Copper grease on threads

[dezzy]

Apologies if this is a bit of a daft question . . .

I'm aware that it's a good idea to stick a wee bit of copper grease on your wheel bolts before threading them back on to stop them seizing up and being impossible to remove in future. I was changing my brake pads today and so, as well as using copper grease on the pads, I put some on the bolts before putting the wheels back on.

When I change my rear pads, I always detach the calipers from the hub to make it easier to get into the inside rear pads. The bolt that attaches the caliper to the hub was really seized up, but eventually loosened off and I then managed to detach the caliper from the hub.

So, my silly question is . . . should I stick some coppergrease on that bolt too? Just wondering if there's ever a situation where doing this is a bad idea? The bolt seamed really really tight so I'm not sure if it was intended to be that way and had threadlock on it or something like that? There was some stuff on the thread that looked like it might have been threadlock.

Cheers,
D

[meatball]

I think there is meant to be threadlock on it?
It gets torqued to 45Nm too?
Or am I talking cack again?

[alicrozier]

Yup, I would threadlock it. Rule of thumb, any safty critical bolt you're not going to regularly check.
I put copper grease on the wheel bolts (threads only), some folks don't...

Aside:
Tension in the bolt is a function of the applied torque and the friction between bolt head and wheel and between threads and hubs. Grease will reduce the friction at the threads so for a given torque will increase the tension in the bolts. Theoretically you could reduce the torque a little but they will also take less to get out...

I just use the book torques (105Nm for the Exige), check them after first drive then again fairly regularly - before trackdays etc.

[fd]

Threadlock everything . . . it stops corrosion on the threads and stops anything coming loose . . . get into the habit . . . wheel bolts I use anti seize on and set the torque with a torque wrench, it's very easy to over tighten things . . . wheel bolts especially . . .

Fd

[meatball]

Ali,
I was talking about the bolt on the rear caliper?
I don't know if you thought I meant the wheels?

What has happened to my typing of late?

[alicrozier]

Ali,
I was talking about the bolt on the rear caliper?
I don't know if you thought I meant the wheels?

What has happened to my typing of late?

No, no, gotcha.

[woody]

Threadlock on the rear caliper bolts if anything.... remember what happened to the bolt on the pink hire-car elise.

[tenkfeet]

I copper slip the unthreaded part of the bolts front and rear I also copper slip everything on the brakes bar the threads , makes taking apart really easy in the future .

The lotus dry assembly is just ridiculous .

[dezzy]

Cheers guys. I'll get some threadlock for the caliper bolt. Don't know if I'll be able to fit my torque wrench in to get at that bolt though for the 45Nm suggested by meatball.

I do torque all my wheel bolts to 105Nm, as per the book

Cheers,
D

[Rich H]

45Nm = medium tight

Use a 9" ratchet and one hand, then do it up as tight as you can like that, should be fine

Rememebr threadlock acts as a lubricant for inserting bolts too (Until it sets!) so the tourqe figures should be slightly lower than book if it's dry assembled. If your doing it properly that is!

[tenkfeet]

I have a small torque wrench you can borrow if you want .

[vxc]

yeah tenk feet will lube up at any oppurtunity!

[tenkfeet]

yeah tenk feet will lube up at any oppurtunity!

[dezzy]

Another silly question then . . . I appreciate threadlock is required because this is a safety-critical bolt, but just how difficult is this going to be when I need to get the bolt out again next time I change the pads or whatever? Is it going to be nearly impossible or does the threadlock just break eventually after applying some force?

Alan, you coming climbing on Thursday night? If so, could I pinch the small torque wrench then? No worries if not, I'll just use Rich's suggested method

Cheers,
D

[David]

Another silly question then . . . I appreciate threadlock is required because this is a safety-critical bolt, but just how difficult is this going to be when I need to get the bolt out again next time I change the pads or whatever? Is it going to be nearly impossible or does the threadlock just break eventually after applying some force?

Alan, you coming climbing on Thursday night? If so, could I pinch the small torque wrench then? No worries if not, I'll just use Rich's suggested method

Cheers,
D

The thread lock doesn't require much to break. As already said, it seals the threads and prevents corrosion which is often a bigger problem when it comes to undoing things.