rounded allen bolt on brake calipers

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

stuart smith

Member
Location
Oxfordshire
my wife gave her bike to a mobile mechanic recently to service it and rectify a gear issue as i didn't have the time, she said he'd looked at the brakes as part of the service and said he couldn't get the front pads out.

When i came to look at it to replace both sets of pads he'd rounded the allen bolt head holding the pads in, what's the best way to tackle this problem?

Thanks in advance
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
can you not hold the allen key head with a pr of pliers and use another pr on the pads ?
 

Linford

Guest
Get a star drive bit and bang it in. Sometimes works but need a quality set of bits or it will round as well.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 

sidevalve

Über Member
Newish pair of mole grips on the bolt heads [if the moles are old they'll slip off] and pliers on the blocks.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
The mechanic roiunded the heaeds off, its his job to get them out .You would not expect this sort of service if you took your car in so why let someone effectivly render the bike potentially unsafe if you cant get the brake pads off when they wear ?
 

yello

Guest
Get a star drive bit and bang it in. Sometimes works but need a quality set of bits or it will round as well

That, or I've heard of folk gluing an allen key into the hex bolt using araldite or somesuch.

Personally never needed to do either on a bicycle as I've always been able to remove with grips/pliers.
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
The mechanic roiunded the heaeds off, its his job to get them out .You would not expect this sort of service if you took your car in so why let someone effectivly render the bike potentially unsafe if you cant get the brake pads off when they wear ?

No you wouldn't be happy with that. If you give anything to a professional to fix it that is what you expect..............it to be fixed.
OP should be on the phone asking him politely to please put his wrongs right.
 

yello

Guest
OP should be on the phone asking him politely to please put his wrongs right.

I personally don't get into that. Within reason, and for something 'trivial' like this, I just get it sorted myself and make a note not to use the person's services again. And also tell others of my experience.

I'm NOT suggesting the OP does the same though. That is entirely up to them.
 

Alun

Guru
Location
Liverpool
I personally don't get into that. Within reason, and for something 'trivial' like this, I just get it sorted myself and make a note not to use the person's services again. And also tell others of my experience.

I'm NOT suggesting the OP does the same though. That is entirely up to them.
+1 !
If he's tried ,failed and walked away without saying anything I wouldn't let him near the bike again.
Beware, the bolt is likely to be tight/seized or your man wouldn't have failed in the first place.
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
I personally don't get into that. Within reason, and for something 'trivial' like this, I just get it sorted myself and make a note not to use the person's services again. And also tell others of my experience.

I'm NOT suggesting the OP does the same though. That is entirely up to them.

Wouldnt disagree with your thoughts, but after parting with good money you may not be too pleased.
 

yello

Guest
Wouldnt disagree with your thoughts, but after parting with good money you may not be too pleased.

That's true - I wouldn't be at all pleased. I tend to chalk such things up to experience and write it off. Different strokes for different folks etc and I'd not be at all critical of someone for asking the bloke to 'put it right'.
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
That's true - I wouldn't be at all pleased. I tend to chalk such things up to experience and write it off. Different strokes for different folks etc and I'd not be at all critical of someone for asking the bloke to 'put it right'.

The saddest thing is that it is depriving someone of using her bike, especially given the recent lovely weather. Also the more people on bikes the more recognition from car drivers hopefully and the improvement to our nations health.
 
Top Bottom