Disk rotor bolts stuck

[Jdk203]

I was able to find a machine shop in my area that was open AND was able to extract the broken bolt. $35 and an hour and a half and I was on my way.

Sean...you have an email regarding the SS/Chrome rotor bolts. I am in for a full set.....

Nice price they must have had a little sympathy for you :biglaugh:.

I bought a Crapsman one. Its been good to me. I've had it for around 13 years no with no issues. Just used one a week ago to remove the screws on a bearing retainer behind the clutch basket on a friends katana. There were a hell of a lot of fasters holding the engine cases together on that POS.

I bought a newer Craftsman its not the greatest tool ever but it does the job. I think all their stuff has gone downhill.

 

[88vmx12]

Re: New Brake Rotors.....

So with new wavy rotors in hand (2 fronts, 1 rear), I head out to the garage to spend the evening putting them on and bleeding out my new Galfter SS lines.:eusa_dance:

Grab my trusty impact wrench, 6mm impact hex driver and start to remove the rear brake rotor bolts.......

3 of the bolts come out, without too much effort. A couple of the heads look like they have started to yield a bit. Will replace them for good measure.

3 of the bolts simply will not move.

I keep at one of them too long with the impact wrench and completely round out the center.....****.....:damn angry:

OK, so I F'ed up one bolt, I have 6 new ones in my parts box.

Next stuck one, I hit with the torch for a bit. I figure the heat might loosen up the Locktite. Back to the impact wrench and watch the center round out of that one.....MotherF**ker!.:double angry bird:

The next one gets more heat than the second one. This one, like the last, rounds out.......You !@#$%^&* !@$@#@@% piece of $@^@@^&*$:real mad:

I tried to get my vice grips on to the head from the side to try and get it loose...no dice, they just slip off and further chew up the head.

Out comes the dremel. On one of the stuck bolts I grind a couple of flats on opposite sides, go straight in with my vice grips and clamp on as hard as I can, following up with a 15" crescent wrench to turn the vice grips. With a considerable amount of force the bolt begins to turn. After getting it out, it looks like the entire bolt (all of the threads, top to bottom) were dipped in locktite. The bolt was literally glued fast to the rim.:a014:

Next bolt, same procedure and it yields as well......OK things are going better now. I guess this was my visit from Mr. Murphy for the night.....:eusa_pray:

Last bolt, same procedure, but this one shears off about 1/16" above the rim....Son of a BITCH!:bang head:

Time for a Hail Mary. Out come the set of EZ-Outs. I don't use them often, but they have saved my bacon on more than one occasion.

I am not particularly thrilled about having to drill the center of this bolt out of my aluminum rim, but the EZ out should work.

Drill the hole down the center, start the EZ-Out and bear down on it to try to get the bolt free. Now the EZ-Out snaps off flush with the top of the bolt, and I give up for the night. :bang head::bang head::bang head::bang head:

On Monday, I will be looking for a machine shop that will be able to remove both the tip of the broken EZ-Out and the remainder of the last rotor bolt that I am certain is completely covered in Locktite like the 2 others. If it weren't for the broken EZ-Out, I would probably just drill the whole thing out and Helicoil it.

Hindsight being 20/20, if the impact wrench with 240 ft-lbs of torque couldn't get the bolt free I should have known that the EZ-Out was not going to be able to deliver enough torque to break it loose.

Tonight just wasn't my night.....

I had the same issue with one snapping off. I drilled like you did , but I was fortunate enough that I just drilled and re tapped the hole. It worked pretty well. Also I am not sure if you guys know of these bits called Omega drills. They are a really weird shaped bit. These will actually drill right through a tap and probably an easy out. They are not cheep about 40 bones for a 6mm one.

Gannon

 

[gamorg02]

somone got into my rotor before i had it and put aftermarket bolts in that had a 4mm allen head top on it. talk about ******* it up.... either way since i've installed-reinstalled a few rotors now on my bike never had a problem with OEM bolts, a tiny bit of locktite and a nice big breaker bar.

 

[dannymax]

somone got into my rotor before i had it and put aftermarket bolts in that had a 4mm allen head top on it. talk about ******* it up.... either way since i've installed-reinstalled a few rotors now on my bike never had a problem with OEM bolts, a tiny bit of locktite and a nice big breaker bar.

What do you use the locktite for when removing a bolt?

 

[gamorg02]

What do you use the locktite for when removing a bolt?

haha yea i read that afterwards. never had a problem with OEM bolts with loctite, just used a nice big breaker bar is what i meant to say!

 

[rebar]

Time for another video. They aren't that hard to do either. Don't start out using an air impact. You need to use a manual "hammer" type impact. I will show on the video. Then if you do round one off you can use a large easy out right where you rounded out the head. I've removed hundreds of these screws and never broke one off (plenty do round out the heads).

