Rear Rotor Removal

[MoreTorque06]

I'm finally trying to get my wheel sensor problem fixed and want to take a peek with the rear rotors off.

For the life of me I cannot get the rear rotors off no matter what I hit or bang on. Not even a hair of movement.

I did some searching and found that the star wheel needs to be moved. How far should the adjustment star wheel have to be turned to get them off? Which way should it be moved? Teeth going up or teeth being pulled down?

Any advice?

 

[kj924]

Down....should wind the star wheel in .

 

[Dave]

Yea, you need to back off the adjustment a little. Back it off a couple of turns and try it. The e-brake shoe (just like drum brake shoe) grabs the inner rotor surface to operate the e-brake.

Dave

 

[johninva]

rotor removal

If, as you say, it doesn't budge at all, it's not the handbrake shoes. If they were holding it up you'd be wiggling it, but it wouldn't want to come off.

I assume that the little retainer that may or may not be around one of the wheel studs has been removed.

I's probably just stuck. The most effective way to free it is to put some WD40 or other penetrating oil around the hub (where the wheel bolts on), and then strike the hub part of the rotor on its face, with a pretty good sized hammer. This means you're hitting it in between the wheel studs, not on the braking surface.

This will free almost any stuck disk or drum in no more than three or four good whacks. If it's REALLY stuck, you may have to beat on the braking surface, from the inside. That would probably damage the rotor. If you're from an area that has a hard winter, they can get pretty badly frozen.

Good luck.
John in Virginia

 

[Powerslave]

I use PB-blaster and a butane torch for stubborn items such as this...

 

[kj924]

If you use the BFH, then make sure to put the wheel nuts back on the studs before you strike the first blow....keeps from messing up the wheelstud threads just incase you hit them.

 

[MoreTorque06]

Holy crap... i've tried everything other than cutting it off! For the heck of it, I tried to get the other side off and it came off no problem at all. Nothing extra needed.

I've hit, pulled, slammed, and cursed... it doesn't move at all. Its been soaking in penetrating oil for a week now and I covered it again today. I've tried gettin a chisel in there and wedging it off... still nothing...

I've turned the star wheel downward as much as it will go.

Arg!

 

[ephantmon]

After reading this, and preparing to change my rear rotors and pads, I feel kind of stuipd. What/where is the star wheel? I've leafed through my Hayne's manual and can't find a picture or description of location. Is it called something else? I have an '04 sport if that matters...

 

[johninva]

Time for some heat

If it's this stuck, you are probably going to have to damage the rotor. You don't want to damage anything else.

My next step would be to heat the rotor where it goes around the hub, using an oxy/acetylene torch. It's that and the hammer. (use a big one) The heat will cause the rotor to expand and break the rust that's holding it. Spray penetrating oil on everything after heating it, and then beat! Be careful, because the penetrating oil is flammable.

Someone wondered what the star wheel is -- it's the adjuster for the handbrake shoes, which are located inside the rotor. Normally, you would use this to tighten the shoes as they wear, and in some cases you might have to back it off to get the rotor off. That's not the problem here, though.

John In Virginia

 

[JeepJeepster]

Its just an adjustment thats behind the rotor. You can pop a rubber plug off the back side of the heat shield to adjust it prior to taking the rotor off. Personally Ive never needed to adjust it to get my rotor off but Ive had my brakes apart a lot.

 

[SDLiberty]

Holy crap... i've tried everything other than cutting it off! For the heck of it, I tried to get the other side off and it came off no problem at all. Nothing extra needed.

I've hit, pulled, slammed, and cursed... it doesn't move at all. Its been soaking in penetrating oil for a week now and I covered it again today. I've tried gettin a chisel in there and wedging it off... still nothing...

I've turned the star wheel downward as much as it will go.

Arg!

It this point i might consider a pro. ??? If BFH won't work let someone else do it!!!

 

[ridenby]

was wondering if moretorque06 got that rotor off or not? hope so.