Need quick advice on brake job

Brique

Brique

New member
I'm replacing the rotors on my 01 and for the life of me I can't get the damn 17mm bolts to come free. I've tried the usual methods, but can't get a single one to budge. Are these bastards reverse threaded by any chance?

I remember having no problems getting them off a junkyard Tundra with hand tools but sitting in my garage I can't get my stock ones off for the life of me. Any thoughts?

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No not reverse threaded. Must be frozen, try some PB blaster, soak then give them a good whack to snap the bond. Luck. :cowboy:
 
I used Seafoam Deep Creep on mine a couple of times, waiting 24 hours in between to make sure it seeped in there... The real challenge for me was to remove those damn steel brake lines. I ended up having to order a new OEM pair and remove the old caliper with them attached to it... What a PIA!

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When I am in your situation I will soak it with pb blaster and use a cheater bar. Most effective tool in my garage is a 36" iron pipe. I use it ALL the time. Good idea checking on the reverse threading. Now that you know it's not, head down to lowes and get you one and crank those *****est off.
 
Use 6 sided hardened (black) 17 mm socket. Hammer the bolt head to loosen any rust.

I removed these bolts with ease. Also the 10 mm brake line. Make sure to use a good tool, not a cheap Chines wrench.
 
A flare nut wrench for the brake line and a 1/2" hardened socket with a breaker bar/ pipe. The handle for my 3 ton harbor freight jack works perfectly
 
I was in this situation not too long ago. i did not have access to a cheater bar.
All I had was a 1/2" x 18" breaker bar and some PB Blaster. Lots of soaking seemed to do very little.
After multiple failed attempts I simply had to summon enough force to break it loose. I don't recommend it.
I had to stop for the day as I pulled some muscles just a little to far, but I got the bolts off.
Interestingly enough I thought once broken that the bolt would just come off easy. Nope.
I had to use the breaker bar for each and every turn. I could not turn those bolts with anything less.
Someone way over torqued those bolts. I wish I had a cheater bar and a propane torch. Go get a steel pipe and break that ******* loose.
 
Brique said:
I'm replacing the rotors on my 01 and for the life of me I can't get the damn 17mm bolts to come free. I've tried the usual methods, but can't get a single one to budge. Are these bastards reverse threaded by any chance?

I remember having no problems getting them off a junkyard Tundra with hand tools but sitting in my garage I can't get my stock ones off for the life of me. Any thoughts?

a5994d776457e606dc1664aef06048fb.jpg
Click to expand...

6pt socket , vice grip and burnz map gas?
 
Well I hit the depot to get some pb blaster (I had run out and was using wd40) and a breaker bar with a 1/2" receiver on it to try instead of my 3/8" breaker. Sprayed the bolts and gonna try again in a few hours.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
 
When you put that breaker bar on there if it still won't budge try hitting the end of that bar with a 5 lb sledge in both directions. Sometimes that will actually help to break it loose.

If you have a Harbor Freight close by, just buy this. $40

Electric Impact Wrench - 1/2"

It's an awesome electric impact for the price. Mine has broken wheel bearing nuts loose (24mm) with absolutely no sweat after I was standing on a 3 ft extension with no luck...
 
Definitely use an impact. All the pb Blaster, WD 40 whatever isnt going to work. It's not rusted on, it's just on. The quick striking force of an impact will break the bond loose and make quick work of it.
 
Pic yourself up a cheap MAP gas torch, hold it on the bolt head for 30 seconds or so then try it, if it won't go give it another 30 seconds repeat until it finally gives up. That's what I had to do to break mine. Just be careful not to round it off, use a six point socket and keep it as square as possible and you may want to wear thick leather gloves, hot things burn.

As other have stated impact or hitting it with a hammer, any kind of shock load will help break the bonds, be careful using penetratating sprays and torches, some sprays are flamible. You are also flamible.
 
Brique said:
Well I hit the depot to get some pb blaster (I had run out and was using wd40) and a breaker bar with a 1/2" receiver on it to try instead of my 3/8" breaker. Sprayed the bolts and gonna try again in a few hours.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Good call on the 1/2" breaker bar. I initially tried using my 3/8" breaker bar, and let's just say the results were not pretty. Still need to see if Craftsman will warranty that bar out.........

I stepped up to a 1/2" breaker with a cheater and broke them loose. I am not in the rust-belt, fwiw.
 

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So it finally took 6 hours of soaking with pb blaster, vigorous heating with a cigarette lighter (torch would have been better), smacking the hell out of the caliper with a rubber mallet and some magical four-letter incantations. On the passenger side it broke using the 1/2" breaker with a cheater and bouncing my body weight on it. On the driver side, the ryobi 18v impact I bought last night finally shook it loose after all the above steps. Damn thing didn't do anything last night, but today it worked.

Unfortunately while I was letting it soak, I forgot the key in the ignition in the ACC position and now the battery is drained. Wonderful.
 
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