brake swap AKA horror!
 

swapping my 16 year old stock brakes because i smoked them (literally).
i have all 4 rebuilt TII calipers, brand new OEM rotors, EBC Green pads for the front and Hawk HPS pads for the rear.

brake swap theoretical time is about 2 hours by my estimation.
it's been 2 days.
they are kicking my ass hardcore.

- removing brake lines i stripped every metal nut on it. had to go buy a pipe cutter and cut it from the hardline. i will have to get a flare nut tool also. got brake fluid everywhere, including my mouth

- removing one caliper took about 30 minutes, on the bolts with a 250 ft-lb impact wrench. surprisingly they all came off eventually

- brake rotors. damn them. the first screw came out fine using an adapter with bit on the impact wrench, but the second screw stripped and totally got smoked. i had to drill the head off with my shitty drill.

then proceeded to lightly tapping the rotor with a rubber mallet. didn't work. sprayed liquid wrench all over, and just like the brake fluid some ended up on my mouth.
let it sit for a bit, then proceeded with rubber mallet a little harder.
wasn't budging, but i tried to remain calm. took out a hammer and hit around the hub part, then used the mallet again. nothing. *trying to remain calm*
took the hammer and hit the back side fairly hard while turning for about 20 minutes. NOTHING.
at this point i started swearing and hitting the rotor super hard with the hammer, which caused the rotor to start bending and my ears to hurt. did this for half an hour, no budge at all though.

so that's where i'm at...next step is to try heat, but for some reason i feel that isn't going to work. i have heard all the horror stories...thinking of sending it into a shop and *gasp* getting them to do it for me...

:(

sucks for you bro. did you spray any pb blaster on them bolts and studs befor e atacking them? also, i would suggest using a blow torch only on bolts that are not so close to the break lines. they come of easy if you hit them with the torch for a couple secconds.

well it's not really the bolts that worry me so much anymore, now that i have experienced the brake rotor. it's just crazy how the 2 metals will just fuse together, especially after 16 years in the Canadian environment...

i have heard quite a few stories removing the brake rotors.
does anyone have a method that works best for them?

Did you use a flare wrench on the fittings? Craftsmen makes the best wrench for that purpose.

yup, flare wrench, it was $9 a wrench.

i used a normal wrench to hold the other line, and twisted the two against each other. the flare nut was the one that stripped.

liquid wrench is basically the same as PB Blaster. Its just a silicon spray. Damn, that stuff works wonders though. It saved my ass when I was replacing my exhust system.

it does work good a lot of the times, but i think this is out of any penetrating fluids league, we are talking about hardcore corrosion fusing.

my concern is if all this hammering, and tommorow heating with a torch, will damage the hub or bearings any?

You mentioned ussing a rubber malet, if your not worried about bending the rotor I woudl try a deadblow hammer, probably hit alot harder, plus it doesnt bounce back at your forehead. :)

Brake fluid is spicey! Yummy stuff.. well, not really, but it is rather spicey.

As for the rotors, I don't suppose you have a puller? if so, set a piece of wood across the studs, and then pull across that. I also agree with the deadblow thing. A soft mallet will only make sweet, sweet music. Brake (haha?) out the big guns :)

heat those rotors up and pound some more is what i'd do.

I live in Detroit MI. winter salt capital of the north. I did the brake rotors and pads on my 86 GXL this past spring. I used the biggest hammer I`ve got to finally get the rotors off. I broke one bolt (first one) taking the rear calipers off though and had to pull the rotors off the rear hubs then use a manual impact to get the rest of the bolts out without breaking anymore. Job was a pain in the freekin ass. Take your time so you don`t break anything!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

i'm definetly not worried about bending the rotor. and yeah, as i mentioned i quickly moved on from the rubber mallet to a hammer. i think i just need to pick up a bigger one, lol

i was thinking of picking up one of those 3-legged puller dealies. you say to use a piece of wood, is this so you don't damage the center hub nut?

yup, if that doesn't work i'm in trouble, lol

yeah, like i said up here in Canada it's not exactly that great for the cars. it looks like the rotor is just totally welded to the hub.
this is turning out to be the most frustrating thing i have ever done on the car.

