Mechanic couldn't get brake rotor off?

[The motor guy]

So I went to see a mechanic friend of mine to get some new pads, new rotor and a wheel bearing installed. This is for my 2wd dodge ram 2500 turbo diesel. It's got a rack and pinion up front, He pounded on that rotor with a 10 pound sledge hammer and it never budged. what's the deal? I bet if he went at it with an air hammer it would have come off. We looked at youtube videos and every other dodge although they weren't the same model year, but every one had a nut in the center of the rotor. Mine truck doesn't have anything and it definitely wasn't a cover. Opinions? I drove it to another shop, he did all he could do with the limited tools he had

 

[vavavroom]

Just put the wheel on with the bolts/nuts a bit loosely, lower the car to the ground. Press the brake at a very low speed (1-3mph). The rotor will break loose.

 

[Torrid]

I've had a bit of a fight a couple of times I changed rotors. I never tried an air hammer, but if it wouldn't move with the sledge I've always soaked the hub with Penetro and then came back 20 minutes later and literally beat the brakes off of it.

This approach hasn't failed me yet and I don't have a problem being rough with them because when I do brakes myself I always replace the rotors anyway, so it doesn't matter if I manage to damage them.

 

[The motor guy]

Just put the wheel on with the bolts/nuts a bit loosely, lower the car to the ground. Press the brake at a very low speed (1-3mph). The rotor will break loose.

I think it's a hub centric design, so it's just rusted together

 

[Timmastertech]

What year is your truck?

 

[The motor guy]

Just put the wheel on with the bolts/nuts a bit loosely, lower the car to the ground. Press the brake at a very low speed (1-3mph). The rotor will break loose.

not a bad idea. That beats beating it with a sledge

 

[The motor guy]

What year is your truck?

2007

 

[GON]

Any chance the truck has a wheel bearing in the front rotor? I know Ford 2007 2wd Super duties have a wheel bearing that has to be removed as part of the front rotor removal. 2007 4wd Super Duties do not have this same wheel bearing configuration.

 

[bdcardinal]

Eric O at SMA uses an air hammer on the hat which seems to break them loose.

 

[The motor guy]

Any chance the truck has a wheel bearing in the front rotor? I know Ford 2007 2wd Super duties have a wheel bearing that has to be removed as part of the front rotor removal. 2007 4wd Super Duties do not have this same wheel bearing configuration.

My buddy said the rotor was blocking access to everything. Dust shield bolts and the bolts thst hold the wheel bearing on. Rotor had to come off first.

 

[Timmastertech]

Thats just a slip on rotor. Keep hitting and eventually it will come off

 

[The motor guy]

Thats just a slip on rotor. Keep hitting and eventually it will come off

I see well this shop will have a lift, so maybe they can get a better swing at it vs being on the ground on jack stands

 

[Timmastertech]

Eric O at SMA uses an air hammer on the hat which seems to break them loose.

Depends why its stuck. In this case, its likely that the inner hat is full of rust and scale and is pinching the hub. Ive never had luck with an air hammer in that situation.

 

[The motor guy]

Depends why its stuck. In this case, its likely that the inner hat is full of rust and scale and is pinching the hub. Ive never had luck with an air hammer in that situation.

He calls it big nasty I believe

 

[vavavroom]

The method I described tends to work very well because the weight of the vehicle and the eccentrically applied brake force do all the work. I believe this method to be less damaging to the wheel bearing compared to banging on the rotor. Minimal effort.

 

[bullwinkle]

I got the ones off my '06 Ram by hosing down the lugs & using bolts & nuts through the caliper mounting holes, start pushing against the back side & whale on it with the BFH... POW! It'll FLY off!

 

[John105]

Is it likely that a shop can’t get a rotor off?

I haven’t been doing rotors that long, believe it or not, maybe 2008 was the first time. Pads to the 90’s.

What I’ve found is that I didn’t hit the hats properly at first so all my pounding did nothing. I actually hit the rotor surface at first and wondered why they were stuck.

At any rate 2/3 of our cars have set screws. The Lexus, does not. So on the Lexus, they are totally loose and free at all times. Nothing is holding the rotors to the hub except the calipers and pads. I feel this is somehow unfinished in design, but helpful with rotor replacement…the GM and BMW have set screws. I’ve seen YouTubes where the screw is frozen on a Honda. That’s a real setback imho, like a belt and suspenders system by which failure of the suspenders means can’t take one’s pants off….my .02

 

[demarpaint]

An air hammer on the hat hasn't let me down, yet. I can't imagine a shop not being able to get a rotor off.

 

[Trav]

I only remember one where the long barrel air hammer had no effect, I tried every trick in the book and still nothing. The dealer had done pads and rotors 2 years before, the drivers side came right off and did not look too old the pass side was badly worn and as old as the truck, they just pad slapped that side.
To remove that rotor I removed the caliper then cut through the rotor and hat almost but not quite through to the hub with a sawzall then use a chisel in the air hammer in the cut on the hat, it split it just enough that it fell off. The rotor believe it or not is very easy to cut, the saw goes right through like butter. This was on a Ford Expedition, the rust was unbelievable under that hat.

 

[Astro14]

As I do front brakes on the wife’s Volvo today ( and having just done brakes on the XC90 and the Tundra this past week) I am reminded, by this thread, of why I hit hubs with a light shot of pure zinc primer before installing rotors. A minute or two spent cleaning up the hub with a wire wheel (which should be done anyway for runout), and a minute of that quick drying zinc, saves so many future problems. The rotors were on the Volvo for nearly 100,000 miles, seven years, in a salt environment. (We get coastal flooding in our street, the car gets driven through it).

Those front rotors fell off when I loosened the retaining screw.

OP, do the loose bolt/light braking trick. Banging on rotors with a big hammer can’t be good for the hubs.

Before you put them back together, a light spritz of this: https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/professional/galvanizing-compound-spray