I stripped this torx bolt on the front rotor.

A couple questions:
-Is it safe to drill it out?
-Is it a MB special bolt (gotta get it from the dealer)?
-Is it the only bolt holding on the rotor?

 

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

Cheers, Frank

 

OH NO WAY I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM 4 DAYS AGO. GOOD LUCK IT'S A PAIN IN THE *** TO GET IT OUT. Make sure to buy new screws at the dealer they're about $1.50/ea

 

if you havent started drilling it out yet than simply take a center punch and walk it out by creating a dimple head on than bang it in the loosening direction.a couple of whacks and it will break loose,then use whats left of the allen headand remove it.it is sometimes best to use this method from the start when you have that much corrosion.a good penetrant oil will surley help also.and yes that is the only bolt used to locate the rotor on the hub,the lug bolts are actually what give it the structural integrity.and it is a special bolt designed to recess in the rotor.if there is anything left of the old ones than i wouldent let the car sit because of the old hardware,simply reinstall the old bolts with just enough torque to secure them and replace them "asap".

 

++1 Great Explanation Cobra!!! I usually use the tap method by default now because they are so easy to come out that way.

 

I think I screwed myself. I drilled and drilled some more until I drilled through the entire screw. It still wouldn't come out. I made sure to use a drill bit smaller than the diameter of the screw though, so I wouldn't damage the hub threads.

I'm sitting here with a drilled through screw. Help me.

 

Drill it out.....I had this same problem. I drive hard, and the heat from the rotors caused the bolt to be sucked in. Make sure you us a smaller bit than the screw and it will come out. FYI that lil bolt just keeps the rotor from moving when u put your lugs through. It by no means holds the rotor in place, the pressure from the lugs is what holds it in place. You can drive safely with out it. Its just a pain in the *** keeping your holes in line when you try to bolt your rim on.

 

ALAS - all is not lost. Stop your panic my man - by drilling through the bolt you are half way to extraction it's easy.

You need to get something like this.....http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silverline-Too...d=p3286.c0.m14

Granted it's not a quality piece of tooling but it will certainly get you out of a corner.

Old trick for an older problem. You wind the extractor into the broken bolt (hole drilled through first as you have already done) in an anticlockwise fashion (reverse thread) all the way until it stops. The tool bites in to the fabric of the bolt and you just keep going until it starts to unwind for you.

Plenty of penetrating oil here, Buy a decent set because if you snap the tool then you really are gonna be sweating a bit.

Trust me. This works.

Where there's a will there is indeed a relative.

B320

 

Oh yeah.... and when u fit your nice shiny new bolt smear it with a heat resistant grease like :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COPPER-Ease-Gr...d=p3286.c0.m14

so it frees up nicely next time.

A good smear on the contact points of caliper to brake pad works wonders for squeal and disassembly next time round.

Also good to stop alloy rims sticking onto steel discs (rotors i think you guys call 'em) and drums.


MB320

 

im seeing you drilling all the way through the bolt shank on center,no damage to threads yet.good work,to drill that far on center and not get the threads is lucky!.now take a larger bit,abouts 2/3rds the size of the bolt head and drill again,the bolt head will fall away and you can remove the rotor.grab whats left of the bolt shank with a vice grip and gently twist it out.if it still wont move than apply a localized heat to the area around the bolt,not alot,just enough to slightly expand the material around the bolt shank.try not to apply any heat to the shank,just slightly heat the hub at the bolt area.also give the bolt shank a couple of taps straight on before trying the vice grips to try to break the corrosive hold.

 

You're doing alright now just get something called a reverse drill bit and that should get whats remaining out. This is the way mechanics do it!

 

so is it out and you are driving down the road with a set of brand new pads and rotors?

 

Yes and no: https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3038775