Frozen rotors, thinking outside the box

[another Todd]

Reading occasionally about frozen rotors and drums got me thinking, so what do you think of this?

Install wheel and tighten lug nuts about finger tight, then back off about a half turn each. Now, rolling the vehicle at slow speed and stabbing the brakes I am thinking would force the rotor or drum to shear the rust and shift on the hub until the studs stopped it, but by then it should be loose. Might have to do it forward and reverse a couple times, but wouldn't that break the rust loose?

What do you think? Am I missing something?

 

[turtlevette]

Yes, My aluminum wheels were corrosion welded to the rotors. Couldn't get them off the car. I backed all lug nuts off about a turn then drove around the block. Doing one wheel at a time. I think they broke loose on the turns.

 

[67lemans]

I just take two long bolts with nuts and slide them through the caliper mounting holes. tighten the bolts and it pushes the rotor off. the video below shows more detail


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep7NdZMn1mk

 

[jrmason]

If the rotor has been on the vehicle long enough it is frozen to the hub and can't be broken loose with a couple of taps with a dead blow hammer its likely due for replacement anyway, either from heavy corrosion within the cooling fins or wear from the brake pads. A couple of hefty swings with a 3 pound hammer will take care of it and be much quicker. Easy peasy.

Frozen drums, not sure I've ever seen any of those. Usually the only thing holding them on is the outer lip that doesn't get worn by the shoes. A few turns in on the adjustment wheel will take care of that.

 

[eljefino]

The hub rust is what does it. If you get a ridge on a drum you can whack it and the shoes will bounce on their internal springs/ nails. You can cut those off.

I don't have a torch so my SOP is to use a cutoff wheel to come in at a tangent between some lug studs and just touch the hub. Then do it again, removing a little triangle (with concave bottom). This releases the pressure and it hammers right off, though of course it trashes the drum/rotor.

Something about brakes, they're always due when some heap's in my yard.

Yeah, sure, brake lines are rotten, but I'm going to snap the bleeders, and have to buy drums and cylinders too.

 

[asand1]

They use soft grey iron. you can easily hacksaw through the rotor and use a hammer and chisel to crack it through the rest of the way. This will split it in half and allow it to come off easily.

I would be worried about the two bolt method damaging wheel bearings.

 

[Donald]

A BFH get the rotors off every time.

 

[guyonearth]

Use the professional methods:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rY4QjGaVKU&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1UUd9Pw11k&index=27&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2

 

[jcp]

Replaced front brake rotors last year on my 2004 Mazda6. Took 10 minutes to remove them . They were really stuck in rust after 11 years . Simply used my grinder to cut a diagonal line across the rotor then used a chisel to crack them open and voila!

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: asand1


I would be worried about the two bolt method damaging wheel bearings.


How? Gentler than the hammer.

The bolts push against the hub face which is the same machined part as what the rotor's stuck to.

Unless you're talking about the caliper bracket jacking method? I'd worry about misaligning the brakes, doing that.

 

[jrmason]

Originally Posted By: guyonearth
Use the professional methods:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rY4QjGaVKU&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1UUd9Pw11k&index=27&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2


The guy hanging under the car kicking the tire is a real tool.

 

[danthaman1980]

LOL, I read the title of this thread and thought you were talking about these...

http://www.frozenrotors.com/

 

[hattaresguy]

Way over thinking such a simple thing. Throw a torch on them and a whack with a sledge.

 

[guyonearth]

Originally Posted By: jrmason
Originally Posted By: guyonearth
Use the professional methods:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rY4QjGaVKU&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1UUd9Pw11k&index=27&list=PL1442DAF9D4F046A2


The guy hanging under the car kicking the tire is a real tool.


Having just had to replace a brake drum cracked and dented in several places from someone smashing it with a sledgehammer, I thought it was appropriate. I have kicked off more than a few wheels in my life though, I will admit.

 

[jrmason]

Hanging off the bottom side of a suspended vehicle like an ape is not appropriate. A vehicle will fall off a lift relatively easily especially if the supports aren't positioned properly. A man was killed near here 4 or 5 years ago when a full sized truck slid off of a similar 2 post lift. He wasn't even underneath it, he was off to the side of it when it came down. The kicker is nobody was even working on it.

Aside from miss placed supports you have unibody cars which make me nervous every time I have to get under one. Hard saying how sturdy a 10 year old car is that's been driven in salt its entire life. A little bit of shaking like that clown was doing could be all it takes to fold a pinch joint over which could set things into motion. It happens quite a bit, and its almost always from neglect like in the video.

 

[ronbo]

I've used a 3 jaw puller for both drum and rotors to remove.
Not me in video
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWBlEK8cjmI