Serious question, I used to swear by threadlocker on every bolt until a stripped caliper mount on a Tuesday night ride

Holly Palmer · 2026-10-06T17:50:05.26994+00:00

Last Tuesday I was swapping pads on my commuter in the garage and went to pull the caliper bolts, and one just spun and spun because I'd gone way too heavy on the blue stuff and it had basically welded itself in there. I ended up drilling it out at 11pm with a corded drill and a $14 extractor set from the hardware store down on 5th, and I sat there wondering why I ever bothered with threadlocker on caliper bolts in the first place. A guy who runs a shop in Portland told me once that clean threads and a torque wrench to spec is all you need, and I blew him off back then. Now I've got a clicker wrench I use on every bolt on the bike and I haven't had one back out yet in about 8 months of daily riding. The stripped mount cost me a whole evening and a new bolt kit, and honestly I'm still a little mad at myself. So what are you all actually doing for caliper and stem bolts, bare threads and proper torque, or is there a spot where you still reach for the lock?

Rigidtalk

Loading…

Serious question, I used to swear by threadlocker on every bolt until a stripped caliper mount on a Tuesday night ride | Bicycle Mechanics - Rigidtalk