Brake caliper bolts

stever1

Elderly n deluded I’m told.
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My 2010 R1200 GS has rusty front brake caliper mouting bolts at 18Mths old with only 12000 miles on it. Has anyone had this problem ?. Did BMW change them, if not can you get any different replacement bolts IE stainless.
 
My 2010 R1200 GS has rusty front brake caliper mouting bolts at 18Mths old with only 12000 miles on it. Has anyone had this problem ?. Did BMW change them, if not can you get any different replacement bolts IE stainless.

I just changed mine with the kit from shaw stainless. look great, but there is a debate about using SS on brakes.
 
+1 for Shaw Stainless. Bought the whole kit and did the lot. Very happy with the result. Chris is a very helpful chap and has great customer service.
 
I just changed mine with the kit from shaw stainless. look great, but there is a debate about using SS on brakes.

the wrong spec s/s could be lethal, as long as they are designed for the application you should be fine

they also need some anti seize (to prevent galling)
 
Please bear in mind I don't claim to know what I am talking about but I'm sure my Triumph Sprint had stainless calliper bolts and I recollect a conversation with the dealer about tensile strength. I just Googled it and I get the sense that anything above 10.9 tensile strength would be O.K. Any Engineers around?
 
I've had stainless in mine for 4 years and 1000's of miles and hard braking and guess what, they ain't broke:augie
 
My 2010 R1200 GS has rusty front brake caliper mouting bolts at 18Mths old with only 12000 miles on it. Has anyone had this problem ?. Did BMW change them, if not can you get any different replacement bolts IE stainless.

Does it matter they're a bit rusty - I would just ignore it
 
Please bear in mind I don't claim to know what I am talking about but I'm sure my Triumph Sprint had stainless calliper bolts and I recollect a conversation with the dealer about tensile strength. I just Googled it and I get the sense that anything above 10.9 tensile strength would be O.K. Any Engineers around?

people are correctly pointing out the inferior shear strength of SS bolts, but i rather doubt that they are actually in shear anyway. i'd suggest it's their tensile strength clamping the callipers to the fork leg, and it's friction stopping them rotating :nenau
 
people are correctly pointing out the inferior shear strength of SS bolts, but i rather doubt that they are actually in shear anyway. i'd suggest it's their tensile strength clamping the callipers to the fork leg, and it's friction stopping them rotating :nenau

Not like a rear drum torque arm bolt then, when a stainless one of those shears.

:eek:

Does anybody know if Titanium is suitable?
 
There has to be 1000's of SS kits fitted to bikes. Most of these include calliper an disc bolts. Has anyone heard any horror stories of them shearing?
No?
Me neither. In this day and age the first one that did we would all know about it. Guys like Chris Shaw wouldn't put themselves in line for a manslaughter charge would they?

I reckon I'll have more chance being knocked off (again) by somebody I had dazzled with my HID's :D
 
I rode around for 10 years with S/S bolts in the brakes of an R100RT and a few more years in an R1100RT, has anyone ever heard of a S/S bolts breaking on a bike? because I haven’t :nenau
 
I rode around for 10 years with S/S bolts in the brakes of an R100RT and a few more years in an R1100RT, has anyone ever heard of a S/S bolts breaking on a bike? because I haven’t :nenau

Er, yes.

On a Honda SS50.

I had put it there,cos it was shiny.

I was 16.

I'm glad I hadn't fitted it to a bigger bike.

Scoff as you will,fit what you like. Dont really care.

I was cured of using shiny s/s bolts in brakes sometime in 1976.
 
My 2010 R1200 GS has rusty front brake caliper mouting bolts at 18Mths old with only 12000 miles on it. Has anyone had this problem ?. Did BMW change them, if not can you get any different replacement bolts IE stainless.

I had the same problem with my 2004 GS about a year into ownership (from new). BMW won't replace them but I bought some from Pro Bolt. They offered titanium or A4 stainless. I went for stainless and had four trouble free years on my discs, caliper pinch and mounting bolts. Most of the cheaper alternatives are A2 stainless so I would contact Pro Bolt. These guys are very helpful. My 2010 GS is just starting to suffer the same problem so I'll be going back to them.

I have no affiliation to this company. You can find them on
www.pro-bolt.com
They do a pinch set for the GS in stainless for £13.66 (I think thats per caliper) and the pinch bolts are £24.66 for 8. The disc mounting bolts are £44.22 for 10. These are not cheap and I'm sure there are cheaper items out there, but you get what you pay for and I for one wouldn't take chances with my safety.
 
i think the only significant difference between A2 and A4 stainless is their resistance to corrosion. happy to be put straight on that though.

A2 has always been fine for me.
 
Most A2/A4 sold is used in industries such as catering. It is not suitable for any brake or suspension application. A2/A4 is generally supplied as chemistry only, i.e it only has to have the correct ratio of nickel/chrome. It is not tested to any close specification and can depending on how it is produced be positively dangerous in stress applications and be only be used for cosmetic and low corrosion environments. Unless the bolts come with full chemistry and physical testing certificates, leave well alone. Engineering fastener technology is a science and a hell of a lot of work goes into the specification of fasteners in industry. Make your own choice, proven technology with a bit of rust or nice shiny chewing gum
 
My zx9r had stainless disc bolts and chromed steel caliper bolts as standard if I remember :confused:
 


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