusGas or failing that, WD40.

 

Douse the bolt in it, then go make a cuppa.

 

Come back and the oil should have penetrated the bolt and it'll come off without too much huffin' and puffin' :)

[bcstudent 0]

PlusGas or failing that, WD40.

 

Douse the bolt in it, then go make a cuppa.

 

Come back and the oil should have penetrated the bolt and it'll come off without too much huffin' and puffin' :)

 

...as long as there's enough of the bolt left for the hex key to get a grip on. For me there rarely is, hence the welded-on nut.

[dinkus 10]

Aye, if you've already buggered the head of the bolt then it's blow torch/welder time...

[STORM 2 0]

well, I had no joy and my nice new brembo discs just sat in the cardboard box waiting anxiously.

I had to put the worn pads back on and leave it after 4 hours. :-(

I think I'm going to invest in a good breaker bar and try to use the grinder to refashion the hexbolt - should I try and make another hex or will a simple square suffice?

[gaz the geezer 0]

is it possible to use a pair of stillsons on the outside of the allen bolt head ?

[gradeAfailure 0]

I'd personally just cut/file two flats on opposing sides of the bolt head then get the biggest adjustable spanner on it that you can - mind you, I have one at work that's about 18 inches long!

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

Grinding two flats and using some vise grips works for me.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Can you not get any of them out?

 

When I first did mine, I managed to get one out on each side and then hammered the carrier in the relevant direction to loosen the bolt's grip. Worked a treat.

 

Since then the bolts have been copper greased and have never siezed again.

 

If all 4 are stuck solid....then I think the head will round off long before they even think about cracking off. Best use BC's method with welding a nut on, good idea that.

[bcstudent 0]

I can't take the credit. It was my mate's idea back in the day.

[STORM 2 0]

Can you not get any of them out?

 

When I first did mine, I managed to get one out on each side and then hammered the carrier in the relevant direction to loosen the bolt's grip. Worked a treat.

 

Since then the bolts have been copper greased and have never siezed again.

 

If all 4 are stuck solid....then I think the head will round off long before they even think about cracking off. Best use BC's method with welding a nut on, good idea that.

 

I started on the nearside and managed to get the top bolt off but the carrier was making no effort to signal that a good beating may help...the second lower bolt was stuck pretty fast and TBH I was a bit worried about damaging the suspension setup by using too much hammer.

I agree the welding idea is a good one but unfortunately I don't have a MIG handy :-(