Can’t break my caliper bolts loose

ScoobyCarolanNC

Active Member
Hey y’all. Tried changing my axle shafts this weekend & I couldn’t frack my caliper bolts. They’re still fresh from the factory. I have the latest Milwaukee 1/2 impact with a 5amp fully charged battery. No dice. I PB Blasted the shit out of them twice, no dice. Breaker bar, no dice. I don’t have a torch or I might have went there.

Any other ideas before I have to call an axle shop to do it?
 
Pick up a propane blowtorch for 20-30 bucks. Heat the head, enough that you would burn the shit out of your hand if you touched it but not enough to glow, don’t burn the rubber, if heat alone doesn’t do it heat then pb blast the hot bolt then heat again. Also tighten then loosen to break stuck threads, go back and forth a few times. And nothing beats a breaker bar with a pipe on it, don’t snap the bolt, you should be able to feel they point before the bolt breaks that’s like “oh... that doesn’t feel right” don’t push it past that point.


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sipafz

Caught the Bug
Hey y’all. Tried changing my axle shafts this weekend & I couldn’t frack my caliper bolts. They’re still fresh from the factory. I have the latest Milwaukee 1/2 impact with a 5amp fully charged battery. No dice. I PB Blasted the shit out of them twice, no dice. Breaker bar, no dice. I don’t have a torch or I might have went there.

Any other ideas before I have to call an axle shop to do it?

Heat will help. The bolts have loctite on them. Try to heat the area where the threads are to melt the cured loctite and expand the threaded hole.
 

ScoobyCarolanNC

Active Member
Well, I guess I had that coming lol. I didn’t think about heating aluminum JL knuckles maybe being a problem vs JK. Seriously, no other ideas? I don’t have a cheater bar for my breaker, maybe I’ll get one & try again.
 

jdofmemi

Active Member
Do you own a jack other than a bottle jack? If so, you have a cheater pipe.

Then be sure to put your purse down and use both hands🤣🤣
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
Well, I guess I had that coming lol. I didn’t think about heating aluminum JL knuckles maybe being a problem vs JK. Seriously, no other ideas? I don’t have a cheater bar for my breaker, maybe I’ll get one & try again.

High lift handle over a ratchet or use two wrenches.
IMG_9628.jpg


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Last edited:

jesse3638

Hooked
Not sure what the big difference is between the JK and JL but my JK caliper bolts didn't stand a chance against my 24" breaker bar. Broke free and came right out.

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piginajeep

The Original Smartass
Not sure what the big difference is between the JK and JL but my JK caliper bolts didn't stand a chance against my 24" breaker bar. Broke free and came right out.

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I can tell you JL bolts are tight as hell. I could barely break control arm bolts loose with a big ass breaker bar.


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jdofmemi

Active Member
I can tell you JL bolts are tight as hell. I could barely break control arm bolts loose with a big ass breaker bar.


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This is true, I had to double wrench nearly everything when I worked on the JL.

Don't have to worry with that one anymore though.
 
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