Hello,

Today, while driving my 126 300SD, my left front brake caliper came loose! The top bolt apparently fell out, but the bottom bolt was in place with the caliper making a grinding sound while hitting the brakes.

My question is : I usually have done my own brakes for greater than 5 yrs, however, I have been re-using the old caliper bolts, usually without locking compound, and torque them with a hand torque wrench to specs. Do I need to change the caliper bolts with every brake job (if not, how often), and should I use a locking compound (if so, what is recommended brand)? Any other advice on how to prevent this dangerous condition again?