I’ve been drilling away for quite a while now and still no pop.

when i have done it it has been easy, big drill bit, rip the top off then mole grips, drill, etc to remove whats left.

overnight soak in wd40 first

In the past I have just taken a saw and cut a groove into the top (assuming the cleats have become disposable) and then use a screw driver to undo the bolts.

Drilling hardened metal (bolts):

* Sharp good quality bit
* Go SLOW with reasonable pressure
* Lubricate… any oil
* Stop, then add more lube and let things cool before carrying on

If you just zip at it full speed with a crappy bit and no lube, the bit will heat up too much and destroy itself, and you won’t get anywhere… you’ll just be making things hot.

Like nikk said Mikey.

mrmo was right, not a big enough bit, nyik nyik, fnarr fnarr

Fancy drilling out a snapped rotor bolt? 👿

i did four bolts in less than a minute i suspect, although i used a carbide drill on an old* pin drill.

*they don’t make em like they used to.

In’t the best thing for rotor bolts, to hammer a torx bit into the wrecked rotor bolt then take it out that way?

nikk has it.

Not this one 😳

Shimano use a hard steel bolt, but Crank Bros use stainless steel cheese.
Since they both use M5 countersunk, I use Shimano bolts by choice and always use Copaslip.

PaulD

Crank bros are nigh on impossible to drill out.

There you go…proof that stainless is too soft for the Allen Key but too tough when it needs to be drilled out.
Perfect material selection and engineering yet again by CB.
If they insist on stainless they should use torx.

PaulD

i used one of those reverse thread screw extractor drill bits on mine. did the job, though almost broke my wrist when it first engaged. 😆

You an also cut a slot in the bolt head and use a screw driver to unscrew the bolt!

I tend to go with the cut a slot in the bolt with a dremel cutting wheel then use a flat screwdriver attachment on a socket drive to get the bolt out. you can get much more leverage than using a screwdriver on it’s own.

Drilled the head off a CB bolt at the weekend with no dramas at all.

Did have a minor faff removing the threaded stub but the whole job took 5 mins tops.

I’ve used up £20 worth of 2mm-3mm HSS / Ti drill bits to get a snapped Shimano rotor bolt out, slow drill, oiled but rotor bolt does not want to be drilled. have tried a 1.5mm bit but snappe dand my drill wont take a 1mm. Bolt snapped off 1mm below hub so cant really cut a slot, was loctited in although its since had lots of penetrating fluid/ oil.

Any ideas?

I would use the hub with 5 bolts….but then I am light and do mostly XC.

I have Hope hubs with 3-bolt rotors and there are plenty of earlier examples of 4 and 5 bolt hubs.

Peaty has been known to use 3x Ti bolts on a rear hub for DH racing.

None of the above is a guarantee you will not die.

PaulD

Heat will break down the loctite (dont use loctite again) but if you have nothing to turn then your in the poo.

You have 5 other rotor bolts it will be fine.

I used 5 bolts in the Alps for a week but the lack of bolt is annoying me.

cut the head off a rotor bolt and glue it to the rotor?

won’t annoy you then.