Now that I have the proper tools assembled, would you happen to have the torque spec for the caliper bolts handy? Should I put Loctite on them or the anchor plate bolts?
TIA.
Do NOT put Lotite on the caliper bolts. Torque spec for them is 26 lb-ft.
The official instructions for the anchor plate bolts say to discard the old bolts and use new ones. The bolts have some kind of one-time-use threadlocker already applied to the threads (I don’t know exactly what it is, I said “Loctite” to get the idea across). In practice, hardly anyone uses new bolts, but it would be wise to use some blue Loctite (see posts #8 & #9 above).
That’s not a very good description of the method known as;
It wasn’t meant to be - it was a joke, similar to “tighten it until it breaks and then tighten it a half turn less than that so it doesn’t break.”
I think I’ll stick with the torque wrench.
You need one either way, but the tightening method is chosen by the engineers and the specs reflect it. For example, it might either be “tighten to 100 lb-ft” OR “tighten to 75 lb-ft, then an additional 90 degrees.” It’s not something decided upon in the field.
Been there, done that!
They didn’t call us the “Bull Gang” cause we are all big dumb and ugly, even tho that is a very accurate description of the crew I was a part of for 32 years. (some were runts, ugly runts if you will).
New technology has us tightening 1-1/2" and up bolts with a 3/8" ratchet and 9/16" socket.:o
They are called "Super Bolts, or Multi-Jackbolt Tensioners.
Very expensive, but very nice to work with.
And there you go correctly describing “Turn of the nut/bolt method”:dubious:
WHOOSH!
Tighten it up till it starts to get loose then back off 1/4 turn. Or you can always follow the German torque spec. Gute and tight.
More commonly known as angle torque or torque to yield. IMHO this is the best way to tighten a fastener. It does not matter if the bolt is dirty, or if the hole is dirty, or if the bolt is lubed or not. You tighten the bolt to a set (low) torque and then a specified additional angle.
Connecting rods for example tighten to 20Nm (14.75 Ft lbs) and then an additional 90 degrees.
Just a bit. 
Na, that’s not nearly tight enough for our applications. We use the tighten it until it strips, and then back off 1/2 a turn method.
Slightly different than the method I mentioned above, but I actually use this method when installing break bolts. If you know where they’re going to break, and don’t reach that threshhold, that’s just about perfect.
Hey, I’m not dumb!
Those Superbolts are cool. We use them when we’re looking for just a bit more torque. For those that don’t want to go to the link, they have 12 quarter inch bolts in a pattern around the bolthead. The small bolts are threaded through the bolthead, and provide tension in the bolt by putting force between the bolthead and the washer. Neat stuff!
Upon preview of the rest of the thread, Rick covered most of that already.
So? How did it work out of you? I already had a 1/2" bar and had to go buy a 15mm socket for ti. Again, I had no luck. Thing is I’ve taken those bolts out before using just a standard wrench, well a standard wrench and a big rubber mallet. Next time someone else is doing it for me!
I ended up using the 1/2 breaker with a 1/2 -> 3/8 converter and a 3/8 15mm. Oh, and about a 3 foot cheater. They came off without any problem. They’re now good as new. Or at least as good as a computer nerd can get them.
Thanks to everyone for their help.
Getting the bolts really tight is NOT the reason for using a torque wrench. Over-tightening can be just as bad. An over tight bolt can be under too much stress and fail (break) under heat or load. An overly tightened bolt may also damage the part that it is holding, causing cracks and failure.
And the SAME amount of torque on each bolt is important. That’s impossible to judge by feel.
In my 30’ish years of shade-tree mechanics I’ve never had a bolt simply come loose, nor have I had a bolt break due to over-stress. I have however snapped wheel studs after someone else installed tires and cranked the damned things too tight. This has happened on two occasions and I’ve replaced the wheel studs myself without too much difficulty.
For most applications snugging the bolt up and relying upon judgement seems to have worked fine for the amount of torque.
Is a three foot cheater a purchased item? I tried extending my reach with a scrap piece of copper pipe; copper isn’t very strong.
Not that I know of (although it should be). I have a 3 foot section of iron pipe that I keep around for just such occasions.
I inherited a 98 Ford Taurus that I sold in 2006. We used to have ungodly issues with the front rotors warping. My dad kept buying the cheap rotors from autozone and it seems that in no time they would be warped again. Finally in frustration we broke down and asked a mechanics advice. According to him this was a known problem with Taurus’s of that year range. His recommendation was to shell out the extra money for high quality rotors, and make sure we tightened the lugnuts to the manufactures spec. That seemed to do the trick. Not sure if you are experiencing abnormal wear but thought I would throw in my experience.
Hmmm. We’ll see. At least I know that the lugnuts are torqued correctly.