Acura CL 1997-1999 Brake System Bolt Torque Specifications

Correct torque is crucial for brake safety. Over-tightening can stretch or break bolts, leading to component failure and potentially causing loss of braking power. Under-tightening can cause components to loosen, creating noises, vibrations, and ultimately, brake failure. For example, a loose caliper bracket bolt can cause the caliper to shift, impacting braking effectiveness.

While you might get away with 'feel' in some non-critical areas, using a torque wrench is essential for brake components. Guessing torque can lead to uneven clamping pressure, over-tightening, or under-tightening. This is dangerous, as brake performance relies on even distribution of force. For example, tightening a caliper bolt by 'feel' might cause it to overtighten at the first thread, leading to failure, or loosen over time.

Generally, it is not recommended for most brake caliper bolts, specifically on the 1997-1999 Acura CL. These bolts typically have self locking features. However, some aftermarket components may require it. If you are replacing bolts with aftermarket ones always refer to the bolt spec sheet. However, on some bolts like the brake caliper bracket bolts, a small dab of low strength threadlocker, like Loctite 242 (blue) may be used. This would add an extra measure of security to prevent the bolt from working itself loose in extreme scenarios, but ensure the correct torque is achieved with threadlocker present.

It's generally advised to replace critical brake bolts (especially those that are torque-to-yield), particularly those that secure the caliper brackets. While you may be able to reuse bolts such as those securing the brake line to the caliper in certain instances after inspecting them for thread integrity, replacing all critical hardware is the safest and most reliable practice. Using new bolts ensures the correct clamping force is achieved with accurate torque values.