- Aaron

Yep :) Just put a small piece of wood on the center hub nut, so you don't damage any threads if the puller walks.

This is actually the way to do it for anything where you're pulling against threads, unless there's a recess there so you can be sure you won't hurt anything.

Ummm... I just scanned this thread real quick but I didn't see any mention of you having taken off the wheel hub nut. The big one in the center with the crown nut and cotter pin holding it on? Those screws in the rotor are kinda ornamental my left front wheel doesn't even have them, I just discovered.

The rotor is the outer race for the wheel bearing, if I remember correctly. There's no way my rotors (front, 90 GXL) will come off without taking off that nut and removing the wheel bearing. Unless I'm just high.

Sorry if I missed you saying you did.

hmmm, i don't belive i have to take out the wheel hub nut, the rotor just slides over it from what i have read and what the FSM diagram says.

yeah, those screws are basically just there to hold the rotor on during assembly at the factory. once you put the lug nuts and wheel on the rotor will stay in place of course.

To get the rotors off, try heating it then pounding it with a hammer. If that doesn't work, get a bigger hammer. You may want to invest in some earplugs too... ;)

Here's a tip: when you're installing your new rotors, try coating the back (where it meets the hub) with anti-seize (the stuff that comes in a tube, not the spray). It makes your life a million times easier next time you do a brake job. :)

yeah, trust me i am going to get like a bucket of anti-sieze and just dip all the brake parts in it :D

so does someone want to confirm that you DON'T have to take off the hub nut to get the brake rotor off?

- Aaron

fused or stuck around the studs?, puller might work,
good luck, don't forget to the outcome with us.

You don't have to pull that nut off to remove the brake rotor. Pulling that nut off will remove the front hub and give you access to the wheel bearings. At this point it may not be a bad idea to remove the hub and bearings for inspection and a repacking.

Redline makes and excellent wheel bearing grease.

the remove rotor:

remove caliper (6 point socket, DO NOT use 12 point one u will strip your bolts)
remove the 2 giant screws with an impact screw driver (sears or harbor freight)

at this point the rotor is supposed just FALL off (right)

the rotor may get stuck around the studs, use a puller to pull it out.
put some ant-seize on the surface that meets the hub on the new rotor.

Aaron, Aaron, Aaron, you're doing it all wrong. :) Notice how in the back of the hub there are threaded holes where a screw could go? Get a high quality (multple dashes on the head - aircraft quality is what I used) and screw a bolt into the hole. It will slowly push on the rotor and push it out of the hub. I wrecked a hub beating trying to get the rotor out before I tried this method.

now i have HEARD of using this method before, but i could only find it on the rear hubs. i don't think there are these threaded holes on the FRONT, but maybe i'm wrong??

that would for sure help out.

Yes you're wrong. To be 100% certain I'll go to the garage and look, hold on I'll be right back. :)

Edit: Yes there are threaded holes in the back of the front hub. Flip it over so that the studs are touching the ground. See how there are holes around the hub?

Edit #2: A very usefull tip. When you put the two bolts that hold the 4 piston calipers on, be sure to use the washers that were originally on the bolts/caliper. If you don't use these bolts they portrude out too far and will cut into the rotor! Oddly it only seems to happen when you turn the wheel.

ok, BUT those holes are the ones for the factory holding screws, are they not?
i don't see how you could use a bolt to push the rotor out with those. are you saying to just thread in a bolt and that will work?
also i'd like to keep the hub on the car, if i were to take it off i'd just send all this away to a machine shop press anyways ;)

yeah, you are totally right about the caliper bolts, i definetly will not loose those washers.

On stock rotors there should be 3 screw holes, 2 holder screws, and the removal screw hole that snrub is mentioning. At least thats how mine are. Anyways, you tried a sledge hammer yet? Mines been used all too often with fused hubs and what not.