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How to remove a snapped bolt?

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While I was installing my rear brake pads today I snapped the bolt of the rear brake caliper support bracket, it is stuck inside the caliper braket side:(
Is there a way to extract the the snapped part out?
Otherwise I would have to buy a new bracket

Thanks
 
There is nothing easy about a broken bolt, 21 years of selling toolsmtaught me this. You can use a left drilling drill bit, I've seen this work on removing the bolt, use in reverse, sold a set of them once to a young mechanic and he complained the next week that they did not work. Stop a Snap-On Tool truck and ask him about the different sets that they sell. A good spray lubricant helps. Good luck!
 
cloud9 said:
Pick up an Easy Out.
And have someone else do the work for you. :D
 
1,482
408
Tell me about when it broke.. Were you over tightening it, or were you trying to remove it? Often times the shock of the bolt breaking and the contraction of the stretched bolt will loosen it right up. But there's no head. You drill a small hole down the middle-ish of what's left of the bolt (don't get into the threads) and use a hammer to LIGHTLY tap in an "EASY OUT." You can then turn the Easy Out like you'd remove a bolt and probably be fine. If it broke trying to remove it, then you're in for more hurt.

The TAP is used to true and clean the threads when the bolt is removed. It's like a bolt with cutting edges to re-establish the threads or create all new ones in a freshly drilled hole.
 
It broke when I was tightening it, I followed the the Ford torque spec sheet religiously this time, but my Pittusburg torque wrench ( My Snap On torque wrench is too long to fit in there) did not click, it just kept wrenching, I got worried but I still pushed it more and boom, it snapped off :-\
It is a bummer, since I finished the whole brake job smoothly ( new brembo caliper, centric rotors and Hawk HPS)
I will try what you recommended today, if I find myself ruining things further more, I will take the piece to my local autopart store.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Easy out or other 'bolt extractor' tool.

IF you can access the sides of the bolt, by taking the whole caliper back off, then a pair of vise grips might help.

Since it looks like you over-torqued it putting it back in, the threads should be 'loose' and you shouldn't need any penetrating oil. Try some if the threads seem stuck.
 
13Boss#3328 said:
It broke when I was tightening it, I followed the the Ford torque spec sheet religiously this time, but my Pittusburg torque wrench ( My Snap On torque wrench is too long to fit in there) did not click, it just kept wrenching, I got worried but I still pushed it more and boom, it snapped off :-\
It is a bummer, since I finished the whole brake job smoothly ( new brembo caliper, centric rotors and Hawk HPS)
I will try what you recommended today, if I find myself ruining things further more, I will take the piece to my local autopart store.

Taking it to those places would be worse than a dealer....unless you get VERY lucky. A Machine shop is a much better bet unless they are unreasonable on cost.
 
Being a machinist I remove a lot of broken bolts, the 1st thing I try is a center punch, now be careful, finesse is your friend, brute force is your enemy! Using a sharp center punch you will want to place it off center as far as you can without getting onto the thread itself. Tap it lightly straight on to make a center punch mark. Leaving the punch in the mark tip the head so when you tap on it it will unscrew the bolt. If it is going to come out easy it will start to unscrew, if not then go to a left hand drill bit, center punch the center and use a drill that is not to big, you are hoping that the torque of the drill will drive it out. If the left hand drill doesn't work try an easy out, be careful, if you break it off you are screwed, same with the drill bit! Again, finesse! Make sure you are as close to center as you can be in case you need to go to your last resort, drill it to the tap drill size or close to it and pray. The first way with a center punch works about 80% of the time for me, good luck!
 
I went to the dealer today and they said lose no sleep over this issue, I got a pair of bracket pins where the bold goes in for $18 and problem solved and brake job completed.
Now will go to bed the new pads/rotors ;D
imagejpg1_zps8f849c67.jpg

Thanks for your suggestions
 
oh, it was the slider pin bolt! I wouldn't waste time on that either.
I thought you meant the bolts that hold the caliper bracket to the spindle/hub.
 
Usually you lube the sliders and slide them in. Once the caliper is mounted, the caliper bolt holds it in place. The rubber boot kind of "holds" it in place as well, since the boot lip overlaps the bracket lip.
 
Just for future reference, a few more tips.

You can also use a small chisel in the same manner as the center punch on larger diameter fasteners.

Since most of these bolts are high strength steel if you have to drill to use an easy out go slow rpm and use lubricant.

Make sure your tooling is SHARP if you think it might be dull just replace it.

Try to stay as close to center and as straight as possible, use firm pressure but do not force it.

Do a little research because you need to use a certain size bit for each size extractor.

With longer bolts it helps to go deeper to help relieve pressure and make it come out easier, usually more than half way even though the extractor will not go that deep.
 

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