Table of Contents
What happens if a brake caliper bolt is loose?
A loose caliper can cause vibrations when braking and an abnormal noise from the front end of your car. It is also common for drivers to feel a pulsation in their brake pedal while they are applying pressure. These are all signs that something might be wrong with your brakes.
What would cause a brake caliper to fall off?

If the pads aren’t replaced often enough (or are never replaced) the only thing stopping your car will be the caliper piston and the back plate that comes with the brake pad. If you have these materials rubbing against each other, something could break loose and fall out eventually.
Can you drive with a loose caliper?
If you can drive with a loose caliper, you are at risk of damaging your brakes and possibly your whole vehicle. If they are loose, not secured in place with the correct hardware or even if they are secured but are not working properly, they’re very likely to cause problems.
Can I reuse caliper bracket bolts?
GM say to replace any bolt that was been loctited, however the small caliper bolts can be cleaned up and reused with a new drop of blue loctite without dramas. But the larger caliper to knuckle bolts MUST never be reused as they are torque to yield. TTY bolts are fastened to a higher torque than non TTY bolts.

Can I drive with a broken brake caliper?
A less-common occurrence is the sound of a “clunk” when you hit the brake pedal. This can be a sign that the caliper or caliper bracket has broken. In such a case, do not drive the vehicle, have it towed to a repair shop.
How much does it cost to tighten caliper bolts?
7. Over torquing the caliper guide pin bolts: Caliper guide pin bolts typically need a 13mm wrench to remove. It is a rookie mistake to go nuts on these bolts and break the heads off. Typically these bolts require only 25- to 35-ft/lbs of torque.
Are all caliper bolts the same?
Not properly torquing the caliper bracket bolts: Not all caliper bracket bolts are the same. Torque ranges can vary from 30- to 110-ft/lbs. Also, some bracket bolts can be torque-to-yield or require liquid tread lockers. 7.
Should I use Loctite on brake caliper bolts?
You can use blue on the bolts that hold the brake caliper bracket. Don’t use red on anything unless you have impact tools that can take it off if you need to do any other repairs. I have replaced my rotors 3 times and have never needed to use loctite on the brake caliper bracket.
Will a bad brake caliper make noise?
If they have worn beyond their limits, they will begin to scrape and grind. A seized brake caliper undetected will often let out a noise similar to that of worn-out brake pads. Early on, it might sound like something is rubbing when you let off the brake pedal.
Should you replace caliper bolts?
For this reason — stuck caliper bolts — Carlson recommends replacing them anytime you replace your calipers. Doing so makes sense. Your brakes are a system that is put under enormous pressure and over months and years. Eventually, things wear out and rust.
Why are my caliper bolts stuck?
Stuck or frozen caliper bolts are one of the problems that come from reusing old parts during a brake job. Here’s a link to the Carlson sales support page, if you need to order new bolts. A few years ago, I was driving down a neighborhood street near my home, when a dog darted in front of my car.
What are caliper bracket bolts?
They’re often called “caliper bracket bolts” because they attach to the part of your caliper called the bracket, and hold it tight to the spindle or steering knuckle. Torque Talk… Now a word about torque, the twisting force that tightens a bolt.
How much torque do you put on a caliper bolt?
Because caliper bolts MUST stay on, they need a LOT of torque. AutoZone, for example, recommends 113 pound feet of torque. To put that number in perspective, the average person can, according to NASA, apply about 15 pound feet with a bare hand.