Here's a dumb question but hopefully one that someone will know off the top of their head. On the stock '84 calipers, what is the correct tool I should be using for the caliper bolts, the ones with the heads facing toward the center of the car? Is it a regular allen head hex type or is it a torx type and what size should it be? I didn't have a mirror to look at it with and the car is dropped down too low for me to get my big mellon anywhere close to where I could see the bolt head. I could have sworn at one time that I had the right size and type driver, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was and nothing that I tried fit.

Thanks in advance!

T-47 Torx

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11 Camaro SS/RS
86 Fiero GT
03 Silverado 3500 Duramax! (Stacked, Tuned, Mean as Hell)
07 Suburban LT2
09 Avalanche LT3

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86: i'm sure i could fly a plane no problem.

T-50 on both cars of mine...

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

I'm using a T-50, but it seems loose, like a T-55 might be better. Most new bolts sold seem to be 8mm allen, so you pretty much have to look. Without a compelling reason to do otherwise I would keep the Torx head ones you probably have. Torx are less likely to strip and are probably a better grade metal than most that you can buy or that come with calipers. The only Torx bolts I could find new were at Advance, but even they were unmarked, meaning 8.8. The better ones have a little 10.9 on the end of the head. That's a higher grade bolt. I did get some 10.9's with my new calipers, but they're 8mm allen. I also got a couple that weren't even metric...

quote Originally posted by 85 SE VIN 9: I'm using a T-50, but it seems loose, like a T-55 might be better. Most new bolts sold seem to be 8mm allen, so you pretty much have to look. Without a compelling reason to do otherwise I would keep the Torx head ones you probably have. Torx are less likely to strip and are probably a better grade metal than most that you can buy or that come with calipers. The only Torx bolts I could find new were at Advance, but even they were unmarked, meaning 8.8. The better ones have a little 10.9 on the end of the head. That's a higher grade bolt. I did get some 10.9's with my new calipers, but they're 8mm allen. I also got a couple that weren't even metric...

T-55 maybe some aftermarket or helps rust eating the holes.

Class making? Only marking I know of is 4 dots and none of the chart I can find doesn't list 4 dots/dashes/etc...
the outside slider is SS I think.

These Sliders doesn't carry much brake load. Brake load from the pads put the force on the cast iron bracket.
Red zone need some lube because they get the pad load when brakes is applied.

Hmmm... Maybe I'll have to try my Torx bit's again. I tried a #50 and it seemed too big. I didn't know there was such a thing as a #47, or does that just fit the muffler bearings? I also didn't try my 8mm Allen. I think I'll re-arm myself with all of the above suggestions and throw in a mirror and a flashlight for good measure. This is WAY so simple of a problem to get too hung up on...

Thanks for the answers!

The markings I learned about in the Haynes manual in the beginning pages. I have some caliper bolts right here, the better one has a little "10.9" engraved in the rim of the allen socket.

I found my T-47 at a Menards. That's also the size the Fierostore sells. There is a cheap set at Harbor Freight that includes a T-50, plus one smaller and one larger. I think it was just a few bucks. Lisle sells something similar for a little more. Sears has a nice set of Torx bits for twenty-five or so. They also have a metric allen wrench socket set for twenty, I think. I got my 8mm hex impact bit from Grainger, but that was a hassle. It might be better to have more than one tool and just try them; it's dark in there and there could be all sorts of different bolts on any one car.

The Haynes manual says it's T-50.

It seemed like a huge problem to me as well, but once I got started it turned out to be no big deal. The bolts all turned easily after the first little struggle. All the bolts I've encountered so far on my car have been T-50. I must have ten new caliper bolts (and sleeves) and might not use any of them. I even investigated getting titanium bolts, but people on the forum said don't sweat it, just use the ones on the car. So far they have been absolutely right.

Cool, I'll stop at Menards and pick up the T-47 too. Heck, I'm there maybe 8 days a week anyway so it won't be a special trip. Otherwise, I think I should be set. Not a big problem to overcome. Who knows, maybe I just wasn't holding my mouth right as they say...

On the kids '87 GT, one front caliper had T-50 torex bolts and the other one had allen bolts. I only noticed becuase somebody had tightened the torex set up so tight that I raised the lift all the way up to get in behind them to get better leverage. The T-50 fit nice and tight. I think that I am using a GM-Goodrich torex socket set that I bought at O'Reilly auto parts a few years ago. Decent quality and reasonably priced. I forget the Allen size for the other one, I had an allen socket for brakes that fit, but it was smaller than the one I have used in the last to removed the stock caliper bolts in my '82 Camaro and other GM vehicles.

OEM it should be a T-50 torx bit. It can take a bit of jukin' to get in there, since road grime may have accumulated around the head. Make sure you clean it really good before you apply a tool to the bolt head.

Some replacement rebuilt calipers down the line swapped the torx bolt out to an allen head. It's fairly common to have had this happened when dealing with calipers that may have been replaced, but I cannot tell you the reason why. You'll need to look in behind the hub assembly at the backside of the caliper and see if you have a torx head bolt there or an allen head bolt. I believe the correct allen head size tool if it's an allen head is typically 5/16"ths.

[This message has been edited by Fiero84Freak (edited 05-11-2012).]

I had the same problem yesterday. while removing the rear pssenger side I t seamed like the t-50 was too sloppy, but a t-55 wont fit.. I got the book out, it says t-50. so i used it and was just careful to keep it aligned straight with the bolt, and it worked..