Removing the discs on a 500

[eng622]

Have the Bible and a Sierra manual but need to know the bit required to get the caliper carrier brackets off. The screws are socketed and look like a large Torx, tried an Allen key and it does not fit.

[Ballistic Banana]

Really I am sure they are Allen Bolts? perhaps a previous owner changed them

BB

[steve-V8s]

Allen bolts on mine, had to heat them with hot air gun to shift them.

[mrcosmos]

Hi,the bolts are allen headed,8mm.Removed my calipers last year.Things to watch out for are the little spacers which fall out and could roll anywhere.Make sure they are refitted on assembly and copper grease the bolts for next time.If the bolts are tight a short length of conduit over the allen key gives more leverage.The rear ones are a bit trickier due to access to the bolts.Had to get my allen key reduced to fit the gap between rear hub and bolt.Hope this helps.Regards,Dave.

[eng622]

I've tried a 8 mm allen on the front and the fit is quite sloppy and starts to slip with little force. The discs have been replaced and the screw socket appears to have internal splines. Looking on google I see something called a metric S2 splined socket, so wonder if I have these fitted, anyone come across them?

[red griff roger]

Allen key on mine too. You need to make sure you have a really good fit whatever, as the bolts will be tight, and probably Loctited in.

[eng622]

I've had another look and they are plain hex sockets but obviously worn from rusting so the 8 mm key is not a tight fit. Any ideas on how to loosen them. Also the top socket on the rear discs is difficult to reach and will not take a drive wrench/bit. It is looking like a standard key with a tube extension is going to bend as really tight.

[TheGriffalo]

How good are your allen keys? Worth getting a decent one, poor quality ones don't fit as well. I use a ring spanner over the allen key and just give it a good heave. Using the ring lets you apply the force at an angle. Sometimes a good whack square on the head with a 1/2 lb hammer helps to shock the threads loose.

Mine had some thread locking compound on them.

[Ballistic Banana]

TheGriffalo said:

Using the ring lets you apply the force at an angle. Sometimes a good whack square on the head with a 1/2 lb hammer helps to shock it.

Mine had some thread locking compound on them.

oo er Miss's

BB

wheres that homo button oggs

[TheGriffalo]

It's like Del never went on holiday

[ray_von]

eng622 said:

I've had another look and they are plain hex sockets but obviously worn from rusting so the 8 mm key is not a tight fit. Any ideas on how to loosen them. Also the top socket on the rear discs is difficult to reach and will not take a drive wrench/bit. It is looking like a standard key with a tube extension is going to bend as really tight.

They wont be worn from rusting. If they looked like a Torx fitting then you can thank a previous owner who must have rounded them when removing.
As previous posts suggest heat, hitting head of bolt and good quality allen keys(too late for this probably).
Spanner is okay for extension but you may find a piece of pipe better. Pulling at an angle risks the key slipping and scraping knuckles and also damaging the hex making it look like a Torx fitting. Oh dear we've come full circle now.

[red griff roger]

Oh Dear! Mole grips and new bolts? You will need new ones anyway by the sound of it. Rear one is difficult. Hacksaw, allen key and ring spanner (saw the allen key, not the bolt!). Garages have stubby allen keys for this, but in my experience, will not lend tools.

[Simon.b]

I cut about 1/2 inch off an alan key and then use a ring spanner as previously mentioned.

Keys are cheap enough and you can hammer it in to get a good tight fit.

Cheers,

Simon.

[Fat Griff]

Try a good pair of mole grips or knock an over sized torx or allen key in with a hammer or an impact driver with a torx or allen key in. If that wont budge it try hack sawing a grove so you can use and impact screw driver with a flat headed bit in. Failing that cut the heads off then remove the rest of the thread on a bench with mole grips! Good luck!

[eng622]

Thanks for all advice. My keys are new and the 8 mm one would not go into the socket to start with but after digging out the rust the fit was quite loose on the front pairs (rears are much newer and have little rust). The socket appears undamaged but I reckon needs around 8.5 mm for a tight fit. I will try others like torx/spline and if no joy will look at cutting them off. As a matter of interest the Ford manual gives the torque around 40 ftlbs and I'm thinking that is way beyond the capacity of a standard key which might just spring/twist, extension tube or not.

[red griff roger]

eng622 said:

As a matter of interest the Ford manual gives the torque around 40 ftlbs and I'm thinking that is way beyond the capacity of a standard key which might just spring/twist, extension tube or not.

43 - 44 ft/lb is listed on the Griff Pages.