for what it's worth, the bolts can certainly be tight but I can't believe you can get them out. I believe they are assembled at the factor with an anerobic threadlocker. normally these "glues" will break free when enough torque is applied. in some cases it is necessary to heat the threaded boss. low heat (300F) will break the glue's bond. but I don't know how you could easily apply heat to the part without hitting some seals. What I did was to use the 7mm socket on a 3/8" ratchet (lifetime warranty) and rap the handle with a hammer until the bolt broke free. when you assemble this piece it is a good idea to throughly clean the bolt where it goes through the bushing and apply brake grease. you should also clean off any of the threadlocker from the threads.

as for the pad thickness, having had experiences that redefine metallic pads, .23" seems to me like a quite a bit of pad left. the original pads are on the order of 10 mm (3/8")