How to remove front rotor?

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

I'm a bit confused. I have seen other posts which seem to indicate the rotor is just a slip fit on the hub. How can this be? Wouldn't the wheel fall off in high speed cornering? If you just have to slide it off, that doesn't seem very secure, unless I'm missing something here? Don't I have to take that large nut off holding the wheel bearing in? I can't seem to break the rotor loose so I'm concerned that it's not just a matter of sliding it off. Any help would be appreciated.

Kilgore Trout · Nov 18, 2006

Do not mess with the large nut, you should not be able to see it there should be a dust cap. Replace the dust cap if it is missing or you hub bearing assembly will fail prematurely.

Strike the SIDE OF THE ROTOR HAT and the rotor should come right off. This strike will be perpendicular to the direction you want the rotor to move. Trust me, it works.

Do not strike the back of the rotor or the braking surfaces.

WillDuhhBeast · Nov 18, 2006

There are little clips on each stud that hold the rotor snug. I don't know exactly what they are called, but they are there!

Kilgore Trout · Nov 18, 2006

Oh yeah, you have to remove those and no need to reinstall them. They are just for the assembly line really.

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

The SOB is not budging. I'm striking the rotor hat perpendicular to the way the rotor will come off. I'm striking it with a hammer as I turn the rotor and pull on it. It's not budging. I even put a ton of WD40 on it. Do just have to keep hitting it?

Kilgore Trout · Nov 18, 2006

Try using PB Blaster instead and let it have time to soak in, a couple hours at least.

Tapping the hat as you rotate it is the way to go. And be sure to use antiseize when reinstalling so this does not happen the next time.

Do you have a torch?

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

What clips? Aren't the studs attached to the rotor which will come of with the rotor? What effect would the clips have if the studs are attached to the rotor? I'm talking about the front rotors, not the back. I know on the back, the rotor slides over the studs, not so with the front.

Kilgore Trout · Nov 18, 2006

They are just little washers slid down over the studs and against the rotor to hold the rotor in place as the car moves on the assembly line. You probably do not even have them. You would see them at the base of the lugs where the lugs disappear into the rotor.

They are not going to stop you from pulling off the rotor, they are just weak little friction washers.

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

I guess I'll have to try that PB Blaster stuff. Is it really that much better than WD40?

n0v8or · Nov 18, 2006

Dan,
The studs are not attached to the rotor. They are attached to the hub. The rotor is sandwiched between the hub and wheel. There are holes in the rotor where the studs protrude.
Spray the PB-Blaster where the studs and spindle pass through the rotor. Hopefully, some will find its way between the rotor and hub. Since the PB-Blaster can only seep downward, after allowing it to soak awhile, turn the rotor 180 degrees and spray again.
I have had best results breaking it free when I use a 4 to 6 ft long piece of 4 x 4 lumber to strike the rotor from behind. Turn it every few whacks. Wood will not damage the rotor surface. Before starting to whack, put 2 of the lug nuts on the studs loosely to keep the rotor from falling off when it breaks loose.
If that fails, the last resort is to mount the wheels with all of the lug nuts just finger tight and roll the car 50 feet or so. The play in the wheel sometimes will break the bond of rust between the rotor and hub.
Ford recommends high temperature nickel-based anti-seize to coat the outer surface of the hub where it contacts the rotor.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 18, 2006

This is what it looks like after you slip the rotor off

As you can see, the rotor slips on and then the caliper bolts up.

WHat holds it on?? Well, the wheel technically holds the rotor in place. WHen you lip the wheel on and bolt it on with the lugs, it sandwiches the rotor to the hub and holds everything in place.

If this is the first time your rotors have been off, then there are two small clips that hold it onto the lugs. This was for assembly line purposes as they would slip the rotors on before the calipers were bolted up at a later phase. Ford didn't want the rotors falling off without anything there. You can snip and dispose of the clips. You will notice if the clips are there, so if you see nothing on the lugs, then someone took them off.

The rotors likes to rust to the hub, so shoot some PB blaster in the lug holes and around the hub area and the backside of the hub and let it soak.

When you put the rotor back on, coat the hub with anti-sieze like so and slip the rotor in. Make sure you spray the area down with brake-parts cleaner to get rid of the WD-40 and PB blaster you sprayed everywhere

WillDuhhBeast · Nov 18, 2006

Mustang5L5 said:
This is what it looks like after you slip the rotor off

As you can see, the rotor slips on and then the caliper bolts up.

WHat holds it on?? Well, the wheel technically holds the rotor in place. WHen you lip the wheel on and bolt it on with the lugs, it sandwiches the rotor to the hub and holds everything in place.

If this is the first time your rotors have been off, then there are two small clips that hold it onto the lugs. This was for assembly line purposes as they would slip the rotors on before the calipers were bolted up at a later phase. Ford didn't want the rotors falling off without anything there. You can snip and dispose of the clips. You will notice if the clips are there, so if you see nothing on the lugs, then someone took them off.

The rotors likes to rust to the hub, so shoot some PB blaster in the lug holes and around the hub area and the backside of the hub and let it soak.

When you put the rotor back on, coat the hub with anti-sieze like so and slip the rotor in. Make sure you spray the area down with brake-parts cleaner to get rid of the WD-40 and PB blaster you sprayed everywhere

Well done on this post, this should be exatly what ti looks like.

PB blaster for sure, it will work much better than wd40.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 18, 2006

Just an FYI...i took those pics from this webpage which may also help

http://www.2kgt.com/item.php?itemid=15

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

This F'R is not budging!!!! I saturated it with PB Blaster, waited a few hours. I hammer away at the hub (which is very hard because it's so small) and tug on it at the same time. Not working, hasn't even move a millimeter. What now? Do I have to now pay some guy $100 just to take them off?

DanTheCobraMan · Nov 18, 2006

How are you able to wack the back of the rotor with that huge piece of wood when there is that dust shield there? Do you happen to have any pics of how you wack it with the wood? I just don't see where you would have enough surface to strike, let alone enough leverage inside of the wheelwell.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 18, 2006

Put the block of wood where the caliper used to be and then hit it with the hammer there.

Spin the rotor around and keep hitting it on the backside

RedDaemon · Nov 18, 2006

wow i cant believe how much trouble this is creating...doesnt make me want to do a brake conversion

subscribing....

good luck

DTMach1 · Nov 18, 2006

If it is stuck that bad, and you don't care about the rotor anymore...get a 3lb sledge with a 12" handle and hit it from the inside towards the outside.

Kilgore Trout · Nov 18, 2006

Do you have a torch?

DropTopPony · Nov 18, 2006

are you trashing the rotors? if so just wack the F'ers...mine came off with a couple of smacks from a rubber mallet.

How to remove front rotor?

DanTheCobraMan

Kilgore Trout

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