# Brake Caliper Bracket Bolts



## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

I reused the old bolts with loctite. No issues so far and it’s been 20,000 miles. I don’t see any reason they need to be TTY but what do I know I’m not the engineer.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Reading somewhere (perhaps it was the second thread I linked to), you're able to use a shorter bolt by doing TTY with a torque + angle spec, vs a longer bolt and just a solid torque spec...so...cost savings.

My Cobalt, for comparison is torqued to 85 ft-lbs and do not need to be replaced.

If it was the 74 ft-lbs + Angle the gas car calls for, I wouldn't be as apprehensive about reusing them, but the diesel bolts are torqued to 111 ft-lbs + Angle, and that's a bit more torque (albeit on a larger bolt).


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Have you tried joining a Verano forum and asking some of these questions? It is possible they have already figured it out. Now for an engineering viewpoint, if the bolts are torqued to spec, they should yield (stretch) some. If that is the case, when you reuse them, they are already malformed and you loose any type of warranty if you had any. Aside from warranty, if they fail and your insurance company finds out you reused TTY bolts, they will not cover the damage due to a failure in the system caused by reusing them.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

I just looked up the Verano (which uses the exact same brakes) procedure in "Auto Repair Source" and it does not mention replacing the bolts - the torque spec/angle is the same.

My buddy just looked the procedure up in the service manual - it does not state that they need to be replaced. But then why do other manuals say they do?


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

If they are TTY bolts, they should be replaced. Who said they were TTY? That should answer the question as to why.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Well generally torque + angle implies that.

But if the GM service manual - aka, the procedure the dealer would use - does not say to replace them, then that's where the confusion comes in - but IMO, if that's what GM says, then they do not need to be replaced.

If they were ~$20 for all four, it would be no question, but honestly, I'd expect all four to be nearly $100...plan right now is to reuse them, torque them to spec, then go to the low end of the angle, with a very small dab of loctite on there (the stock threads come with loctite in them). I will re-check the torque in a couple hundred miles.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Blasirl said:


> If they are TTY bolts, they should be replaced. Who said they were TTY? That should answer the question as to why.


Straight from the repair manual;

Step 6: Remove and DISCARD the brake caliper bracket bolts (1).


Step 8: Install NEW brake caliper bracket bolts (1) and tighten a first pass to _100 N·m (74 lb ft)_.

Step 9:


WARNINGWarning
Refer to Torque-to-Yield Fastener Warning.

Tighten the NEW brake caliper bracket bolts a final pass to an additional _60 - 75 degrees_, using the _EN-45059meter._


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

That is for the gas, at least.

My buddy did not see any mention of "new bolts" in the GM service manual when he looked at the procedure. Moreover, there didn't seem to be a mention of replacing the Verano bolts online when I am pretty sure it uses the exact same bolts (the pads and rotors and likely the bracket are the exact same).


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

MP81 said:


> That is for the gas, at least.
> 
> My buddy did not see any mention of "new bolts" in the GM service manual when he looked at the procedure. Moreover, there didn't seem to be a mention of replacing the Verano bolts online when I am pretty sure it uses the exact same bolts (the pads and rotors and likely the bracket are the exact same).


if you like I could check my torque on the caliper bolts since Ive reused my bolts with loctite. This could confirm they don’t need to be replaced If the torque hasn’t changed in 20,000 miles.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

If it's not too much trouble, that would be great.

Even the gas bolts are pretty large, so I don't expect them really to loosen up. The diesels are absolutely enormous.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

MP81 said:


> If it's not too much trouble, that would be great.
> 
> Even the gas bolts are pretty large, so I don't expect them really to loosen up. The diesels are absolutely enormous.


yeah I’ll reply back later today. I’ll check all 4 bolts.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Fantastic, thanks!


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Maqcro1 said:


> Straight from the repair manual;
> <snip>
> Tighten the NEW brake caliper bracket bolts a final pass to an additional _60 - 75 degrees_, using the _EN-45059meter._


Which manual was that? The Haynes hardcopy and Chiltons hardcopy and on-line all say 15-30 degrees (for the diesel; 20-30 for gas). 

Doug

.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

If I have read correctly, GM did not say they were TTY, so reuse away. And as for "the repair manual; " whose manual, GM's?


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

plano-doug said:


> Which manual was that? The Haynes hardcopy and Chiltons hardcopy and on-line all say 15-30 degrees (for the diesel; 20-30 for gas).
> 
> Doug
> 
> .


