Pulling stuck rotors

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Donald

Donald

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Does it have holes for bolts like this?

1598628816065.webp
 
Ebrake assembly inside the rotor? Feel for the adjuster wheel and back out the ebrake.
 
Donald said:
It's the rear but I have tried with small sledge hammer.
Click to expand...

It's probably going to take a while especially of the parking brake is stuck. Did you wack it all around 3, 6, 9, 12 o'clock positions? Might take you 30 mins per side.

The first time I saw that I didn't realize guys really go gorilla to get those frozen rotors off. Make sure you put some Anti seize on the hubs to make your life easier next time.
 
Hit it on the hat between the studs. I've yet to come across one that wouldn't budge after a few solid hits to the hat with my 5lb engineer's hammer.

You might want to thread the nuts back on a little ways to protect the studs and your toes. :)
 
Donald said:
Here goes again I cannot get the high hat rotor off the back of my truck. I have never had it off in 80K miles. Now brakes need work. Tried beating it in the caliper opening. Truck up on a single jack stand so cannot turn the wheel. Squirted PB Blaster through the wheel stud holes.

Maybe this puller?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...b17-5db1a93d0a3b&pd_rd_w=iRcnj&pd_rd_wg=cnc4G
Click to expand...

My E-350 had the passenger side rear rotor just as stuck as yours. Ironically, it lived in New York before I bought it.

BEFORE EVERYONE COMPLAINS: I did the driver side first, so I knew there weren't any fasteners hidden somewhere that were holding it on.

I tried: Brute force on a pry bar (I'm 6'6" tall). Nope.
A small sledge hammer. Nope.
A BIG sledge hammer and increasing anger. Nope.
Propane torch. Nope.
The caliper bolts trick. Nope.

What finally got it off was getting a MAPP gas torch and heating the rotor until I got nervous about catching fire, pre-loading it with the caliper bolts trick until I was nervous about bending the caliper bracket, and smacking the hat of the rotor with the big sledge using everything I had. It popped so loud my ears were ringing and shot off and hit the snowmobile parked next to it.

My last option was going to be to cut the rotor into pieces with a saw or cutting torch.

I installed the new rotor with a coating of anti-seize on the back. I don't want to do that again.
 
MichiganMadMan said:
I installed the new rotor with a coating of anti-seize on the back. I don't want to do that again.
Click to expand...

That's what I do and the next time you have to take them off, they practically fall off.

To get the rotors unstuck, they just need more mechanical persuasion. Lots of good advice above.
 
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MichiganMadMan said:
My E-350 had the passenger side rear rotor just as stuck as yours. Ironically, it lived in New York before I bought it.

BEFORE EVERYONE COMPLAINS: I did the driver side first, so I knew there weren't any fasteners hidden somewhere that were holding it on.

I tried: Brute force on a pry bar (I'm 6'6" tall). Nope.
A small sledge hammer. Nope.
A BIG sledge hammer and increasing anger. Nope.
Propane torch. Nope.
The caliper bolts trick. Nope.

What finally got it off was getting a MAPP gas torch and heating the rotor until I got nervous about catching fire, pre-loading it with the caliper bolts trick until I was nervous about bending the caliper bracket, and smacking the hat of the rotor with the big sledge using everything I had. It popped so loud my ears were ringing and shot off and hit the snowmobile parked next to it.

My last option was going to be to cut the rotor into pieces with a saw or cutting torch.

I installed the new rotor with a coating of anti-seize on the back. I don't want to do that again.
Click to expand...

I'm no mechanic, but I think the constant hammering back and forth starts to loosen the rotor ever so slightly, it's like pressing a wheel bearing moves a little at a time. However we need to hammer them dozens of times (maybe 100s) to break the bond of the rust. Obviously the longer the rotor has been installed and never removed the harder it will be to remove especially in the rust belt. I'm sure the hub flange and rotor are almost fused together after all those years.
 
So I heard it pop and now with a few hammer blows it moves out almost 1/2" on the side I can hammer on.

How is the ebrake attached in my pickup. I do not see or feel the little rubber plug to pull and put in an adjuster wrench.
 
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Dare I ask if you have the parking brake on? ;)

I guess you need to find the ebrake diagram, or keep at it assuming you're just wearing away what little is left of the pads trying to get them past a worn in rim in the hat.

Also if you have it tight against the pads you can spin the wheel to make the pad wear away at that rim a little bit. This may require some leverage on the studs.
 
Dave9 said:
Dare I ask if you have the parking brake on? ;)

I guess you need to find the ebrake diagram, or keep at it assuming you're just wearing away what little is left of the pads trying to get them past a worn in rim in the hat.

Also if you have it tight against the pads you can spin the wheel to make the pad wear away at that rim a little bit. This may require some leverage on the studs.
Click to expand...

I never use the parking brake.

A parking brake diagram would be helpful.
 
^ OH!! Then put it all back together and drive around with the parking brake on for a few. More risky is also try that, with your lug nuts a little loose, so the wheel wobbles against it, going slowly of course.

If it's a design where it adjusts the parking brake pads outward when you go in reverse, try not to do that. I could be wrong, have no idea on F-250.
 
I had to use a torch with map gas on the hat and beat it with a sledgehammer before the rotor came off. It unfortunately didn't come with those little bolt holes where you can use a bolt to push the rotor off.
 
Park brake shoes could still be keeping the rotor on if there’s ridges on the park brake drum, even if shoes aren’t applied. You’ll have to adjust them to new rotors anyway so if back them off.
 
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