So went to replace the pads and in trying to remove the retainer screw, I’ve managed to mess up the head and now cannot get any purchase with the screwdriver - tried using grips too but cannot get around the head at all - any solutions ?
Or will I have to replace the Caliper ?
TIA,
Johnny
Replaced 3 calipers on 2 bikes due to this now. If you manage to get purchase on the screw, the head shears off so either way you end up stuffed. Retainer screws now get coppaslip and finger tightened at the most.
After having to replace two calipers due to this I just put spit pins in the new ones instead of the bolts.
The bike was only months old and no amount of care would get them out. Drilling failed as did trying to dismantle the caliper.
I've seen this on loads of customer's bikes. Generally put it down to over tightening and never cleaning the bike. Sometimes manage to drill out but it is really easy to **** the caliper.
Guilty as charged Simon On the cleaning but this is the first pad replacement
So if I have to replace the Caliper, where’s good at the minute ?
Calliper replacement seems a bit extreme - but I have bought them off Ebay before for £30.
If none on there - SJSCycles is your most likely source.
There must be a way to remove the pin though??! what about the non threaded end? file flats and turn clockwise?
Even my calliper that was so poorly maintained the pistons seized up didn't have the retaining pin stuck! HAte to state the obvious, but the reason they have a clip on the end is because you're not supposed to over tighten 😀
Split pin in the next one!
Road salt causes the steel screws to react with the aluminium calipers and stick in place. Plus the little screws on the road calipers are made of cheese, and have stupid slot heads.
We cut one in half with a Dremel, removed the pads, and then removed the two broken halves with pliers. It's a common issue.
I've switched to SLX screws in my road calipers, which have a hex head. And liberally greased them!
I haven’t had this in my road Shimano calipers yet - I’ve done one change of pads and it seemed ok. If you do have to replace a caliper it might be worth considering the Hope RX4 as it sounds like it’s just better all round.
I don’t get why Shimano use flat head screws - some of the ones on the sti unit are the same. Virtually everything else on the bike will be Allen key so why they use these instead I don’t know.
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benman
Free MemberRoad salt causes the steel screws to react with the aluminium calipers and stick in place. Plus the little screws on the road calipers are made of cheese, and have stupid slot heads.
We cut one in half with a Dremel, removed the pads, and then removed the two broken halves with pliers. It’s a common issue.
Exactly what I did.
Have you tried tapping a torx key in? Might give enough purchase to unscrew it before you butcher it or replace
@daver27 It's a slot head.
When you're ready to test your theory by 'tapping a torx key in'... to a slot head, post a vid up of it for entertainment value. Ta. 👍
@boblo
Lol. Didn't realise the road calipers were different to mtb, good old Shimano.
Ignore that then. 😂
@daver27 Yeah. Sorry if that came over a bit pissy, wasn't meant to. Just had visions of some poor sod looking at a Torx key and a slot head in puzzlement (if that's a thing) 😁
If you go the dremel route, remember that the thread is at the near end of the bolt so try to cut towards the far end of the bolt to maximise what you've got to work with. The far end should just drop out once it's cut.
This didn't work for me. I still couldn't get it out. I did succeed in a fairly neat drilling job but rather than leaving it at that I decided to see if I could get the shell of the bolt out with an ez-out. It did come out very neatly but only after it cracked the bolt hole.
Caliper is still in service with a split pin rather than a bolt.
It's made worse by the fact that the last few sets of pads I've bought haven't come with a new bolt so I've been re-using bolts with slightly chewed heads. No idea why the road ones are flat head and the MTB ones are hex.
I'd definitely pre-emptively swap bolts for split pins on any bike that sees a bit of weather.
To be clear with mine it wasn't over tightening by me, it was a first and early pad change due to contamination, so either supplier over tightening or it was the interaction of metals and road salt.
Advised my friend to check his in his new bike straight away and either grease or replace with split pin like I Did. Have had another friend have exactly same issue with his new bike too. So very common and crap.
Thanks for the help everyone - hacksawed the bolt and then drilled through the screw from the inside out - seems to have worked okay, although I've slightly enlarged the inner side hole but hopefully that won't affect the split pin retaining the pads.
Anyone where you can buy split pins ?
I did buy Shimano finned pads but no pin in the pack
A car spares shop would be my first call for a single split pin, bike shop prices will either be silly money (£1 for a 20p bolt kind of thing), or free from the spares drawer.
I drilled mine after it corroded and stuck and replaced with a hex-head one like this:
It hasn't stuck again, but the whole calliper body is starting to rot and I will probably go for RX4s to replace as there aren't so many non-flat mount alternatives around.