Online Chilton manual


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Maqcro1 said:


> Tighten the NEW brake caliper bracket bolts a final pass to an additional _60 - 75 degrees_, using the _EN-45059meter._
> ...
> Online Chilton manual


Hmmm...I'm stumped. I see 15-30. I don't know where we diverged. I selected 2015, since the gen1 diesel was only available in 2014 and 2015.

Then, under Brakes,
__selected Disc Brakes,
__then Removal, Installation, and Replacement,
__then Front Brake Caliper Bracket Replacement (16 inch Brake System J60)

How did you go down the tree? Seems like, I've been on a site where diesel was selected with the model, but here, that word doesn't come up under brakes, altho I've seen it under engine, as I recall.

Doug

.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

MP81 said:


> Fantastic, thanks!


Heres my results;

brake and rotors replaced about 20k miles ago and torqued to 74ft lbs and then turned another aprox 1/8 turn.

checked torque today and got the following;

driver top 63
driver bottom 65
passenger top 72
passenger bottom 77

driver side seems to have loosened quite a bit. I’ll be ordering new bolts and throwing the old ones away.


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## NHRA (Oct 12, 2014)

use blue lock tite on the bolts


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

I have always reused the bracket bolts on all my cars. I do occasionally replace the caliper guide pins. You can get the maintenance kit with new pins, boots and abutment clips for like 10 bucks on Rock Auto.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

BDCCruze said:


> I have always reused the bracket bolts on all my cars. I do occasionally replace the caliper guide pins. You can get the maintenance kit with new pins, boots and abutment clips for like 10 bucks on Rock Auto.


Normally I am the same way - but in general, most of those bracket bolts (in the past) haven't been TTY. I just did my brother's '01 Century hub/wheel bearing assembly today, and the caliper bracket bolts get torqued to 133 ft-lbs, but are not TTY and thus were something I reused. The Cruze's _are_ TTY, but the GM service manual does not mention replacement (though all the online guides do seem to). That's where it got kind of odd...but I agree with you - on anything else with a caliper bracket, I've just reused them, since they're not specifically TTY.


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## daveo12 (Feb 25, 2015)

Sorry for reviving a months old thread, but I am replacing front rotors on my 2012 Eco now and may have some info to add to the discussion. When I was removing the bracket bolts I thought they felt a bit odd since they did not come loose right away after breaking them free so I did some research and came to conclusion that they MAY be TTY bolts, but nothing conclusive and nothing from GM anywhere I could find. Then I went to parts counter at local Chevy dealer and parts guy had a difficult time finding them on the hub diagrams and then came up with zero inventory. He said if they were TTY and required replacement there would be a note in his parts catalog. And he confirmed my thought that if he had no inventory then the dealer service guys aren't replacing them either. 

Since I can't even get the four bolts I need (without ordering) I'm going to go ahead and reuse. I guess I'll just keep an eye on them.


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

daveo12 said:


> Sorry for reviving a months old thread, but I am replacing front rotors on my 2012 Eco now and may have some info to add to the discussion. When I was removing the bracket bolts I thought they felt a bit odd since they did not come loose right away after breaking them free so I did some research and came to conclusion that they MAY be TTY bolts, but nothing conclusive and nothing from GM anywhere I could find. Then I went to parts counter at local Chevy dealer and parts guy had a difficult time finding them on the hub diagrams and then came up with zero inventory. He said if they were TTY and required replacement there would be a note in his parts catalog. And he confirmed my thought that if he had no inventory then the dealer service guys aren't replacing them either.
> 
> Since I can't even get the four bolts I need (without ordering) I'm going to go ahead and reuse. I guess I'll just keep an eye on them.


The only info I have on these bolts is the part number on Rockauto, Carlson H849 (for the fronts on my 2013 Cruze LS gas). I looked on 5 different on-line GM parts websites, and couldn't find caliper bracket bolts. SMH.

Maybe someone who has gotten some at the Chevy parts counter can share the GM p/n here.

You'd think, since the bolts are supposed to be replaced, that the on-line GM vendors would list them.

If I was re-using the old ones, I'd use blue Loctite and apply 80-85 ft-lbs of torque.

Doug

.


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

I say baloney. I re-used all my bracket bolts. When I had my 2012 LT, I did the first brake and rotor job at about 98k approx. 2 years from purchase date. I had that Cruze until 195k, and no issues with the brackets or bolts. Then I had my 2017 hatch, and did the brakes and rotors about 90k, again with no issues, and then the car was totaled at 140k.


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## daveo12 (Feb 25, 2015)

plano-doug said:


> If I was re-using the old ones, I'd use blue Loctite and apply 80-85 ft-lbs of torque.
> 
> Doug
> 
> .


Yep, that's exactly what I did, thanks!


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