I finally figured out a trick for stubborn caliper bracket bolts on a Ford truck

I was working on a 2014 F-150 in the shop yesterday, and the lower caliper bracket bolt was completely seized. I tried heat, I tried an impact, nothing moved it. On a whim, I put my socket on it, then tapped the end of my breaker bar with a 3-pound dead blow hammer a few times while applying steady pressure. The shock from the hammer taps broke the rust bond, and it came right out without shearing. I've never seen that specific method in a manual. Has anyone else had luck with this kind of impact-shock technique on frozen hardware?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa1774d ago

I mean, the "great way to snap the bolt head" thing from @beth_baker69 is only true if you go crazy with it. The trick is those light taps with the dead blow while you keep pressure on the bar. It's not about hitting it hard, it's about the vibration breaking up the rust. I've done this a bunch on older trucks and it works way better than just cranking on a breaker bar. You just have to be patient and not treat it like you're driving a nail.

beth_baker694d ago

Seriously, that's a great way to snap the bolt head clean off.