That time I fought with a stuck caliper bolt for an hour

James Carter · 2026-03-25T11:05:05.418965+00:00

I used to just reef on them with a breaker bar and a six-point socket, you know, until one snapped flush in a 2015 F-150 last month. Now I always hit them with the induction heater for 30 seconds first, and they come right out. Anyone have a different method for those really seized ones?

king.lisa5mo ago

A lot of folks forget about the threads inside the hub. On my old Silverado, the caliper bolt came out fine, but the bracket bolts into the spindle were the real problem. They get packed with road grime and rust where you can't see. A good pick to clean those internal threads before you even try to turn the bolt can save a huge headache later.

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daniel_king865mo ago

I learned that lesson the hard way too.

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mason7984mo ago

Respectfully man, I see it different. @daniel_king86 I've had way more luck just hitting the back of the bolt with a hammer a few times before anything else. That vibration usually breaks the rust loose better than heat for me.

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