Okay, so I changed out the steel brake lines on my truck, as one blew (the one running down the driver side between the frame and gas tank), and the other ones looked like they were about to. Everything went easy until I went to bleed the brakes. Turns out the last person to bleed the brakes striped the bleeder screws. I've tried everything to get them out, but they just won't budge.

Some one told me that I could try just driving up and down my lane way (I have a 2km lane way with very little hills and hardly any turns, and NO traffic), and just keep hitting the brakes and filling up the brake fluid when needed.

To me this sounds like a bad idea, but if it saves me the $60 in getting two new front callipers, then it might be worth a try. Anyone ever try this?

 

If there stripped, you might be better off just buying some new or remaned unloaded calipers. being able to stop on YOUR terms is really underestimated. If you decided to keep the same calipers on your truck, let us know where you'll be driving so we know. jk

 

I never heard of that and I've been around a long time.

 

+1 Yeah, talk about a shady tree mechanic. It's more like a Moonshine Mechanic in that persons case.

 

have you tried putting a good pair of vise grips on the bleeders? that should work.

so did you open up and replace front lines? if not, then the fronts should be ok. if only the rears need bleeding, those little wheel cylinders are only about $10 each.

 

Yes I replaced lines for both the front and the rear brakes, and yep, I've tried vice grips. I've used heat and penetrating oil, and given it a little tap with a hammer, In fact I tried doing that for about an hour, and still no luck. The screws are .... well .... uhh .... screwed!

So far it's sounding like replacing the callipers is the best bet. Unless anyone has any last comments.

 

It's your call, but I think its a lost cause.

 

Thats what Id do..brakes are way too important to blow off.

 

if money was no object, i'd just replace them. if no money, i'd try breaking them off, tap an ease-out in, and try that. if no go, then id drill out the center and try again. put grease on the drill bit to catch shavings.

 

++!

I keep a small assortment of steel bushings in my toolbox for these unwonderful occasions. If a bleeder screw even looks like it's going to be a PITA, I select the bushing that will just barely fit over the nipple, slide it on there, and bash on it with the BFH. Then, the magic in a can comes out: CRC Freeze-Off. That stuff puts PB Blaster to shame.

If that won't do the trick (with a six-point socket, never an open end wrench and never a 12-point socket) then I proceed just as dvaughan suggests. It's very rare that it doesn't get that bleeder screw out.

If you manage to salvage the caliper that way, you might want to replace the bleeder screw with these nifty speed bleeder screws. After chasing the threads in the calipers, of course, so the rust that's left behind doesn't chew up the high zoot coating.