Many Hummer H1 owners out there have had the dreaded “backed out rotor bolt” monster rear its ugly head. The bolts that hold the half-shaft and rotor to the output flange at the differential have a nasty habit of backing out once in a while. If you are lucky, you hear it before it becomes a problem, as the heads “tick” against the components of your brakes. If you are unlucky, you don’t notice -- and the backed out bolt hits hard and breaks off… and then his friends start to back out. If that rotor side of the half-shaft breaks loose altogether, it turns into a flailing club that turns twice for every revolution of the tire. As you can imagine, it can do some real damage.
Until recently, the only solution available that ensured these bolts would stay put was a kit offered by Rod Hall Products, consisting of half-shaft bolts with heads that are pre-drilled for safety wire to hold them from twisting out of place. The kit includes everything needed, but it is expensive and requires some skill to install properly. It is a great option for a serious racer, but not ideal for the typical H1 owner.
Enter Rob Everhart of H123andMore LLC. He invented a simple but clever two-piece locking mechanism to ensure these pesky bolts won’t back out. The bag of 26 stainless steel pieces (12 locking pairs plus a spare pair) sells for around $100, which is pretty cheap insurance when you consider the amount of potential damage should those bolts turn loose.
Installation is simple; a hydraulic vehicle lift helps make things faster, but with a jack and a creeper you can get it done. Other tools required are a socket for the bolts, a ratchet with a short extension, a pair of strong pliers, and a small hammer. To do the job right, you will also want to pick up a full set of 24 new rotor bolts with 48 nord-lock washers from your favorite Hummer parts supplier, and you will also want to wrangle up a torque wrench.
To install the first pair of locks, remove a pair of rotor bolts and throw them into a spare parts bin in your truck (you probably won’t need –em yourself, but keep them just in case someone else loses a bolt or two down the road!) Slide the tabbed half of the retainers onto two of the new rotor bolts, with the tabs facing towards the head of the bolts.
Next, add a matching pair of nord-locks onto each bolt. Note that the washers will fit between the locking plate and the rotor, NOT between the retainer and the bolt head. Make sure you apply the washers with the ramp sides towards one another, and smaller ridges facing the outside. If you are using OEM bolts for the rotors, they will come with a yellow thread-locker already applied. If not, apply red thread-locker to each bolt, and then install the combination on the rotor.
Torque to 57 ft-lbs, and then slide the other half of the locking mechanism onto the bolt heads. If the plate doesn’t fit exactly onto both bolt heads, you may need to use a screwdriver to pry the plate into position over the heads. Once you have done this, use the pliers to pry the tabs out and flatten them out. Use a small hammer to carefully finish the flattening. Repeat for the remaining bolts on all four half-shafts, and you are locked in!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et... Read more
Looking for a certified H1 technician to service your HUMMER H1? Look no further! Tustin HUMMER has the #1 HUMMER H1 service center on the West Coast! Tustin HUMMER is th... Read more
Many Hummer H1 owners out there have had the dreaded “backed out rotor bolt” monster rear its ugly head. The bolts that hold the half-shaft and rotor to the output fl... Read more
