Getting a brake off

[garethp]

Thought I'd just throw into this argument that with *most* torque wrenches I've seen, the manual explicitly says they are not to be used to undo bolts as this can damage the torque wrench.
You need a breaker bar for that

 

[mickle]

A torque wrench doesn't deliver any more torque than does a regular Alen key of the same length.

Take it back to the effing shop Joe. It's still covered by warranty.

 

[Rob S]

Dear oh dear....don't bother trying to turn the brake nut...take your wheel out, loosen the cable, and turn the caliper as much as you can...I expect at some point some part of it will touch the frame and prevent you turning it further, though this should've allowed you at least a couple of millimeteres of thravel along the thread of the fixing bolt. Put a bit of wood on the front of the caliper and hit the front of the wood covered caliper with a hammer, this will no doubt seperate the nut from its hole enough. If you don't have a hammer hit the wood with a torque wrench. The most effort you will need to expend is take the fork out of the frame and then turn the caliper.

 

[Joe24]

A torque wrench doesn't deliver any more torque than does a regular Alen key of the same length.

Take it back to the effing shop Joe. It's still covered by warranty.

I have done, he tried to get it off, but he said he would need to cut it off.
So, i was just going to do it myself.
I tried using a socket set to get it off, person in the club had some good allen keys with long handles, and it wouldnt budge.
The brake has been stuck on for a while, just wont budge, and if i put more preassure on then it will be completely rounded off.
So, it is a good idea to cut it off? Angle grinder(oooooh yeh) is on hand if i need it.
Guy in bike shop told me if i drill it out then to be careful because theres some step thing in the fork where the nut thingy goes, and i dont want to be drilling through that.
So which should i do first? Try drilling it off first or cutting it the wacking it? The nut really cannot be turned.

 

[Rob S]

So which should i do first? Try drilling it off first or cutting it the wacking it? The nut really cannot be turned.

Jesus Christ! You do neither. You unscrew the caliper. If you are lucky you will be able to unscrew it all the way without knocking or marking the head tube..but if you are not then you'll just have to take the fork off the frame first. Then you tap the wood and caliper combo with a hammer to push the nut out of the fork.

 

[Joe24]

Jesus Christ! You do neither. You unscrew the caliper. If you are lucky you will be able to unscrew it all the way without knocking or marking the head tube..but if you are not then you'll just have to take the fork off the frame first. Then you tap the wood and caliper combo with a hammer to push the nut out of the fork.

I dont get how this will work, when its stuck on

 

[Rob S]

The nut is seized in the fork, that does not mean that the caliper's fixing bolt is seized in the nut. So unscrew the caliper by hand, leaving the nut in the fork. Before you remove the caliper fully tap the front of it with a hammer (and wood) to push the nut out the back of the fork. And it does work as I have done it myself.

 

[mickle]

Take it back to the shop Joe FFS. It's still covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

 

[Rob S]

In all honesty...it's one thing to ask a 'numpty question' on a forum about something you haven't fully thought through first..or suggest using an angle grinder or a torque wrench etc when nobody really knows who you are....but to go down to a bike shop and try and claim on a manufacturers warranty over this is ridiculous and frankly embarassing (even more so if it flumuxed the LBS mechanic who clearly couldn't see the wood for the trees either). Because there will be times in the future when things need just a bit of common sense and you can't rely on even the nanny state like of manufacturers to rid you of your bolt seized to fork quandries on your X year old winter bike.

Just turn the caliper!

Or is this just a mechanics based version of Mornington Crescent and I've been had!??

 

[spandex]

Rob you do know that Joe24 is 16 years old don't you!!!!

 

[fossyant]

Joe - back to shop - warrenty - you might just bugger it up....

If the bike is that new, stuff shouldn't stick (well it does sometimes). Part of the reason I grease/coppa slip any new parts, or indeed strip and re-build a new bike.

 

[Rob S]

Joe - back to shop - warrenty - you might just bugger it up....

If the bike is that new, stuff shouldn't stick (well it does sometimes). Part of the reason I grease/coppa slip any new parts, or indeed strip and re-build a new bike.

These things can happen, sure you grease the caliper's fixing bolt but sometimes you don't bother greasing the outside edge of the countersunk section of the bolt. You ride around on the bike for a half winter, need to take the caliper off for some reason, take an allen key to the bolt which is no doubt half full of dust and dried winter crap, the key doesn't go in all the way and you round off the hex sides of the socket. Naturally because eveyone installs a caliper by putting it through the fork, holding it still with the left and and tightening the the nut with the right hand they think that the only way to uninstall it is to do the same in reverse and that if for some reason the nut is seized in the fork your mission is to unseize the nut whilst the caliper is still in the fork. For the what, fifth time? Unscrew the caliper, once it's out a centimetre tap the protected front of it with a hammer to get the bolt out....if the caliper is a particularly good looking one use an old caliper or even a screwdriver. Problem solved, you don't need an angle grinder, you don't need to rely on a warranty you'll even be able to use the same nut again if you didn't totally round it off, just clean the sunken surface with a wire brush or sandpaper and use more grease next time. Blimey!

 

[Joe24]

Bike isnt that new, its over a year old and done just over 7000miles.
I have never taking the bolt out, so it will be left in from when the shop first put it in.
Ill give your idea a go though Rob. The brake is a no-brand thing.
Its not really a numpty question, i was just seeing if my ideas would be ok, and other people have said to do the same thing.
I have infact sorted the back brake out before myself, and was just going to do the same to the front one.
Oh, you cant take the calliper appart either. None of the bolts turn(yes, i have taken out the little screws that stop the bolts from turning) so i cant take it appart.
And i would get some satisfaction from using an angle grinder

 

[Rob S]

OK, well even if it is a pile of no name crap that is broken, unrepairable and you'll never use again I still wouldn't use an angle grinder on it whilst it's still in the fork as you'll cut off the only thing that will give you the leverage to get the caliper off if you foul it up and you might slip and scratch your frame. Stick it in a vice after the removal, grind it away and post the pics!! lol