Caliper Support Bolt Replacement (2004 X5 3.0i)

[bcredliner]

Micro-encapsulated bolts have Loctite or similar on them. That's why the bolts are special. I re-use them but apply blue Loctite before doing so. Calipers are subject to lots of vibration, shocks and heating and cooling cycles. I wouldn't reuse them without a new application of Loctite.

[2004bmwx53i]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

Micro-encapsulated bolts have Loctite or similar on them. That's why the bolts are special. I re-use them but apply blue Loctite before doing so. Calipers are subject to lots of vibration, shocks and heating and cooling cycles. I wouldn't reuse them without a new application of Loctite.

Just for the sake of technicalities, I would say that if bolts are torqued to specification they would not necessarily need extra locking measure. The torque supposedly has already taken vibration into account. This is my pure guess.
Adding thread lock does no harm at all. I'll do that. Thanks.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by 2004bmwx53i

Adding thread lock does no harm at all. I'll do that. Thanks.

I've rarely added but after that last job from hell (took a couple hours to remove two caliper bolts after somebody else rounded off the bolt heads on some M14 bolts), just to keep out the rust is a good reason.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

Micro-encapsulated bolts have Loctite or similar on them. That's why the bolts are special. I re-use them but apply blue Loctite before doing so. Calipers are subject to lots of vibration, shocks and heating and cooling cycles. I wouldn't reuse them without a new application of Loctite.

That is not bad advice. I will add however that after remove and replace roughly 100-120 caliper bolts. 100% of the time it took more torque to remove them than the torque they were set with. E.g. I'm not concerned about adding thread lock though I certainly would not advise against it. Very good idea. Actually on a recent job where the bolts were so rusted I had to cut new faces on the bolt to remove: I added thread lock to ironically make it easier to remove next time.

(Nexuses the thread lock fills the gap that allows water/air ingress to cause the rust lock)