I have a 98 Subie OBW that needed a front brake job. It needed rotors and pads. The brake job went bad when I sheared off the lower bolt head that attaches the caliper bracket to the spindle assembly. I guess after 11 years, the bolt is really rusted on. I reassembled, and drove the car to my mechanic's shop.

 

I am hopes my mechanic will be able to drill out the remaining portion of the bolt. If he isn't able to do that, is my only option to go to a wrecking yard and buy a used spindle assembly?

 

Any thoughts and advise greatly appreciated!

He should be able to get it out.

 

Heck I just stock a few of those bolts now.

 

Common issue. You may need a caliper bracket though. I usually replace them when this happens.

Nah, you won't have to buy a new spindle.

 

Worst case scenario if you can't get the bolt out is to drill a hole in the existing bolt (still stuck in the knuckle). Those bolts are huge, won't be hard to drill and tap for a smaller bolt.

 

Like you probably did to get it to the shop, I've driven a vehicle with only one bolt holding the bracket to the knuckle. In my case it was because all but one lug nut sheared off at the same time on one wheel. I was hundreds of miles from home at 3am. Those caliper bolts were the same thread as lug nuts, so I removed one from each side to use as lug nuts. That gave me 3 out of 5 lugs to finish the trip.

 

I've driven a vehicle with only one bolt holding the bracket to the knuckle. In my case it was because all but one lug nut sheared off at the same time on one wheel. I was hundreds of miles from home at 3am. Those caliper bolts were the same thread as lug nuts, so I removed one from each side to use as lug nuts. That gave me 3 out of 5 lugs to finish the trip.

 

 

You gotta quit drinking like that!

 

Who in the world maintained that car?

Just got my Subie back from the shop. Guys there fished out the rest of the bolt after applying torch heat. I bought a bolt from Ace hardware, and took it with me to the shop. For $68, I feel blessed to get out of this mess for that amount of money.

You gotta quit drinking like that!

 

Who in the world maintained that car?

ha. actually i did, owned that car for many years and miles. randomly 4 out of 5 lug nuts sheared off almost instantaneously doing about 75 on I-85 through Charlotte. I mean, I'm sure it's something I did it's not like that "just happens", but i really have no idea what. It had hundreds, if not thousands of miles on it prior so I don't think it was just "not tight enough", but who knows.