Front brake - guide pin bolt missing

[glenhendry]

On the way home from camping, towing a trailer, I could smell a burning smell. I pulled over and the front right brake caliper had a small wiff of smoke coming from it. I looked hard and couldn't see anything amiss. I moved off slowly and pumped the brakes and all was well. No more smell. I assumed that a pad was stuck due to a guide pin or a rock got stuck in there.

Turns out that I had lost the lower guide pin bolt. The pad had slipped slightly and was rubbing on the rotor lip (the unworn bit).

One year ago I fitted new rotors, calipers and pads on the front. I used new guide pin bolts as Rave suggests and torqued them to spec. I didn't use any locktite.

It is a bit scary, so if you put new calipers on, prob best to recheck the torque on the guide pin bolts after time in service.

[Blknight.aus]

for brakes on the landies (and pretty much all of em.

loctit 262 for the caliper/pad carrier bolts (the only ones on the beam axle discs with the non floating calipers)

and 243 for the slide pin retaining bolts.

[glenhendry]

Thanks for the loctite info BlkNight. However, I am surprised that Rave does not specify to use it.

I have gone to Murray at Jag and Rangey spares and got another guide pin bolt. When I installed it, and tried to torque it to 22 lbs.ft, the guide pin kept spinning, so the bolt didnt reach the target torque (however it felt close). This might have been why it came out in the first place. I rechecked the torque on all 4 corners and they all torqued normally except this one. The flat edge of the guide pin flange did not stop it from spinning, but it doesn't look like it stops the other guide pins either.

[bee utey]

If there are two flats on the guide pin, it's so you can use a flat spanner to hold the pin from spinning. At least that's how I've always done caliper bolts. Oh and Loctite always on brake bolts. You ought to see the mess that calipers do to rims if they swing the other way.

[Blknight.aus]

If there are two flats on the guide pin, it's so you can use a flat spanner to hold the pin from spinning. At least that's how I've always done caliper bolts. Oh and Loctite always on brake bolts. You ought to see the mess that calipers do to rims if they swing the other way.

not always.

on some calipers theres a flat they engage on so you dont need a second spanner. Always entertaining to see the damage that can occur when thats gotten wrong and the pin gets bent.