Stripped brake pad screw

[Arnabio]

I just purchased some used SRAM Red brakes and some swiss stop pads from elsewhere for them. When I put the allen key into the screw holding the pad to the shoe (the small one, not the shoe to the brake), it was stripped.

Anyone have any ideas short of new shoes or drilling the screw out?

Thanks,

Aaron

[Peter P.]

Fill the screw hole with epoxy or high strength loctite, and set your allen wrench in the screw hole to cure.

After curing, try turning the screw. If you can't get a replacement screw from a bike shop, try a hardware store, using the screw from the other pad as a reference.

[Arnabio]

Tanks for the suggestion. Hadn't thought of that. I've got a new screw that came with the pads. Odd thing is that both of the pads on that caliper are stripped while the other one is just fine. Ah well, something to try tomorrow.

Thanks

[fogrider]

From your description I'm not sure what is stripped, the threads on the pad holder or the screw? if it was the screw, it should be easy to find another screw, but I would guess that its the pad holder...the question is how bad is it stripped? if it's not bad, blue locktight should work. if it's bad, you may have to tap it for a larger allen bolt. or get new pad holders.

[shaq-d]

that's why i like the koolstop eagle 2

http://gspiess.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/eagle2-thread.jpg

[Arnabio]

From your description I'm not sure what is stripped, the threads on the pad holder or the screw? if it was the screw, it should be easy to find another screw, but I would guess that its the pad holder...the question is how bad is it stripped? if it's not bad, blue locktight should work. if it's bad, you may have to tap it for a larger allen bolt. or get new pad holders.

Now that I look at my posts I indeed did not explain myself all that well.

What is stripped is the screw head, where the Allen inserts. I am going to try the lock tite suggestion today.

Thanks all.

[xjoex]

I have used a dremel to remove stripped screws with much success:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Remove-a-stripped-screw-or-bolt./


But even better, Sears sell this thing they call a "Screw-Out":

http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/9990000031818211?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1&qlt= 90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

They work wonders on small bike sized screws, I have used my set for at least 12 years.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00952154000P

-Joe

[loisal]

On each outer brake pad on a 95 90 there is a hold-down spring that is
secured in place by two interference-fit screws. I just replaced my pads
yesterday, and as I was tightening the screws down, one of them (naturally
the last screw on the last pad on the last wheel I was working on) bottomed
out in the hole before the spring was tight. I didn't realize it had bottomed out,
since with the interference fit I thought it was just harder to turn. Bottom line,
the screw stripped, leaving one end of the spring loose. The parts vendor
says there must have been something wrong with the screw and won't replace
the pads. Suggestions? Is that interference screw available anywhere. The
dealer says he doesn't have just the screws.

[CaptStash]

If the epoxy trick doesn't work, you could go with the old hack saw to make a screw driver slot plan. Carefully cut a slot in the screw head with a hacksaw (or a needle file if you have one). The hard part is staying clear of the caliper.

CaptStash....

[Ken Robb]

sometimes I can remove a stripped hex-head by gently hammering a hex bit into the "stripped" bolt head because it isn't always stripped all the way to the bottom. This requires a solid backing behind the pad holder.

[Arnabio]

Success at getting the screws out.

On one I used a screw extractor before I realized that i had access to a dremel. The dremel worked wonders on the second one.

Now I am faced with a new challenge: Getting the stupid old pads out. They're stuck in there pretty good. I managed to break up the first (closest to the way out for the pads) 1/3 or the pad out of one of them, but they are both stuck pretty well.

Any suggestions?

Aaron

[Ken Robb]

cutting wheel in your Dremel---cut into pieces?