Friday, I was washing off my car so that I could go out that night. I just did a long polish/wax process the previous weekend, so the washing is extra easy now. Anyway, I was just finished drying off the whole thing and I was wiping off the tires with a rag when I saw it.....One of the calipers that I had just painted red a couple of weeks ago was more black than it should be. I bent down to inspect it, and saw that it was resting on the wheel! The top bolt of the caliper had vibrated right out, and the whole thing was just sitting there loose.

This was very scary for me, because I didn't know how long it had been like that. Anyway, needless to say, I could not drive it until I got that fixed. I was able to get the bolt Saturday morning. The cheapest place was the Stealership at $7.70.....yup, for one little one-inch-bolt. NAPA wanted like $18 for the same part. I have never heard of NAPA being more than the stealership. I guess the bolt is heat treated or something special for the brake. I don't know.

Anyway, the replacement was not difficult, it was just scary. 20 minutes and I was done and ready to drive it again.

Luckily, it didn't ride against my wheel too long because the inside of the wheel (behind the spokes) is just barely scraped up. I am so glad.

If I would have not painted my calipers, I probably wouldn't have noticed it when I did, and then I would have damaged something further. I mean, there could have been a couple of thousand dollars worth of damage had it gone on like that, not to mention if only one caliper it seated correctly, I would not be stopping like I should. I could have really been hurt.

Just thought I would share my experience with you guys.
Also, I think that was one of the reasons for the Raybestos QS squealing as they did. They are not really squealing anymore. I am just glad everything is okay.

 

so now that you had to replace the bolt did you torque the rest of them to spec so that they wouldn't do the same thing?

 

yeah, checked that.
I don't know why it did that anyway.
I always torque them down good.

 

is there cliff notes available for this?




j/k


glad to hear you're ok.

 

ha ha ha.
Sorry it was long.
I will put out an abridged version next time. ha ha

 

Are you talking about the caliper mounting bolts? The big ones? Or the guide pin bolts?

 

when i stripped my 12mm bolt off my caliper (not the regular one, but the one with the rubber), i went to nissan dealership and they charged $56 for the whole thing cuz it comes in a complete set. and that wasn't a good experience.

 

Good to hear that you got it fixed.

 

It was the smaller one...I think it is 12mm.
srythNot the large ones that take off the entire housing.....like 19mm or so.

It was the one that slides into the little rubber boot.

Thanks, 2k3TitaniumSe.

That sucks, happyricefob.

Bump.

 

That is a story to tell the kids. Gald to hear that it didn't get any worse than it did.

 

ha ha ha ha.
Good one takentomax.

 

If you haven't painted your calipers the bolt wouldn't have fallen off in the first place since I'm guessing you took them off the brackets to paint them. You just didn't tighten it enough.

 

Wow good to see you actually care hes still here. That can happen to anyone, regardless if it was negligence to tighten the bolt enough or it just slipped out.

Brudaddy: I guess your lucky you did paint those calipers. Glad to see you noticed it when you did. God forbid you had to stop in an emergency....

 

Actually, I put new pads in when I painted the calipers (functional and cosmetic), so don't try to pin this on what you might think is a useless mod.

Thanks, ant. I am glad I didn't have to stop in an emergency either.
I am just glad that it was nothing more than that.
I told the guy at the dealership about it and he said I am lucky that I didn't have that caliper go out or something with the brake line....that it would really have been expensive. Any I was complaining about a $7 screw. ha ha

 

Wow. WTF is wrong with all of you, that time of the month? I wasn't trying to say that you're some forgetful ahole that forgot to tighten the bolt, never blamed the calipers. All I was saying is that THERE is a good chance that's why the caliper came off. I have nothing against apinting calipers, painting mine soon, but how are they functional. Cosmetic yes, ugly *** rusted calipers look like crap.

 

They are functional because of why I posted this thread in the first place...if I would not have painted the calipers, I would not have probably noticed the caliper sitting in the right position. That is how they are functional.