HELP! I can't get my rear rotors off

[New Guy]

Please help. How do you remove the rear rotors from a 2002 Explorer XLT? IThe emergency brake pads seem to be holding it up. The cable is off as well. Is there someway to adjust these inward to make the rotor come off easier.


Please help.

 

[mercuryman97]

pound the S**t out of the rotor with a hammer around the lug bolts....that should break all the rust bonds it has formed....then it should easily slide off...let me know how it goes...if that doesnt work then try to lightly pry the rotor off with a crow bar or pry bar...

 

[New Guy]

3 friggin hours....

I've been beating the sh%$ out of it and still nothing. 29k mikes and this thing is stuck that bad??? I even took to clamps and put a 10lb. weight across the face of the lugs and proceeded to tighten the clamps;hence, pulling the rotor off like pulling a Harmonic Balancer and still nothing.

I'm going back out in the 40 degree weather to pound on it again. This time I don't care if I wake the neighbors up.

If anyone else has some additional info I'd be willing to try it.

Thanks again!

 

[BigDakota]

That Bites!! Wish I could help!! I need to pull mine off too, "FRIGIN" E-brake is grinding.
You would not think it would be that difficult to pull those off with so little miles!!
Unless that Michigan ice melt stuff has really corroded things up!

 

[frickea86]

i would highly recommend that u take the adjuster the hole way down for the e-brake, there is a little rubber piece or should be on the back of the rotor plate. pull that off and looking, u'll see teeth, spin it with a flat blade screwdriver. off the top of my head i don't remember which way to spin it, but u'll know keep checking on the disk, making sure u can spin it by hand a little. then take a 2 arm 8in pulley puller and clamp it onto the disk horizontal, yes it will fit between the disk protector and the disk, and beat the sh*t out of it from left to right, it will come off. also use some pb plaster to aid in the removal, spray it around where the disk meets the axle bearing cap. I hope this helps, i know how u fell, except for the part working on it in the 40deg weather, that blows. hope this helps, if u need more help, i'll sure be glad to keep a tab on the thread.

 

[CDW6212R]

First spray lots of PB blaster in all six cracks. The problem is the Northern weather. My 98 Mountaineer came from Milwaukee, and it fought me also.

keep the axle pulled out as far as it will come, before each hit of the hammer. This will lessen the force getting to the bearings, etc. Good luck,
Don

 

[karl_burns]

Went through this yesterday with my 98. PB Blaster, then pound the crap out of them (as long as they're getting replaced). My rear rotors were almost fused on....
Karl

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

I use a large crowbar, much easier and less chance for damage than a hammer.

 

[New Guy]

I finally got them off but....

I lost the e-brake shoes in the process. These were litterly fused together at the bottom. I sprayed, beat and pulled on them and if it wasn't for a bonded shoe letting loose on each side they probably wouldn't of come off.

It was the 11th hour once I was ready to button them up and no one was open to where I could locate some emergency brake shoes so I put them back together. As my luck would have it they make an occasional rubbing/ grinding noise because of the one lining missing on each side; hence they are not square to the ID of the rotor.

I will begin my quest Monday to find new shoes and the accompanying brake hardware. Does anyone have a good source for the best price and quickest shipment of the shoes and hardware? Maybe part numbers?

Thanks everyone for your input. Every bit of information helped!

 

[wally43]

Do not use a puller. That will only pull the outside causing it to pinch on the axle. Buy yourself a rubber dead blow hammer and a good pry bar. Spray it with WD40 completely. Pry on the top and hit on the bottom. Turn it a quarter turn and do again. Keep doing this for a couple of turns. If it doesn't come off, spray it again and take a break then try again. If you use a puller you will surely bend it out of tolerance for a regrind. When you do get it off, thoroughly clean all rusted surfaces. This will keep excess wheel vibration to a minimum.

 

[frickea86]

Do not use a puller. That will only pull the outside causing it to pinch on the axle.

never had trouble with a puller, so far 8 sets down with the puller...works better the beating the hell out of it. hitting the end of the pulley left to right will get them off everytime.

Glad to hear u got em off...

 

[gijoecam]

If you put some good pressure on the puller, I've never had it take more than three whacks to jar it loose. (using a good sized ball-peen)

As for the e-brake shoes, if push comes to shove, you can grind the head of the retainer pins off the back side of the backing plate. It saves a ton of tugging and messing with the parking brake adjusters. It just means that you need to replace the pins when you reassemble them. (luckily I haven't had that problem, but I'm due soon, I'm sure.)

-Joe

 

[Al Rapp]

I had the same prob. & it is common. Nothing would take them off after 9 yrs. of being stuck on. Small sledge hammer, PB blaster, pry bar, puller, & finally the torch. Still nothing. The flat part of the rotor broke off leaving only the half that has the lug holes(center). The rear was opened, clip removed & axle was taken out with what was left of the rotors still intact. Axle & rotor was placed on the floor & smashed off with brute force. Everything is nice a nicey now. New rotors,pads & calipers.

 

[Mountaineer97TM]

I agree with Freaka. I had the same problem and then turned the ebrake down all the way down and it came right off. The peice is in the back and u remove the rubber peice and spin the ball back, and it should come off and tighten it when u get the new rotor on.

 

[GSEREP1]

WOW,
I guess I am a bit spoiled here in SNOW-LESS Northern California. I better not talk too loud, or some of you veterans will give it to me real good, ha ha.

I did my parking brake shoes once in 8 years, and the biggest problem was getting the shoes adjusted loose enough to lightly TAP off the rotor.

Better quit while I am ahead.

GSEREP1

 

[Flash]

WOW,
I guess I am a bit spoiled here in SNOW-LESS Northern California. I better not talk too loud, or some of you veterans will give it to me real good, ha ha.

I did my parking brake shoes once in 8 years, and the biggest problem was getting the shoes adjusted loose enough to lightly TAP off the rotor.

Better quit while I am ahead.

GSEREP1

Same here ;-)

 

[KyussTool]

Thanks for the help!

 

[frankh]

Had same problems frist with front rotors - besides wd40, pounding with big hammer, etc., finally resorted to impact tools......rotors rusted/corroded at spindle......possible cure - after thourough cleaning/shinning spindle , rotor, and inside of rim......agood coating of neverseize should elim. prob for a llooonnnngggggg time.

 

[gijoecam]

Had same problems frist with front rotors - besides wd40, pounding with big hammer, etc., finally resorted to impact tools......rotors rusted/corroded at spindle......possible cure - after thourough cleaning/shinning spindle , rotor, and inside of rim......agood coating of neverseize should elim. prob for a llooonnnngggggg time.

It does. I did it at the first oil change on my F-150. 30k and 3 years later, it took a few light taps with a plastic mallet to pop them off.

I did it to the Explorer's rotors when I replaced them 3 years ago. They're due again.... we'll see how it held up.

-Joe