Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)
  • xtr brake bolt rounded – alloy
  • noltae
    Free Member

    Its rounded – bike shop dont want to touch it – said they’d have to send it to their engineers and thus would cost a lot to sort … Should I use a hacksaw to create a groove on bolt head to try loosening with a flat head screwdriver ?- Or should I hacksaw the bolt im two inbetween the clamp hinge – or should I drill it out ?
    Dont really relish doing this but as Ive said the mechanics at LBS didn’t seem to like the look of it … If anyone’s sorted this same problem I’d be greatful to know which method worked for them … Wouldn’t mind replacing with Ti as alloy seems super soft – Tried at LBS to order replacement XT steel version but according to LBS it has to be XTR as shorter…

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I suspect if you move to Ti you’ll just strip the thread the bolts go into…

    compare cost of proper solution with a new lever (I assume it’s a problem with lever clamp?) and decide if it’s worth a bodge attempt from there?

    Garry_Lager
    Full Member

    Which bolt is it – the banjo that connects the brake line to the caliper?

    Hammering a torx head in usually the first port of call, see if that bites and you can screw it out.

    servo
    Free Member

    Google “Easy Out”

    I got mine from screwfix but they don’t sell the same ones anymore.
    Removed the bolt from my oven element and also the bolt from an Time pedal cleat.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Next thread- “how do I get the snapped-off tip of an easy-out out of my brakes?”

    njee20
    Free Member

    Which bolts are alloy on any Shimano brakes?

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    njee20 – Member

    Which bolts are alloy on any Shimano brakes?
    [pedant mode on] All of them. [/pedant mode off]

    njee20
    Free Member

    Aluminium alloy then, how did I know that was coming 😉

    igm
    Full Member

    1. Never snapped an easy out (maybe I’m overly gentle with them). Mine were £6 but I use the tap handle from a tap and die set to drive it.
    2. Steel bolts can be shortened or can be bought in a variety of standard lengths if that’s easier.
    3. Go your good with a drill picking a drill bit of the same size as the bolt thread will allow you to very carefully drill the bolt head off. There will be a release of tension as the bolt head severs – be aware of it and stop drilling at this point.

    Easy outs for me though

    noltae
    Free Member

    It’s the xtr brake lever clamp bolt – M5 x 14.9 – there’s quite a space between the clamp hinge so im assuming that if I squeeze a hacksaw in and cut then open the hinge I should be able to remove both parts of the bolt with needle nose pliers – I’ll be well f##ked off if it goes tits up !

    IA
    Full Member

    May be the bike shop didn’t want to touch it cos it’s just not economical for them – you’re going to be sawing very carefully, taking your time – it’ll take a while.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    My thoughts would be to bang a torx bit into the rounded hole first and see if it’ll grip it. Failing that drill the head off the clamp bolt, then hinge the clamp back and remove the threaded part of the bolt with pliers.

    noltae
    Free Member

    Feel a bit more comfortable going for hacksaw method than drilling out the bolt – it was mentioned that ti bolt replacement a bad idea – because it could potentially damage brake lever thread – is this because the xtr lever is magnesium? – is it safe to say that these levers have a standard thread pitch – compatible with with after market bolts? If the magnesium thread is weak maybe stick with the replacement xtr bolts …

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    It was mostly that if you’re tightening alloy bolts enough to damage it then all that well happen with ti is that you will tighten it enough to damage something else.

    rickon
    Free Member

    975 xtr? Jesus the bolts are made of cheese. And good luck finding a replacement, they use a very tight thread, and I couldn’t find one that would fit.

    noltae
    Free Member

    Well it turns out that an aluminium brand x bottle cage holder bolt seems to be working just fine on the other lever and I will use the same on the chewed up side if I manage to get it off – does anyone know if the little clamp hinge should release if I cut the bolt between the clamp – ive already tried needle nose pliers between the gap between the hinge and can get no movement – Please understand I put absolutely zero excess torque on this bolt it just seized out of know where – I’m blaming the loctite!

    rickon
    Free Member

    I wouldn’t cut it out, you may end up with a struggle to get the bottom threads out. Stick some penetrating oil over the bolt, bang a torx into it first, then if that fails cut a slot, then if that fails – big eazy-out. Then when that fails, get the drill out.

    Then the big hammer.

    JoeG
    Free Member

    Wouldn’t it be easier to use a Dremel instead of a hacksaw?

    boriselbrus
    Free Member

    Where are you? If local I’ll have a look at it.

    Boris

    slackalice
    Free Member

    I’m blaming the loctite!

    I hope you’re joking?! On a clamp fastening? If so, I blame who ever thought that would be a good idea.

