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General Finding the right bolts for the front brake caliper mounting...

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General Finding the right bolts for the front brake caliper mounting...

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singletrackrecs

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Hi there, first, thanks to the forum community for many useful and interesting threads over the years, which have helped very much!

Does anyone know how to identify and find the correct replacement bolts that mount the front brake caliper to the suspension strut on a Panda 319 (2012)? It's the two bolts that are being cleaned up and removed in this video at 1:37

I know this video is actually of the older 169 Panda... but it seems that everything in the process is identical, except for these two bolts... they state an 18mm socket for them in everything I can find on the internet, yet mine want a 13mm socket... Maybe someone has got to them before me and stuck some non-standard bolts in there is all I can think... Any ideas?

My bolts are so tight they're rounding off as I try to remove them, so I'm about to let my new Irwin socket set loose on them, and will subsequently need a new set of bolts on hand to put it back together! If anyone knows where to get them, or their measurements, that would be very helpful.

Thanks a lot

Chris
 
Talk to Mick at Shop4Parts,; shouldn't be an issue at all. On many cars they use a thread locker which can be "softened" by the application of heat - use a hot air gun not an open flame...
 
Just looked at that video you link to and the bolts he's undoing with the air gun are the caliper carrier bolts. If all you are needing to do is replace pads etc then the normal way of doing that is to take the wee "R" clip out of the pin at the bottom of the caliper - you can see this a little earlier in the clip - carefully tap out the wee pin and lever the piston back into the caliper a wee bit then swing the caliper up on it's top slider pin. You don't even have to undo the slider pin.

However I appreciate that you may be doing something which needs the carrier removed - for instance changing the discs themselves? - However I had these very bolts out when I was doing the front suspension rebuild and I didn't remember using an 18mm socket - 18mm would be an unusual size anyway? so I just went out and tried a 17mm on Becky's carrier bolts (she's a 169 Model Panda) and "Voila", it fits perfectly! So I'd have thought it likely that your's may well be 17mm? Which would explain why you're having trouble with yours. Also, I'm wondering if you're using a 12 point socket/spanner? These sort of fixings are commonly very tight and I'd instinctively reach for a six pointer. If the bolt head is indeed a 17mm you may find you'll still be able to get it off if you hammer a 17mm single hex (6 pointer) onto what's left of the rounded bolt, especially if you've been using an 18mm 12 pointer which will be likely to have only only rounded off the tips of the bolt head?

Edit: As suggested above Mick/Mike (there's more than one) at Shop4parts are extremely knowledgeable and helpful and well worth a ring.
 
I have a 2016 1.2 and it is a external torx bolt on my car. Here's a pic of it and the socket I used:

Screenshot_22.png
 
Looking into this a bit more deeply - bearing in mind I've not owned a "new" Panda, only 169 models and earlier. The front caliper for our Becky (2012 169 Panda 1.2 looks like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36270196...cz+EmqjbOh1tqsb1YLHY3AGrEg==|tkp:BFBMzM_5gr9g

I suspect though that your 319 may look like this? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35231127...:Panda&hash=item52076378a1:g:dXkAAOSwBoBasnyE

If it does then the caliper retaining bolts probably are 13mm - and screw into the end of the slider pins? I know chaps, just because it takes a 13mm spanner doesn't make it definitively a 13mm bolt, I'm just trying to keep this simple.

Be careful what you buy when buying replacements. Here are a couple of surplus ones, complete with locking compound, left over, if I remember, from when I put some new calipers on my daughter in law's ancient Jazz:

P1100373.JPG


Take a closer look though and you'll see they've got 10.9 on their hex heads:

P1100374.JPG


This means they are tougher than the more common 8.8 strength bolt, like this one:

P1100375.JPG


So, be careful, especially where something safety related, like brakes, is concerned. Use the wrong part and your insurance might not pay up if it's noticed after an accident.
 
This post contains eBay links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
That caliper design with two slider pins looks better than the earlier attempt on my 169 where the bottom pin was prone to seizing and then folks would break bits off the casting trying to free it.

My jury is out as regards the Torx fixings generally. I've got tools to deal with them and I know they are in common use with many manufacturers. I'm just wondering what they are going to be like when they get old and "crusty". I've been used to dealing with seized hex fixings for so long, wonder if these Torx will be more difficult?
 
Pugglt Auld Jock said:
That caliper design with two slider pins looks better than the earlier attempt on my 169 where the bottom pin was prone to seizing and then folks would break bits off the casting trying to free it.

My jury is out as regards the Torx fixings generally. I've got tools to deal with them and I know they are in common use with many manufacturers. I'm just wondering what they are going to be like when they get old and "crusty". I've been used to dealing with seized hex fixings for so long, wonder if these Torx will be more difficult?
Click to expand...
External torx where designed to be better to remove when corroded and less likely to slip off and chew up so should they "should" come out better
 
Wow, great list of responses here, thanks everyone.

Mick at shop4parts was indeed very helpful and has identified the part number i need (51794407 if it helps anyone else down the road).

I actually did have these bolts off just a couple of weeks ago, but need to get back in there - i did a bearing change and seem to have left the cir-clip slightly out of line with the abs sensor hole... so i'm back in to swivel it round a bit. I think my recent tightening of the bolts with a bit of copper grease involved just let me get a little bit too much on them, and is now exposing the fact that I am indeed using a 13mm socket, when I should be using an e16, which I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know existed... so there's the take home from this thread - more tools!

As Pugglt Auld Jock suggests above - as the 13mm socket failed, I might just try whacking a slightly smaller 1/2" on there to see if it takes, or give the correct e16 a go, or revert to my new Irwin gripper sockets if that fails. Much less worried now that I know I'll have the correct new bolts on hand.

Cheers everyone 😁
 
Jiffycom said:
I have a 2016 1.2 and it is a external torx bolt on my car. Here's a pic of it and the socket I used:

View attachment 409012
Click to expand...
Hi I've just purchased 4 new bolts 51794407 and have found nothing regards the correct torque settings to use?
Does anyone know what the correct settings are?
 

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