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97 Jetta caliper mounting bolts
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Devyn
New User
Oct 6, 2007, 9:47 AM
Post #1 of 4
(1667 views)
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97 Jetta caliper mounting bolts
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Hello,
Would anyone know if the bolts securing the caliper mouning on a 97 Jetta unscrew clockwise or counterclockwise? The bolts on mine are rusted up and won't budge in either direction.
Thanks,
Devyn
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 6, 2007, 2:51 PM
Post #2 of 4
(1660 views)
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Re: 97 Jetta caliper mounting bolts
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Don't get mad at me if I'm wrong but I've never seen caliper bolts reverse threaded. That mean CC to loosen.
Some tricks that may help: Use PB (power blaster) as a penetrating oil. Hammer on the bolt can help. Air tools (wrench) on weak power back and forth can rattle them free. Not sure exactly what you are looking at but some bolts from factory with have threadlock on them but will give way to force. If the rust is severe and the bolt rounds off find an SAE size - 6 point that is slightly too small and hammer it on the rounded bolt. (tool companies love you for that trick)........ VW did use reverse thread on left front wheel bearings adjuster nut a loooong time ago on the Beetle and others with the rear engine air cooled jobs.
Last resort is help with pin point high heat and if you don't use oxy-acet get help. Propane torch is near useless for this. Know that heat weakens things and in brakes those nuts, bolts if heated should be tossed for the exact right new ones - dealer if need be.
Avoid breaking it or you will find yourself using words that aren't nice!! These will be hardened bolts and you then need a real good drill (carbide) and a screw extractor. Again---Avoid having to learn that crap. You can blow a whole weekend with a broken bolt!
The areas where reverse threads are used most often are: Fans, blowers, some items that turn by belt and now rare but things on the left side of the car that spin.
Good luck,
T
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Devyn
New User
Oct 6, 2007, 9:33 PM
Post #3 of 4
(1657 views)
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Re: 97 Jetta caliper mounting bolts
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Tom, thanks for this.
I tried liquid wrench on the bolts as well as most of your suggestions before posting but they didn't work. I didn't apply heat or hammering a SAE key into the bolt yet. I would have to buy much of the tools you listed if I shear the head off the bolt.
The bolt securing the caliper mounting requires an allen key in my model. This is both a blessing and a curse since whereas it won't let you shear the head off the bolt, it's easier to round the bolt and any force applied on it seams to only tighten the bolt against the sides of the caliper mounting. (Otherwise the bolt is already round on the outside). The only thing I thought might work in this case is your suggestion below:
If the rust is severe and the bolt rounds off find an SAE size - 6 point that is slightly too small and hammer it on the rounded bolt. (tool companies love you for that trick)
At this point I have to weigh my odds. If I get stuck in the garage with a sheared bolt, I would then be paying for a tow truck to take it to a local shop. Your suggestions all look good to me however since I tried many ways to get the things off and all failed, these bolts are on tight. I'm going to take it to a local shop I know since the chances are too high I'm going to wind up in a situation where I have to pay more for all of this then it first looked if I continue.
Thanks,
Devyn
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 6, 2007, 11:29 PM
Post #4 of 4
(1656 views)
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Hi Devyn,
Rust S*cks! I live in a rust belt area and it's #1 at destroying cars. Takes two drawers of tools just to deal with off-size rounded off or out nuts, bolts of all sorts. In Allen head bolts it's the same thing - they round out and in those you can hammer in another size or the Torx (star head) Allen type or if space allows there are "stud" extractors that self tighten on even a polished round item. Bet I have a few hundred $$ in just little stuff for this crap!
Liquid Wrench is older than I am and it's basically kerosene and oil which was the staple for a hundred years. This PB product really can do more. Rust seems like you are losing metal and you are but in the mix it really is adding material thru this "oxidation" process. A real rust bucket of a car would weigh more than a rust free one till the weight of the parts that fall off get in the count! PB disolves the rust but nothing is perfect.
The last ditch is what I've called for decades is "THE BLUE WRENCH" which is the oxy-acetalene torch. It's "one size fits all" doesn't care about metric or SAE and when you get good at that it will remove things you barely recognize without breaking but remaining metal has been weakened by the high heat and that's just not safe for brakes, front end parts, suspension parts and elsewhere.
Taking it to a shop that simply MUST have the stuff to deal with this may actually cost you less in the long run. If you really want to do this yourself - just have them replace the bolts and go back to your job. Good parts stores should be able to get or have all these things in "hardware" kits for brakes that are the correct strength for their use. General hardware stores may not have this stuff in the correct grade and some of this stuff is specific to automotive use and not generic hardware.
Good luck with it,
T
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