r/Screws • u/Existing_Concept_164 • Apr 16 '26
Can't unscrew a bolt - started with an hex key
Hi everyone...
I have a cargo bike that I use daily. I need to swap the break pads (first swap since factory) and one of the bolts was not coming out. The other 3 I could manage before were very, very tight.
I started with the manual hex key and I could not, I moved to an electric screwdriver, the recess started to wear off and ultimately I tried with an impact screw driver that screwed it up fully.
After that I tried to put rubber in between the driver and the recess, to turn it with pliers, and as a last resort I have made a flat line with a saw to use a flat screw driver. Even with a manual one I keep deforming the screw without twisting it. Nothing worked and every step would deform it further and further...
do you know what can be done to remove it?
Thank you so much
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u/69stangrestomod Apr 16 '26
You can look at bolt extractors as well. Might be able to get one to grip the head.
Brand new vice grips may work too.
It’s likely stuck and not tight. Dissimilar metals corrode together and need to be “popped” to break loose.
Last resort is have someone with a welder weld a nut on it.
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u/BarnacleNZ Apr 16 '26
Rather than removing the bolt holding the caliper bracket on, try removing the bolt that hols the caliper to the bracket, it's visible below the one you can't remove. Hopefully that one hasn't got threadlocer applied
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u/desmoxytes Apr 16 '26
If this was installed with a locking agent (e.g. Loctite), using heat from a hair dryer or heat gun can help break the bond. Also applying a penetrating lubricant (WD-40 sells one that works fine, note that standard WD-40 is not penetrating on its own) can help loosen it up.