Viz

Typical, what a disaster ! , wanted to take the front discs off for some routine maintenance and both threads in the Brembo caliper stripped, managed to get it back together and caliper hanging in there sort of but need to have them rethreaded for a permanent fix.

So does anyone know a decent garage in SE London/ Kent area (Bromley) that can do this or is here a benevolant member that can sort this mess out , as car needed for work ?

Seems like this is a known issue with the Brembos.

Thanks in advance Viz

Viz

I can be contacted/ texted on 0780-110-4856 if anyone has any bright ideas.

Cheers Viz

D1CCY

Viz,

You can get these helicoiled. Just go to a decent specialist (garage will try to sell you new caliper), Scoobyclinic sorted mine (a front caliper) and a mates (rear caliper).

This problem seems to be quite common (alarming) and is due to rubbish/damaged OE bolts, steel bolt in alloy thread doesn't help. Perhaps Subaru should pay up regardless of warranty as this is not fit for purpose, depends how much you want a fight!

Viz

D1CCY,

thanks for the advice, I have just spoken to my local garage and they do not recommend Helicoils on a brake component and are talking about making a threaded steel insert, which sounds expensive, however having read alot of blurb about how strong Helicoils are I feel this is the best option for the cost involved. I've also considered Time-serts but they seem to be more expensive for little gain over helicoils.

I just need to find somewhere in the UK that sell these kits (drill, tap, tang tap & coils) then I'll give it a go myself, as i want to do all the calipers on the car eventually.

I'll have to give Scooby clinic a call and see how much they will charge. I'm currently having a few problem with the Subaru dealer who sold me this proven car and am quickly loosing the will to live.

Thanks again

Viz

D1CCY,

Just a thought, to prevent the bolts in the Brembos from ceasing, should I use some copper ease/ slip stuff ?

Thanks

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Not sure about Copper slip, given that the calipers are alloy, you could get electrochemical corrosion.

Try and source some stuff with aluminium in it. My lad used to get it for me when he worked for a company welding up alloy lorry trailers.

Alcazar

CDF Racing

iTrader: (49)

Hi,


I can helicoil them or steel insert them. Helicoil would be the cheaper option

Chris

D1CCY

Nothing wrong with helicoils, just as strong as original thread, nothing to worry about. Also remember that the load on the bolts is sideways and not trying to pull bolt out. OE torque is 114 ft-lb front but Alyn at ASPerformance reckons this is excessive and recomends 75 ft-lb which is what I use, 49 ft-lb for rear. I reassemble caliper bolts with medium strength loctite which is easy to undo when required in future and seals the threads from corrosion.

ian10

As above helicoils are fine to use and are in most cases stronger than the original thread. I work in the areospace industry and it comman practise to use these on new threads, as some also have "anti vibration characistics" to stop them coming loose.
these kits are readily available at a engineers merchants for about £25 per kit. possible supliers K Suplies , Marwill, Key, Buck & hickman.
I'm not sure what thread, and pitch the standard bolt is though
To use copper slip or a anti seizure compound will cause no issues.
make sure when you use the tapping drill and tap they are "square" to the existing hole, and use a cutting compound.

Viz

Thanks for all the good advice and tips, expecially around the torque settings. I'm happy to give this a go myself just need to sort out the cutting compound, any recommendations/ suppliers on that one ?

What I have found out so far from this posting, your tips & other sites;

1) Bembo Capliers tend to be over torqued from the factory
2) It is common for these to strip threads but Helicoils are a good fix
3) Helicoil/tap will need to be M10 x 1.5 pitch, complete kits & good advice available from WTI Fasteners - manufacturers of helical wire thread inserts, thread repair kits, taps, typically £35
4) Other sites recommend using new caliper bolts, but OE expensive at £5+Vat each, locking washers ok to re-use
5) Copper ease ok to use during re-assembly
6) Medium locktite ok to use - no problems with disassembly
7) Specialist for 1 caplier, up to 5 hours labour & parts
8) Subaru dealer would prefer to sell you new caliper
9) Front & rear calipers equally likely to strip threads

Good stuff, thanks
Viz

ian10

the most coman cutting compound is Rocol again from a local engineering supliers.
The best thing to use on alluminiun is Parafin (the liquid used on heaters or lights), you can get this from camping equipment shops

DannyBoy007

iTrader: (7)

I just paid £35 per bolt to have them helicoiled by a company in Scotland,

SPEN555

I had this problem last year or the year before.

It does seem to be a design fault as when I posted on NASIOC website there were a number of people had the same problem.

Still look to be the same on the 2008 car! Hope they are better made.

Just noticed the add at the bottom of this thread

Chelspeed

> 5) Copper ease ok to use during re-assembly
> 6) Medium locktite ok to use - no problems with disassembly

But one or the other, not both. Loctite needs a clean dry thread to grip to so if you copperslip it then the loctite won't. Personally I loctite caliper bolts and copperslip almost everything else.

D1CCY

10) OE bolts are made of putty.

One I tried to get out of a mates car was seized and I broke the head off with not much effort. SC sorted it out in the end and used a new high tensile bolt to replace. Who quoted 5 hours labour? Caliper has to come off car so it can be drilled straight so brakes need bleeding (think of it as an opportunity for a brake fluid change) after but it still wont take anything like that long.

Viz

I have found a local engineering firm in Biggin Hill, Kent that not only use helicoils in cars but in aircraft as well racing cars and have been doing their thing for 60+ years.
I discussed the pros and cons (tensile strength, pemanancy of helicoils, time-serts, alternatives, etc) with the owner and given that he has done the same on his Brembos for the same reason, I'm convinced that Helicoil are they way to go. Cost wise, we are talking about £20/ for a 1 off or a deal on more sounds the least hassle route to take as they are just up the road, furthermore I have used these guys in the past to skim heads, re-grind valve seats, etc and the quality of their workmanship is extremely good, they know their stuff.

One last point, I mentioned that the Brembo bolts were M10 x 1.5 pitch, I was wrong , having paid a small fortune for OE bolts today, and I can now clear this up, they are in fact M12 x 1.5 pitch by 45mm overall length of which the head is 8mm, the thread is 37mm and only the last 30mm of the thread is threaded. OE part number is; 901120103 for my STI type UK MY02, label says "Bolt Assy 12x37".

Once again thanks to all for the advice, opinions & guidance.

Viz

P.S - Not sure if I can publicise the phone number/ company so PM me if anyone wants details.