Sounds pretty stupid to me, especially when it comes time to do pad changes. BUT the fact remains that my LS1 caliper bolts keep loosening up. I lost the driver side bottom bolt a month ago, causing the bottom of the caliper to drag against the inside of the rim. Same thing about a week ago with the driver side top caliper bolt.

Being the idiot I am, I ordered a 25$ caliper bolt from GM before I found out that you can get the same one for less than a buck at home depot (so I bought 4).

I tighten them down well enough but I dont understand why they keep falling out. Anyone else with this problem?

 

Yes, use Loctite RED or another brand of RED threadlocker. Thing is that the bolts you are using aren't made to GM specs and due to lower tolerances in casting, have less % of thread engagement than the stock bolts do. You can use a RED threadlocker or your best bet would be to use SS safety wiring, just drill the bolt heads for the wire to go thru. This will take care of it.

Ed

 

great....I appreciate it. This is great customer service! I just didnt want to be the idiot who "used locktite on his caliper bolts" without knowing if I should do it or not.

 

I just completed the LS1 upgrade a couple of weeks ago, and after 1 week the lower bolt on the drivers side fell out while I was on the freeway. Luckily I was still able to stop. I took it back to Dyno Don and had the bolt replaced. He was going to use blue locktight but he was out so he used star washers instead I see how it goes, now.

 

I would use locktite, preferably blue, on any of the caliper bolts that are thread engagement only as they may back out. The older GM iron calipers (non-1LE fronts for example) fit through a rubber o-ring on the outer part of the caliper and have very little tendency to come out so I've never put anything on those bolts in particular.

Sitting here wishing I knew what the LS1 bolt arrangement is. If its the style that has a caliper slider inside the caliper with rubber boots and the bolt is short (about 1-1.5") and fits on one end of the caliper, definitely blue locktite those. Any bolts that are for a mounting bracket that go into or through the spindle, use red locktite on those.