How does one exactly bend a caliper bolt?

I really want to know.

In trying to formulate a game plan on getting my F250 rolling again for the least amount of cash outlay, I looked at the brakes I last did in 06, I think, today. I don't exactly remember the caliper bolt being bent, but it's bent. This might explain the occasional pull and overall crappiness to braking.

Good news is I still have to replace the whole steering linkage and the drivers upper ball joint, but I don't have to do that right now. Plus in better news, I must have wanted to do both uppers when I had the one fail on me because I have an extra I found cleaning out the interior yesterday. I probably should adjust the preload on the box and double check the steering shaft too while I am there.

Bolt or pin?

Bolt. Bent in the threaded portion going into the caliper bracket.

I had a shop bungle one of those for me once. Turns out they'd shot it back in there with an impact gun.

I don't seem to recall using an impact or air ratchet on these as I didn't have to use one to get them out.

possibly loosened??

I had one snap on the '91 when I swapped to cobra 13" fronts, because I was tired and forgot loctite.....

Was the other one loose a little?

Neither bolt was loose. but both were clearly hand tightened the last time vs an impact.

Is the caliper able to move radially on its mounting? It should be able to move side to side (duh) but not radially. If it can shift radially, then when you brake it could bend the bolt like that.

Tighten with a torque wrench if you wanna be sure but definitely don't tighten with an impact. That's just begging for problems.

@yamaha: do you usually use locktite on your caliper bolts? I don't. Actually I usually use a light touch of anti-seize. Just curious.

I found a couple of bent bolts on some honda civic calipers once. Never figured out why either. A really hard stop? Bolts a bit loose allowing movement?

Curmudgeon wrote: Is the caliper able to move radially on its mounting? It should be able to move side to side (duh) but not radially. If it can shift radially, then when you brake it could bend the bolt like that.

Short answer, no. Both bolts were tightened down. The other side bolts were tightened to the same degree and not bent.

dculberson wrote: Tighten with a torque wrench if you wanna be sure but definitely don't tighten with an impact. That's just begging for problems. @yamaha: do you usually use locktite on your caliper bolts? I don't. Actually I usually use a light touch of anti-seize. Just curious.

I only do on sho's using 94+ front knuckles......I never had to use it before I bought after that year. Since then, I've used it on the '99 sable, '97 sho, '95 sho, and now the '91(it uses 94-5 knuckles to make the cobra 13" pbr brake setup a literal bolt on upgrade)

IDK why, but even torquing those to spec(or slightly beyond) they'll still loosen and then snap if loctite isn't used. Nothing else I've ever owned has needed the same....

Oh and to answer another question I see being asked, I don't put anything on bolts and only caliper lube on where the caliper slides. I have always followed if it didn't come from the factory with it, it isn't needed, especially with brakes.

Pad wear could theoretically do it. As you wear the pad down unevenly, you can start a cocking force against the bolt. Enough wear, enough time, and you could gradually bend a caliper bolt.

And that (angled pad wear) could be due to wheel bearing issues?

I replaced the bolt from the USA Brake Parts kit from Advance, which actually says made in the USA too, for $6.30, after 15% code. Now I have 3 spares.

I really think the bolt might have been bent to begin with at the last pad and rotor change. But like everything I do, only vehicle at the time and the parts stores were all closed to boot.

Now, I just have to figure out which part is causing the brakes to feel like they have something on the pads and a crummy pedal height.