UPSGuy Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 I'm working on, or rather TRYING to work on my GF's 2000 Focus. It was just supposed to be a simple rotor and pad replacement, but as the title of this thread states, the rotor is STUCK on. I've tried every trick that I can think of, and I'm wondering if you can help! I've verified in the Haynes manual that there's nothing tricky about them - they're just supposed to come right off. I've tried a hammer, a large three arm puller, and now working with some propane. It's just THAT rusted on there. Please - if you have any other ideas I'd LOVE to hear them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc0032 Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 http://www.travelmaster.com.au/sitebuilder/products/bimages/1/dtm100-blowtorch-flame-web.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eL GaTo Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 I'm working on, or rather TRYING to work on my GF's 2000 Focus. It was just supposed to be a simple rotor and pad replacement, but as the title of this thread states, the rotor is STUCK on. I've tried every trick that I can think of, and I'm wondering if you can help! I've verified in the Haynes manual that there's nothing tricky about them - they're just supposed to come right off. I've tried a hammer, a large three arm puller, and now working with some propane. It's just THAT rusted on there. Please - if you have any other ideas I'd LOVE to hear them!! The proper method is to locate two screw holes around the perimeter of the lugs and to screw them into those holes. Make sure those screws are the right size and thread; and also at least 3/4" long. "Remember..."MODDING is a HOBBY:icon_bigg, not a BAAAD HABIT";) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 http://www.autoone.net.nz/wd40_big.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 http://www.travelmaster.com.au/sitebuilder/products/bimages/1/dtm100-blowtorch-flame-web.jpg + http://www.autoone.net.nz/wd40_big.jpg = http://www.bighousefx.com/firearchive/fireball.JPG The heat will help, just dont go nuts and get it cherry red JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc0032 Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 You ever read the can of PD blasterhttp://www.v6performance.net/forums/images/smilies/roflmao.gif http://www.pbblaster.com/store/images/PBCatalyst.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Thanks for all of the tips folks! The thing is pretty much soaked in PB Blaster right now (I actually did read the can today...lol), and I've hit it with a propane torch. Still nothing. Tomorrow I think I'm going to go get a new hub and see where we get with that... Now I'm going to try to locate these screw holes around the perimeter... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Quick update...no such holes found...sticking with the hub replacement idea for now - thanks again for that tip though - had they been there it would have made things a lot easier!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 The proper method is to locate two screw holes around the perimeter of the lugs and to screw them into those holes. Make sure those screws are the right size and thread; and also at least 3/4" long. ford tech says: your wrong!!!! if heating and hitting it alot doesnt work. u can try to split the rotor. use a cut off wheel and cut a line across the rotor. and applie lots of force via hammer to each half. but there is nothing secret as to how they come off. if u dont feal like destroying it in your driveway. put it together. bring it to the dealer. tell them it needs front brakes and u could not get the rotor off. if u some what destroy it.... call a tow truck and do what the previous statment states:p. good luck and do your brakes more often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobY Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Buffalo winters are the worst. My friend has a toyota tercel. When he got a flat we tried to seperate the steel wheel from the brake drum in the rear. Nothing worked. We even tried loostening the lugnuts from the hub then letting the weight of the car rest on the unbolted rim. Then we proceeded to rock the car back and forth. When that didnt work we jumped on the back of the car and started bouncing it up and down. Nothing worked. We decided just to run the compact spare on the front. I have a feeling those rims would have stayed on there if we were to drive around with NO lugnuts. We ended up leaving it alone... hes pretty much screwed if he ever gets a flat in the rear. I know you might not want to hear that but if they are anywhere NEAR as rusted you will never get them off short of somthing extreme. I would probably just put the brakes back together give them a good dousing of brake cleaner and beat the crap out of them until the rotors are smoking hot. The intense heat and torque from driving should be able to break any corroison on there. If that dont work I have a MAPP torch you can borrow. Your gonna need alot of heat to get that rotor hot enough. One torch isnt gonna cut it the rotor will dissapate the heat faster than you can add it. In fact Im not even sure the mapp torch will do it. It takes alot of energy to stop a car from highway speeds probably more energy than can be applied by small torches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobY Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Or... You can take a length of 2x4 a little bit shorter than your front track length. Take both the calipers off. Butress the 2x4 between the 2 rotors stuff a jack inbetween them then crank till one of the rotors pops free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eL GaTo Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 ford tech says: your wrong!!!! if heating and hitting it alot doesnt work. u can try to split the rotor. use a cut off wheel and cut a line across the rotor. and applie lots of force via hammer to each half. but there is nothing secret as to how they come off. if u dont feal like destroying it in your driveway. put it together. bring it to the dealer. tell them it needs front brakes and u could not get the rotor off. if u some what destroy it.... call a tow truck and do what the previous statment states:p. good luck and do your brakes more often Obviously, Ford does not utilize what most car manufacturers use to remove rotors from the hub. Subarus, Nissans, Hondas, to name a few use what I suggested. Anyway I tried. Good luck. "Remember..."MODDING is a HOBBY:icon_bigg, not a BAAAD HABIT";) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 Again, thanks for all the suggestions. An update for everyone: I've given up on the rotor, have HAD decided to replace the whole hub/rotor assembly. Uh, no. The HUB IS STUCK ON THERE TOO!!! I swear that this car is just cursed. RobY - thanks for the offer on the MAPP gas, but there's no turning back now! El Gato - I WISH Ford had the sense to use this method... MMS - "Do your brakes more often..." lol - this is probably the 20th rotor/pad change I've done - not all my car of course! This is by far the worst I've ever seen tho - lemme tell ya... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Ahem... Found On Road Dead That baby prolly wont come off without one hell of a fight, I'm talkin sledgehammer + heat + lotsa muscle and pounding, oh yea and with all of that, you are gonna bleed. I cant tell you how many times I smashed my knuckles and tore up my arms working on my old '96 Explorer trying to get shit off, like just removing lugnuts and snapping off the bolts or having to jack up the damn thing, taking off the passenger wheel, removing the shroud and then wedging my arm around the headers to get the stupid spark plugs. Damn cars are nice when they have a few miles on them and dont see rain, or road salt, then, oh shit... All in all, good luck with that damn thing JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 You're not lyin aczwild... I talked to a master Ford tech, who told me to "beat the hell out of it with a sledge. It'll crack into all kinds of pieces, but eventually it'll come off." I always said that half of being a mechanic was knowing how hard to hit it and when, but DAMN... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 22, 2005 Author Share Posted October 22, 2005 After a few good whacks with an 8 lb sledge, the rotor surface finally separated from the "hub piece," and after a few more whacks everything came loose! Thanks for all the help! I'm sure I'll be keeping the sledge around for future work on the Focus... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 Yay, see it never hurts to just go to town on a car, now with that said and depending on how much whacking and reefing on the front end you did, you might want to make sure after you get it all back together that the alignment of the front end is still good. Congrats on getting the bastard off! JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPSGuy Posted October 23, 2005 Author Share Posted October 23, 2005 Good call. I tried to do most of the whacking in a location where it wouldn't yield too much stress on the tie rod ends, rather transferring it to the spindle assembly/strut itself. It road tested fine, but I'm def. going to keep an eye on it. Good advice. Thanks again to everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.