I am replacing the front disc brake pads on my 2003 Blazer 4WD. The pass. side went slow, but I eventually got it all back together. The driver's side went much smoother and everything was ready to put back together. I compressed the cal. pistons and put the caliper over the new pads. Then I was ready to put the two cal. bolts on. Both the bolts were reluctant to thread onto the ears of the caliper. It was as though there was some obstruction in the caliper or maybe both had been cross threaded on the last pad replacement. Or I thought maybe I had the caliper cocked at an angle and that was preventing the bolts from lining up and threading on. I did put some high temp brake grease on the cal. bolts as you are supposed to. Nothing I tried helped the bolts. It was as though they were hitting another bolt where there shouldn't be a bolt. I finally decided it had to be cross threaded. I didn't have a thread chaser, so I decided to see if I could run the cal. bolt in from the opposite direction. This worked well and I was able to 'rethread' both the top and bottom ears of the caliper. But when I tried to put the cal. bolts back in the right way, they again 'locked up' and wouldn't budge. Both bolts refuse to thread in the ears at the same place. What would cause this? I have never had this happen before. The caliper appears to be seated correctly over the new pads and on the cal. bracket. I didn't remove the cal. bracket since I wasn't replacing the rotors. Any ideas on what may be causing bolt cal. bolts to stop dead at the same spot on the cal. ears?

 

Sounds like a problem with the bolt sleeves in the caliper being rusted in place. Can you pull them out for inspection? They are replaceable as a brake kit, as are the bolts themselves. If not, then you are looking at rebuilt calipers which will come with these new parts.

 

Les, that's the first time I had heard the 'bolt sleeves' were replaceable. Are those the silver colored bushings about an inch in length that aren't threaded? I thought it was the threaded 'ears' on the calipers had been striped by the last one to replace the front pads. To replace them would require purchasing the entire caliper. About 52.00 from Adv Auto Parts. I am not sure my 2003 has the 'bolt sleeves'.
Anyway, here's what I did: I went to Adv Auto and got two new caliper bolts/pins and went home and got both on with a breaker bar. They both fought me every thread to the finish. It looks like the caliper is on and straight, not cocked to one side. I didn't need any Loctite to hold them on. I still say the caliper threads were striped by the person who did the last brake pad replacement. The pins were two for 10.00. The new caliper was 52.00 with a 40.00 core charge. So I got my exercise for the day. Next go round will be a new caliper or two.
I did buy a Adv Auto 'hardware kit' to get two additional stainless steel clips I broke on installation. I didn't see those bolt sleeves or bushings as I call them. I can't wait til I recuperate enough to go for a test drive. Oh yes, I did notice the pads I replaced had Car Quest Premium Plus on them. The new ones are the Advance Auto/ Car Quest Gold GNAD series.

 

Not at all recommended to replace pads without replacing rotors. Sounds to me like you really need a CPR, (Calipers, Pads, & Rotors).


CPR, without question, is standard procedure in the rear each time you service them.

 

Captain, I am sure you are right about me needing a CPR but due to the 'skeeters and the heat on Mule Trail, all I had time and blood for was a GOPS----that's a Good Old Pad Slap!

 

To keep cost down, I have my rotors turned once before I replace them. I'm there for pads anyway and I waste the time laughing at the products in the pimp my ride aisle. Whatever happened to those chrome bare foot gas pedals?

Seriously though, brakes are nothing to gamble with or cheap out on. Especially the front. I hope your good old pad slap doesn't wind up a good old butt slap for you or someone else on the road.

 

Ya know, I wasn't thinking of the right design - a brain fart. I was thinking of very old style GM calipers. Like you say, on yours the bolts threads into the ears of your caliper and the bolts are supposed to slide in/out of the caliper bracket. Didn't used to have the bracket, and the caliper slid on bushings surrounding the bolt which screwed directly into the spindle. Guess I'm just living in the past.

Still, either way the calipers need to slide freely back and forth on the bolts (or with the bolts in your case) or you will be getting dragging brakes and rapid pad wear on the outside pad.

 

I am still trying to figure out why the caliper bolts would not screw all the way into the caliper ears as easily as they should. In order to understand the problem, I am looking at an Auto Zone 'Brake Hardware kit' for the front of my 2003 Blazer 2 door. 4WD.---- The kit contains: 1./ 8 S.S. clips for the pads, 2./ 4 rubber accordion bolt/pin covers that fit into the calipers and protect the bolt/pin and 3./ Four hard rubber tubes abut 1" long and an inside diam. of 5/16 " . These last 4 rubber tubes are a mystery. I am not sure where these are supposed to go. I did not remove the old ones from the caliper when I put the new pads with new S.S. clips on. To see what they look like, please go to:
Duralast/Brake Disc Hardware Kit - Front H5918- ReadReviews onDuralast #H5918
I really need to understand what these are and where they need to go on my front calipers. Anyone with ideas? Thanks, Jim

 

Please let me know if you have trouble going to this site and looking at the photo's of AZ brake hardware kit no. H5918.

 

I do remember those silver bolt sleeves or bushings as I called them. The front calipers on my 1986 Buick Regal had them and my 1994 Chevy Impala SS --RWD also had them, IIRC. Anyway I am not familiar with the 1 " rubber tubes function and also how to remove them. If you have any ideas on how to fish them out, and what grease to install them with, I would be grateful to hear about it.
So I am trying to figure out where they fit in the caliper. I tried fitting the rubber tube onto a brake cal. pin and it fit perfectly: both in length and diameter on the end of the pin. I am going to pull the caliper and try to pull out the two old rubber tubes and install the pin with a tube on the end. Any ideas on the best way to do that?