Caliper bolt fell out: HELP

[PahlMc]

I recently installed a Dana 30 with ARB and chromo axles. Took it to Big bear and had a blast. Jump underneath tonight and notice the lower caliper bolt on the passenger side is missing! No clue how long.

Bought a new bolt, go to thread it in and the threads are so loose I can't really get it to tighten. So, other than buying a new spindle, do I have options? Drill and some kind of heli coil? Weld drill and tap? Sell my XJ and take up sailing?

 

[sandsgg]

Turn The Heep Into A Sailboat............ftw

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Find the correct Heli-Coil for the current bolt.. that way you can drill it out to the specified size on the package, Insert the helicoil, and re-use the original bolts.. Pretty easy..

Go ahead and take the knuckle off tho.. :wave1:

 

[Digger87xj]

Yep, heli-coil or the like.

No need to pull the knuckle though. That's a lot of unneeded work.

 

[Tim_MN]

Heli-coil, and you can do it with the knuckle on the axle.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

when I'm drilling a hole.. I prefer to be looking straight on with it.. not pulling the drill bit towards me..

 

[kastein]

Threads are M8x1.25 iirc, it's definitely an M8. Most parts stores have the right kit... what year XJ? That info I gave is good for 90/91 and later 4x4, unsure about 4x2 or 89-down.

Drill it out, tap it with the oversize tap they include, thread the helicoil in, reassemble, forget about it.

 

[Hypoid]

Its a pile! I'll give you fiddy bucks for it....


I keed, I keed!

 

[PahlMc]

So I failed I guess. Did a ton of research and fun it's 8m 1.25 thread. Buy heli kit. I have an extensive tap and die kit from my desert racing days but figure the kit will save me headaches.

Drill 1/64 less than they say from experience. Hand held drills are inaccurate. Then try the tap. WTF how does one get to this spot????? The axle is on the way, you get 70 degrees of turn!

An hour later the tap is not working from either side. Should be a 20 minute project after the tire is off. I ghetto rig the coil in place and called it good...so mad tonight. Good enough for now, I've been driving without a bolt for two weeks.

This axle sucks. I sold a 100% perfect axle with LSD and bought a shitty axle with ARB. The locker is soooo worth it but damn I hate small issue.

I have a pinion leak, a pass axle seal leak, and a caliper bolt that fell out along with a pass side upper control arm bushing I had to tack in place and stress out.

Still easier and cheaper than my race car !

 

[rockclimber]

http://shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=Knuckle+saver

 

[PahlMc]

http://shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=Knuckle+saver

Other than the part where tapping the spindle is impossible (or I am retarded). I've tapped a few things in my life (pun intended). Time for a sail boat.

 

[rockclimber]

Other than the part where tapping the spindle is impossible (or I am retarded). I've tapped a few things in my life (pun intended). Time for a sail boat.

I'm on my phone so I didn't read your whole thread. But if you follow the instructions for the knuckle saver kit it should help you.

You may have to pull the knuckle to do it.

 

[dakotaguy1999]

I had to do this the last time I did a brake job on my '98 XJ. I ended up drilling the knuckle (from the back side) and installing a heli-coil. Didn't take me long once I got the right stuff to do it...maybe 30 mins. Just take your time and be careful.

 

[5-90]

I recently installed a Dana 30 with ARB and chromo axles. Took it to Big bear and had a blast. Jump underneath tonight and notice the lower caliper bolt on the passenger side is missing! No clue how long.

Bought a new bolt, go to thread it in and the threads are so loose I can't really get it to tighten. So, other than buying a new spindle, do I have options? Drill and some kind of heli coil? Weld drill and tap? Sell my XJ and take up sailing?

Heli-Coil works fine - suggest you use a drill press, instead of doing it with a hand drill. But, I've done a couple for people, and I haven't had any complaints (last one was five or six years ago...)