Welcome to the site! I would suggest penetrating oil, or heat to break it loose. We'll see what other members recommend as well.

 

i would say use penetrating oil. spray it let it sit a min or two then spray it again. u gotta let the stuff work.

 

When you write 'stripped' do you mean the bolt came out in one piece but the threads are damaged? Or did the bolt break off in the caliper hanger?

I've never had either of these happen. The bolts are tight but should never be that tight. If they seem to be so, be sure you are turning them in the right direction since you are loosening them from the back of the bolt.

For those that remain, try a penetrating oil like PB Blaster (there are others) shot between the disc and the caliper hanger to get to the hole. Give it 15 minutes to work, then try to release the bolt. If that doesn't give, then try heat from a propane torch.

If the bolt broke off in the hanger, you will have to remove the disc (and bearings) to access the hole in the caliper hanger to drill and easy out the remainder. Penetrating oil and heat is used here as well.

Not a bad idea to remove those bolts every year or so when you inspect brakes, clean them up with solvent to free the sleeves, then lubricate them well with high temp silicone grease and reinstall. This is also what allows the caliper to slide freely.

 

lefty loosey, righty tighty! lol

 

if you stripped the head of the bolt get a two vise grips, put one on the stripped bolt head and use the other to tighten the vise grip as tight as you can go then try to break it loose that way( use penetrating oil first)

I use this method to get out stripped oil drain pugs

 

Always use heat to soften the "Loc Tite" !! Many get crazy over tightening them they should be torqued to 25lbs using lock tight. If in fact you have ruined the threads go to any decent auto supply and buy replacement bolts for stripped threads they will cut a new thread and save the day.

Phil

 

Thanks everyone for the replys.

After working four hours straight I finally got all four caliber bolts out. Everyone of them I had to heat, beat, spray. I never had such a time with brakes in all my life.

I had to buy4 new caliber bolts. Cause the only way I could get these suckers out was putting vise grips on the bolt by the rubber seal and beating with hammer while heating with flame. Who ever worked on these brakes before must of used supper glue instead of lock tight.

At lease the new caliber bolts have bolt heads instead of those dam star crap heads.

The front brakes are all done and after I rest up and calm down I will tackle the rears.

 

oh man i hate those "torx" bolts or what ever they're called. my grandpa had those on his '90 gmc safari when i did the brakes on it. it was stupid. he blew up the engine like 4 months after that too. he said he had the oil changed that day so i didn't check it. i probobly shoulda looked any way. i hate it when people take advantage of old folks

 

One Suggestion----I just recently did that to my 02 silverado those torx bolts were hell and once removed I took a bolt to a hardware store and bought 4 hardened bolts (black ones) with 21 mm heads the next time it will be easier....Just my 2 cents

MAKE SURE YOU USE LOC TITE AGAIN i LOST ONE OF MY REAR BOLTS ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER AFTER CHANGING THEM AND THE FRONT WAS STARTING TO LOOSEN

 

What size are the torx bolts, T55 ???

 

One Suggestion----I just recently did that to my 02 silverado those torx bolts were hell and once removed I took a bolt to a hardware store and bought 4 hardened bolts (black ones) with 21 mm heads the next time it will be easier....Just my 2 cents

MAKE SURE YOU USE LOC TITE AGAIN i LOST ONE OF MY REAR BOLTS ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER AFTER CHANGING THEM AND THE FRONT WAS STARTING TO LOOSEN

I dont know how you guys are tightening the bolts but i have never had one come loose and never used lock tite just slam them down with the air racket and and give it a good extra snug

 

You guys are scaring me suggesting using a propane torch on the calipers! If you do that, you seriously risk scorching the brake fluid inside the caliper, melting the dust boot around the pistons and the brake hose!
Loctite is ok, but DO NOT use the red or next brake job you will have the same problem again. Use either the blue or green. Personally, I have never used any loctite, just snug the bolts down good...that will suffice! I've done close to 300 brake jobs and have never used any loctite...never had any comebacks for loose caliper bolts either!

 

You guys are scaring me suggesting using a propane torch on the calipers! If you do that, you seriously risk scorching the brake fluid inside the caliper, melting the dust boot around the pistons and the brake hose!
Loctite is ok, but DO NOT use the red or next brake job you will have the same problem again. Use either the blue or green. Personally, I have never used any loctite, just snug the bolts down good...that will suffice! I've done close to 300 brake jobs and have never used any loctite...never had any comebacks for loose caliper bolts either!

Never used the stuff on any brakes before either and never will. Didn't have a choice in using the torch. Those bolts would not break loose. I was careful on putting the flame around the area that held the bolt head.
Thank goodness I didnt have any problems with the back brakes when I changed them. They had
regular bolt heads not those dang star bolts.

 

on my '99 silverado, the first brake job i did i ran into a problem right off the bat. the guy that had it before me for some reason decided to spot weld one of the bolts in place. needless to say i ended having to replace the caliper hanger. the only way to do that was to buy load calipers which ended up being easier than grinding and drilling out the bolt

 

I know this is an old thread, but figured I'd add my 2 cents to the "disappearing bolt" comments.

I have never had the Torx bolts come loose.

I did my brakes in college and managed to lose so many of the bolts holding the caliper brackets on my truck wouldn't move when I got out from church. The calipers had laid down on the rims and bound. I had to leave the truck there for a week until I could get the bolts from a junkyard. They were EXPENSIVE from a dealer or hardware store and basic auto parts store didn't carry them.

It pays to invest in the proper tools...