Caliper bolts not going in all the way

[goatmonkey]

Trying to change pads & rotors on my 2002 Sonoma. Got everything seated but when I try and tighten the caliper bolts, there's a LOT of resistance after a few turns. Everything was pretty rusted up, but once I broke them free, it was easy to get them out. Everything looks relatively clean and it doesn't look like they're cross-threading. Am I missing something?

 

[dirtclod]

Having never done GMC brakes, I can offer only generic info. Your cheapest option would be to remove the caliper and see if you can thread the bolt. My most common problem is getting the calipers and bolt holes perfectly aligned. A drift pin (a big fat ice pick) can be invaluable for alignment. On rusty bolts and nuts a tap and die set is handy. It will straighten out any problem thread. Check to see if the bolts are the same size. Some times the bolt will have a shoulder on it, a design feature, next to the hex head. Good luck

 

[Smoky02]

You could look at a brake hardware kit for this, they are not a lot of money and if you replace the pins (bolts) as well you will find the job is much easier to to.

 

[goatmonkey]

Yeah I might look at both front brake assemblies. They're like $50-ish preassembled without pads at the local auto store.

I think I cross-threaded them. What will happen if I just tighten them anyway? Can I still use the caliper until I can replace it?

 

[dirtclod]

It depends on how many threads are stripped. I'd chase the threads with a tap and die. Those bolts have a torque spec. If you achieve the proper torque, you're good.