This appears to be a common problem - stripping the threads out of the rear brake caliper brackets.

For the time being I have removed one of the washers on the bolt in question (left side rear caliper mount bolt) which gave me enough of the remaining threads to tighten the bolt down sufficiently.

Obviously this is something I want to fix properly.

Options that I can think of:

1) buy used caliper brackets
2) buy new caliper brackets
3) repair with helicoils
4) rethread for larger bolt
5) wrap some heavy wire through that sucker and forget it.

Ok, #5 gets thrown out immediately. Just because it came to mind doesn't make it any good.

#1 is not so good - just might happen again the first time I use them.

#2 would work, but again, eventually the threads will strip

#4 - don't like having to document/remember yet another non standard part on this car.

That leaves #3, which seems to be less expensive than new caliper brackets at ~$50 each. This would also provide steel threads that are not likely to strip.

Question is this: Has anyone here used helicoils to repair these threads?

If so, did you run into any issues installing them?

Any issues crop up later?

 

Option 6 - buy a reman caliper
it should come with a bracket. i think....

 

3 Helicoils

 

There needs to be a time cost analysis for these options. All of which depend on your mechanical abilities, funding, and readiness of fix.

 

You're joking, right?

I'm not asking for a time cost analysis, don't care which one costs more or less, nor which one takes the most or least time.

Please re-read the questions.

 

That would still leave me with threads that are likely to strip though.

 

I stripped the threads on my 1993 a few years back. Upon examination, it was clear that those four bolts aren't long enough to reach all the threads - it seemed to miss by roughly the thickness of the washer, making me think maybe the engineers made some last minute change to add the washer without lengthening the bolt.

I fixed it by replacing with a used bracket, and replacing all the bolts with slightly longer ones that reached all the threads. I was careful to get some high strength bolts, probably from McMaster but I don't recall anymore. Since then I've been more careful with the torque wrench, too.

If you don't want to replace the bracket, I would re-tap for the next larger bolt rather than use helicoils there. It isn't a good place to be creative with the fastener.