Sean

Where is this video located please?

So heat and the hammer impact?

 

[one2dmax]

No vid yet but that sounds like a good one to make up soon. I don't normally ever need heat. Just the manual impact to get them started out and then the regular impact of ratchet/socket to finish the removal.

Sean

 

[98Redlne]

I can vouch for that approach.

After Sean's suggestion, when I did the front rotor bolts I wailed on my manual impact wrench with a hammer for about 10 strokes per bolt, then went at it with the electric impact wrench. Each and every bolt came out without incident.....unlike my initial approach on the rears :bang head:

 

[rebar]

I can vouch for that approach.

After Sean's suggestion, when I did the front rotor bolts I wailed on my manual impact wrench with a hammer for about 10 strokes per bolt, then went at it with the electric impact wrench. Each and every bolt came out without incident.....unlike my initial approach on the rears :bang head:

Yup.

I expected to see the manual impact turn while I was beating on it. I think it just broke the locktite.

Thanks Sean.

 

[Hypocycloid3]

Time for another video. They aren't that hard to do either. Don't start out using an air impact. You need to use a manual "hammer" type impact. I will show on the video. Then if you do round one off you can use a large easy out right where you rounded out the head. I've removed hundreds of these screws and never broke one off (plenty do round out the heads).

Sean

Hey Sean,

Did you ever post a how to video for this? Looking to put a Galfer Wave rotor on and want to get it right. Not finding it here or on your website.

 

[one2dmax]

No, I haven't done a vid of this yet. Going to maybe be swapping a front wheel set over tomorrow and might be able to shoot one if I can remember.

Sean

 

[98Redlne]

It really is a simple procedure.

10 strokes with a manual impact driver, then hit it with with either an air or electric impact wrench.

The bolts should come out pretty easily.

A dead blow hammer works really well, a standard claw hammer....not so much.

One tip: Prop your rim up on a couple of 2x4s to keep it from getting beat into the concrete when you are wailing on the hammer.

For good measure, I would replace all of the bolts as the heads show signs of yielding even after this procedure.

When you put your new bolts back in, try putting the locktite just on the upper portion of the threads. This way it will only adhere near the top of the bolt.
I think when they originally assembled mine the locktite was applied at the start of the threads. As the bolt threaded in it evenly coated the entire length of the bolt from end to end.

 

[dingy]

I think I underestimated the cost of the bolts. I think it's around $50 for a set. They are a low head profile so should clear everything.

Sean

Define a 'set'

6 or 18 bolts ?

Gary

 

[one2dmax]

The set of 18 (all three rotors).

Sean

 

[Fire-medic]

I just used my impact driver which i have had in my toolbox for forty years to loosen the front disc brake machine screws on my 18 year-old VMax. I used a small sledge and they all came loose with no problems. This is in preparation for swapping a late-model front end onto my venerable ride. Four piston FZR1000 front calipers, new master cylinder, bigger rotors, All-Balls tapered roller bearings in the steering head, all brackets & the triple tree powder coated, Russell braided stainless lines, HH pads, & new stock handlebars and stock mirrors too, waiting for me to finish the installation, and Progressive Suspension rear shocks to go on too.

Previously i had tried using my half-inch pneumatic impact driver & had to chisel-out one stubborn fastener on a rotor from my Yamaha sportbike when the pneumatic tool failed to release the fastener, but the VMax succumbed to my manual impact tool. I vote for the manual impact!

 

[VmaxVboost]

I read thru this whole thread, and I couldn't find the spec for the replacement bolts.

Sean Morley was extremely helpful to me in this project.

I found that the correct spec for replacement bolts is

Stainless, M8 x 1.25 x 25mm long

I was able to do this job in under 15 minutes, as my stock bolts came out without hassle.

I found stainless hex head bolts at a local specialty "bolts & fasteners" place for $0.20 each.

Thank you again to Sean Morley from Morley's Muscle!


Brian

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I wouldn't even think of trying to remove the stock bolts without a manual impact. The stockers are to soft and the hex indention to shallow.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

Usually I give it a go with the allen key then allen socket and if it doesn't go i'll grab the hammer and give it a good whack to loosen it... I don't use loctite as well. I have a manual impact now but never needed to use it besides soft philips screws

 

[Redbone]

I had to drill a couple aftermarket bolts out of my stock wheels but replaced with Sean's chrome set.

Mounting my rotors on my carrozzeria wheels with the chrome bolts work and look great, but are a few mm's long. I'm nit picking but it's something I may change down the road.

View attachment 32724

 

[sdt354]

Oh, and by the way. I have chromed stainless rotor bolts available. They run about $2 a bolt though.

Sean

I can vouch for them being nicer than stock bolts and worth the money. I use blue locktite on install. Removing, I start with a pencil torch right on the head of the bolt to break it loose. Hand impact is the way to go.