    Fine mini hacksaw as close to the bolt head in the gap of the clamp band as you can and once the bolt is cut through, open the clamp and if it’s got loctite on the threads, you’ll be needing to find some Mole-Grips with good jaws to try and clamp the stump of bolt left.

    igm
    Full Member

    Loctite? Heat and cold?

    Bars off bike and in the freezer perhaps? Then a hair dryer?

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    If you drill the head off like I and others suggested then you should be able to remove the lever and hopefully have enough threaded section to get a decent grip on to unscrew. I wouldn’t use a hacksaw as there will be very little to grip and you risk damaging your bars or lever.

    noltae
    Free Member

    My only worry about drilling the bolt head off is that when I did this to a seized chainring bolt – I still had to use a rubber mallet to get the chainring to break free – with the brake lever if it doesn’t free up immediately after bolt head is drilled off then I’ll still be left with hinge clamp stuck on the bars – Im thinking in order to do a sufficiently thorough drill job I’m going to be dangerously close to the hinge clamp’s thread ….

    slackalice
    Free Member

    You only need to remove the head of the bolt and some of the threaded section thats inserted into this bit of the clamp that isn’t threaded, to enable you to get the clamp past the bit thats left, not drill the whole thing out.

    So start with something like a 3mm drill bit to this depth, you can use some tape around the bit as a depth marker. Then do the same with incrementally bigger bits, i.e. 3.5, 4, 4.5 and finally, 5mm, 5.5mm may well be needed to separate the head from the threaded section. You may find you don’t need to go in 0.5mm steps, so see how you go.

    Once you’ve done this, you should be able to place a lever like a flat blade screwdriver between the clamp surfaces and gently prise them apart and over the stub remaining.

    You’ll obviously find it easier to work on if you rotate the bars, so that the bolt head is pointing up.

    igm
    Full Member

    But do consider easy outs – I’ve used the successfully on many occasions over the last 20 or so years.

    spectabilis
    Free Member

    With those type of soft alu bolts I usually have great success with the easy option of just grabbing by cutting into the side of the head with a nice sharp/strong pair of side cutters.

    noltae
    Free Member

    So the saga continues !
    Really wanted this sorted asap – and took the bike to the other LBS in town – the guys in there were super helpful and went for the hacksaw method and sorted it in no time – However as soon as I took bike out of the shop I realised my other lever was way out – as if the reach adjust had been opened all the way out – very strange I thought… So I took the bike back inside and showed them what had happened explaining that it was nothing like that when I bought the bike in for repair – Turns out the piston inside the lever was broken and according to mechanic there are no spare parts available for XTR race brake lever .. They were very apologetic and have agreed to sort it but they have to pay for the new lever which isn’t cheap ..

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Wait…what? They Removed the bolt from one lever, and managed to knacker the other lever in the process?

    noltae
    Free Member

    Yes that is exactly what happened – weekend ride cancelled ….

    nikk
    Free Member

    Total bummer.

    is this a good time to mention I hate Shimano brakes, and think they are shoddy unrepairable garbage?

    No?

    Ok!

    noltae
    Free Member

    The brakes have been excellent – other than the soft fastening bolts on the levers – I was under the Impression that Shimano brakes are generally held in high regard …

    njee20
    Free Member

    XTR Race brakes have steel bolts in the levers…

    noltae
    Free Member

    The bolts in my xtr brakes are soft – not the first person to state this … I will be replacing with Ti when I.get bike back – cant believe how much hassle this has been !

    Northwind
    Full Member

    With all due respect, they saw you coming. Those brakes are under warranty, so if it has just failed, then take that option. If the shop broke it, they should be fixing it. Why you’re paying for it I have no clue…

    noltae
    Free Member

    With all due respect – it’s quite clear I’m not paying…

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Doh, I do apologise, I can’t read.

    njee20
    Free Member

    I will be replacing with Ti when I.get bike back – cant believe how much hassle this has been !

    They will be softer, that’s my point. You need a decent steel bolt, and not to be a hamfisted oaf.

    misinformer
    Free Member

    They will be softer, that’s my point. You need a decent steel bolt, and not to be a hamfisted oaf.

    Alternately get an Allen key that fits properly instead of listening to this clueless idiot’s re spout of something he’s read on the internet.

    unovolo
    Free Member

    It surprises me how often these stories appear regarding rounded bolts and seized bolts.

    Decent allen keys,a torque wrench and some anti seize(copperslip)is all I generally use and never have a problem(probably just tempted fate there though).

    njee20
    Free Member

    Alternately get an Allen key that fits properly instead of listening to this clueless idiot’s re spout of something he’s read on the internet.

    Errr… Why am I a clueless idiot?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)

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