Help please!!!

[elk_hunter]

Okay, after 4 hrs of cooling down i came here to post a clean and nice post about a problem on my truck.

 

Here is the scope. Brakes have been making noise for the past couple of days, over 109k on the truck. Took off the drivers side tire, caliper, etc and brakes where going, So went to buy some new pads for the front, And this evening after work was going to replace them. For some reasone i started on the drivers side(other side was already off, and on stands)

 

Went to take the torx bolt off, and could get it to fix the bolt, weird, though maybe some road grim was there, used some pb blaster on it to clean it, and what did i find???? Whoever had this truck before me, got it at 50k. once decide to change the breaks, and well really messed up the torx...and i guess tried to use a bolt extractor to get it out? Well that freaking thing is broke inside the middle of the torx bolt, broke off right where theres' not enough room to grab it to try and remove it? Tried to drill that out, no goo, used vice grips,, not good. so heres my ? How in the heck do i get that bottom torx bolt off the truck, when i can't get a torx on it due to that broke extractor? And dont have access to a welder to put a socket on the end to remove it that way.

 

Any help would be great.

 

I went ahead and changed the brake, but taking the top bolt off(PITA), but was able to get the pads change, and man what a differance!!!

 

Sorry for the long post.

[AG Bill 05 Z71]

Sometimes in life there is no easy way.....

 

A couple of suggestions:

 

1. Go to a welding shop and have them tack weld a short cut off bolt with a hex head on the head of the torx bolt. I would use a 3/8 dia. bolt cut off about an inch long. After it is welded on, you can use a standard socket to remove the torx bolt.

 

2. If you have a die grider or a Dremmel type tool with a cut off wheel that is thin, (1/16 thick or less), cut a groove across the torx head just like a slotted screw that you would remove with a screw driver. Use an impact tool, (air driven or one you hit with a hammer) to loosen the torx screw and remove.

 

Are either of these solutions easy or cheap (if you have to go to a shop?) NO.... but you will feel like you have really accomplished something if you can solve this common problem!

 

Good Luck...

[elk_hunter]

I though about that,

 

but not sure if a dremel even the diamond ones, would be able to make a dent in a bolt extractor, those things are supposed to be so freaking hard.....

 

 

but i'll try that.

[71GMC_3/4T]

You should be able to grind a slot in the extractor with a Dremel and a common abrasive cutoff wheel. Yes, it is hard material, but you are using a grinder to remove it. You can cut off a drill bit with a grinder, so the extractor should be about as easy.

 

I'd rather have someone weld a nut to the piece that's left. They can weld inside the hole of the nut and the welding heats up the bolt, usually loosening the rust in the process.

[99-2door]

Are you talking about an OBS truck?

The bolt is a hex head, not a torx. 3/8" if I remember right.

 

The NBS trucks have regular bolts, so you must be talking OBS right?

[elk_hunter]

Nope. it's a NBS truck and it has torx in fronts. And bolts in the rear.

[karld]

I know exactly what you are going through. I had the same problem on my '99. What I think happened on mine is that water and road salt worked it's way around the rubber boot on the caliper bracket and rusted the slider pin area of the bolt which will fight trying to loosen it. What I had to do,after stripping the torx and breaking three sockets,was to slide the rubber boot back,cut the bolt off and then I made a slot on the side of the head and beat the heck out of it with a mondo cold chisel. Sounds a little crude but it worked! Good luck

[pastor scott.com]

Easy fix.. Have had this problem in the past. been a heavy equipment mechanic for years. cut all the rubber away then get a set of round vice grips, clamp on as tight as you can then tap with hammer quickly. Always worked for me. If you weld on a head the heat will distroy the seals in caliper.

 

 

 

Scott

[elk_hunter]

Thanks for all the ideas on this, i will try these either tonight or wait until the weekend. I check locale dealership, and they want $35 for that torx bolt?

 

Check autozone/advance, only have them for the obs.

 

 

I tried the round vice grips, but with that bolt being round,oval, there is not much room at all for it to grab. Would either just slip off while trying to lock it, or the sec i touched it , would fall.

 

I'm thinking about maybe trying to take the torx bit(have gone throu 3 on the brakes), and grind the center to see if that might give me enough room to grab on the bolt? Think that might work,

 

I also tried to look the the torx bits that already have the whole in the center(not sure what that is official called) but had those type of torx on another truck, where in the middle of the torx, was a nipple in the center. I just flattend that center thing. and went on my way