Loctite bolts or not do them?

[Darkest-Star]

Just taking off the front calipers for the first time, the bolts were loctited on and were a total PITA to get off. Is it best to Loctite again or is it individual preference?

[Guest]

Was the bike brand new?

I don't think its very common for calliper bolts to be loctite'd - if the bike was second hand then it was probably put on my an overly paranoid previous owner. They should be tightened to a specific torque. if you're unsure about doing that then maybe invest in a torque wrench. It doesn't take long before you'll know how tight they should be. But until then a torque wrench is probably a sound investment.

edit - i just read on the Stromtrooper forum that blue loctite is often recommended. Thats a new one on me. seems a little like overkill. (as well as a pain in the neck) but hey ho. Someone on that same forum has said that the calliper bolts should be 39 Nm, 28 ftlb which sounds right to me.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Anonymous

[Darkest-Star]

Got the torque wrench and recommend settings, there's a lot of bolts on the bike the same. Paranoid previous owner maybe, he rented 2 garages 1 at home and 1 at work and never went out in the rain. He sold the bike as he was losing the use of 1 garage.

Thanks for reply.

[GaryJM]

Quite common to use locktight fluid on brake nuts.

Always use locktight on mine

Haynes manuals usually tell you where it's needed on different bikes.

[Adam]

I use blue loctite it basically stops the bolt from moving but is easy to remove the bolt when you want too unlike the red one which is a permanent fixing.

You don't have to use it but why not? It's cheap enough and will give you that little bit extra piece of mind.

[Guest]

scanning the forums - this seems to be a bit of a controversial subject.

to my mind the difference is in language. is is recommended or required?

For my bikes - its simply not mentioned at all with regard to the Brake Calipers and I don't recall it being mentioned in past discussions about this part. If you do a lot of preventative maintenance (like I do) then I really don't see the point if its only 'recommended' - but if you 'fit and forget' until the pads need replacing. Then yes - why not.

So... some Japanese makers recommend its use on Caliper bolts. I learnt something new today.

[megawatt]

Been working on bikes and cars for 37 years and never used loctite. Tighten bolts properly and there,s no need. If worried about vibration, use a drop of silicone. Seen a lot of snapped bolts and stripped threads caused by loctite.

[Darkest-Star]

Couldn't loosen one of the nuts, I think I could have had both feet on the ratchet handle and still it might not have budged. The nut has become damaged with the effort. Local Suzuki dealer will have them to order in a week. I would have thought it would be an item to keep some of but never mind, brakes aren't affected.

[Grumpy Old Git]

Been working on bikes and cars for 37 years and never used loctite. Tighten bolts properly and there,s no need. If worried about vibration, use a drop of silicone. Seen a lot of snapped bolts and stripped threads caused by loctite.

Now 'Hermatite' is a different topic to discuss.