| Author |
Message |
    
Devil_dog
| | Posted on Monday, May 03, 2010 - 03:46 pm: | 
|
Can anyone offer any advice on getting the front rotor off of a '99 X1? The 3/16 hex bolts don't want to budge and I have already sheered off the tip of one socket. I don't want to damage the wheel so I'm trying to take my time with it. I've been hitting the bolts with PB 'blaster but they just don't want to budge.
Any advice would be appreciated. |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 09:52 am: |
|
Pretty common...the best way to get them out is to get some 5/8" (thread) nuts and weld them to the tops of each bolt head. The heat helps melt away the threadlocker and corrosion, and you have something substantial to torque on. I've had to remove several pre-2000 rotors this way.
Al |
Blake
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 10:56 am: |
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I concur with Al. |
Devil_dog
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 11:09 am: |
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Thanks so much for the response. I've been wanting to buy a welder, now I have an excuse - Just need to convince my better half. Although, I may be better off paying someone do the welding for me since I do know a pipe-fitter...
(Message edited by devil_dog on May 04, 2010) |
Sparky
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 02:56 pm: |
|
Probably too late for this advice, but common practice is to heat the bolts with a propane torch before touching a tool to the bolts. As Al says, the heat softens the threadlocker and any corrosion, and makes chances to removing them without damage much better.
The other thing I'd offer is to use an impact driver, the kind you hit with a hammer, with the correct sized high quality bit to loosen those pesky bolts. |
Bluzm2
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 07:15 pm: |
|
One more note.
Use a flat punch that just fits inside the hex opening.
Give the bolt a whack, heat it up, hit it again, then try the wrench.
The hand impact driver works well for stuff like this.
The best solution is Al's advice.
I've done them both ways, Al's is much faster. But then, I have a mig welder....
Brad |
Dave
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 08:39 pm: |
|
The propane torch heating them worked for me along with an air gun. A long cheater bar on a breaker bar only wrung off torx bits.
Heat
Heat
Heat
DAve |
Devil_dog
| | Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2010 - 11:09 pm: |
|
turns out the pipe-fitter is unavailable for a while.
I tried heat with a MAP torch and an impact wrench but no luck. I might try again with hitting them with a punch but my brother in law offered to weld the nuts on for me so I might just go that route.
Thanks again for all the help. |
Devil_dog
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 04:23 pm: |
|
Success! Thanks to Jamie at Condor Welding in Norton, Ohio. I asked him to weld the nuts on. He did me one better buy removing the rotor.
Now I just have get it back together... |
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99 X1 Front Rotor bolts not coming loose