Does everyone use new bolts for caliper bracket?

[John105]

I only use old bolts that I find at the scrap yard because All the new bolts have this warning on them: WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Hilarious when that sticker is on a cereal bowl. CA sure marches to the beat of its own drum. I have teammates that live there and as a result the laws protect them from working.

 

[MrkofXcellence]

Last time I did a brake job with OEM GM pads the pad kit came with two bracket bolts. I could never understand why they would include two bolts per axle when four were required.

 

[JHZR2]

Torque Angle doesn't always denote that the fastener is TTY, I doubt many domestic vehicles use TTY caliper bracket bolts as I've never felt the fastener yield/stretch.

Agree. As far as I’ve seen, many tty bolts are marked as such. That’s helpful. I don’t recall that the aluminum bolts on my MB 722.9 pan are, but others I’ve used are.

I have seen metrics for bolt stretch for reuse on some that use an angle. At some point there has to be rationale for disposal vs reuse. I just haven’t seen any good basis besides consumption of protective coatings and/or threadlocker on caliper bolts.

 

[JHZR2]

I know it's a Toyota thing on fixed calipers, but those bolts are pretty expensive. They could double a DIY job almost. In speaking to a Japanese indie, they told me not necessary. So I didn't. And putting loctite was not recommended although you can see OE has something applied.

This is 2016, a Toyota brake job could be well over $600+ per axle with the sensors, it would be shocking to see what that same job is in 2025

each set is per axle, here they are for the front

https://ebay.us/m/YVljEh

That better include oe rotors!

MB has used sensors forever and I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $70/axle for pads, sensors, etc.

I can’t believe that bolts drive the $600 cost. Labor and marked up costs and oe rotors, sure.

 

[IndyIan]

Never have replaced them, and they always seem to be in good shape to re-use. I have replaced other suspension bolts that were quite rusty and certainly weakened, but if its not a TTY application, bolts are meant to be re-used unless damaged IMO.

 

[loneryder]

Each time they are removed?

Or is a new application of Loctite enough?

A lot of them are aluminum or have other metal in them and they can stretch over time. That's one reason they want you to replace them.