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Anybody give me advice (or a walk through) on how to pull the disc brake rotors off on a car with wire wheels?
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10musketeer
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You'll need to take the hub off.
-you'll need to remove the 5/8" caliper bolts on the back side of the caliper. You'll need to bend the safety tabs out of the way carefully so you can remove the 2 bolts. This is easier if you turn the steering wheel to one side to allow better access. Use a hanger or jack stands to hold the caliper out of the way. Carefull of the rubber hoses.
-remove the dust cover/grease cap from the end of the hub and then remove the split pin and remove the nut. I think it's a 15/16 size nut, and will be torqued to about 45 pounds.
-the hub and rotor should slide off. To separate the rotor from the hub, remove the 4 bolts that connect the two. I think it was easier to remove them after the hub and rotor are off the car so you have something to gently pull on to to remove the hub.
Clear as mud?
Let me know if this made no sense as I was trying to do this from memory. I replaced my bearings, rotors, and pads about two months ago on my 71 wire wheel and made plenty of mistakes, so I'll try to help you avoid them.
-you'll need to remove the 5/8" caliper bolts on the back side of the caliper. You'll need to bend the safety tabs out of the way carefully so you can remove the 2 bolts. This is easier if you turn the steering wheel to one side to allow better access. Use a hanger or jack stands to hold the caliper out of the way. Carefull of the rubber hoses.
-remove the dust cover/grease cap from the end of the hub and then remove the split pin and remove the nut. I think it's a 15/16 size nut, and will be torqued to about 45 pounds.
-the hub and rotor should slide off. To separate the rotor from the hub, remove the 4 bolts that connect the two. I think it was easier to remove them after the hub and rotor are off the car so you have something to gently pull on to to remove the hub.
Clear as mud?
Let me know if this made no sense as I was trying to do this from memory. I replaced my bearings, rotors, and pads about two months ago on my 71 wire wheel and made plenty of mistakes, so I'll try to help you avoid them.
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bolts removed from hub to rotor. I had to grind down a 9/16th wrench so I could get a good tight fit onto those bolts out of fear of rounding the bolts.
Caliper removed. That was easy. So how does the hub come off so I can remove the rotor? Puller or prying? Disassembly instructions in my book is vague. I can dissasemble anything if I choose to light the torch but this is not an option here. Dust cap is recessed back in the hub.
Caliper removed. That was easy. So how does the hub come off so I can remove the rotor? Puller or prying? Disassembly instructions in my book is vague. I can dissasemble anything if I choose to light the torch but this is not an option here. Dust cap is recessed back in the hub.
10musketeer
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There is a tool you can use to grab the dust cover, or I put a couple of nuts on it that I had laying around and then put some vise grips on it and pulled. I even used a rubber mallet and softly hit the vise grips from the side. Probably not what your supposed to do, but it shoud come of without to much persuasion. It's not held in by anything, so it should slide right out.
Under that you will see the nut with the split pin, remove them and pull the hub off. It may take a little back and forth on the rotor, but it should slide straight off.
Under that you will see the nut with the split pin, remove them and pull the hub off. It may take a little back and forth on the rotor, but it should slide straight off.
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The book shows no stud through the wheel bearing dust cover cap. I tried sticking some nuts on it and pulling. I'm at a complete loss right now on this.
10musketeer
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Your right, in fact I think in a lot of the diagrams they show it backwards.
Inside your hub, I think I can see the cover with the threaded end pointing out towards you. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but I think I can see it there. You should be able to grab that with some pliers and pull it out by the threads. -Thats were I added some nuts to it so I wouldn't damage the threads. There is no real purpose for the threads other than to thread a tool on that will help you pull it out. It should come out to the end of the hub pretty easy, then you'll need to "pop" it out with a little oomph. There is just a little lip on the inside of the hub that holds it in.
Let me know if you have any more luck, I'll check back in 2 hrs when I get home.
When it works you say "oh, that was it?"
Later I'll tell you about some of my "stupid mistakes" while doing this project.
Inside your hub, I think I can see the cover with the threaded end pointing out towards you. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but I think I can see it there. You should be able to grab that with some pliers and pull it out by the threads. -Thats were I added some nuts to it so I wouldn't damage the threads. There is no real purpose for the threads other than to thread a tool on that will help you pull it out. It should come out to the end of the hub pretty easy, then you'll need to "pop" it out with a little oomph. There is just a little lip on the inside of the hub that holds it in.
Let me know if you have any more luck, I'll check back in 2 hrs when I get home.
When it works you say "oh, that was it?"
Later I'll tell you about some of my "stupid mistakes" while doing this project.
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I thought about about what you said and then went back and looked at this again. I also saw the Moss tool in their catalog. Now I know what I gotta do to get this thing apart.
I took a long bolt and threaded a few nuts on it. I left a little thread protruding in the nut and threaded it over the wheel cap stud. Grabbed a set of vise grips and a hammer. Viola. Split the hub and rotor apart with some good taps of a hammer and a couple of pry bars once I had the hub/rotor off the car.
I got it off. YOU RULE.
I'll post a walkthrough of this job when I pull the other side. We learned it's really easy afterall. Yes? No?
I took a long bolt and threaded a few nuts on it. I left a little thread protruding in the nut and threaded it over the wheel cap stud. Grabbed a set of vise grips and a hammer. Viola. Split the hub and rotor apart with some good taps of a hammer and a couple of pry bars once I had the hub/rotor off the car.
I got it off. YOU RULE.
I'll post a walkthrough of this job when I pull the other side. We learned it's really easy afterall. Yes? No?
10musketeer
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Glad to see it worked out. After I was done and the blood drained from my face I felt great! I never would have figured it out without these guys here. Now I'm also doing some work on another car without the help of a forum as good as this one, and I'm really feeling lost. Maybe we should all own the same cars and work on the same projects at the same time!
Your step by step idea is a good one. We should have an area within each car where we can post our own step by step examples- sort of what Jack does, but organized in specific projects. I know I've used you guys a lot more than the manuals!
Your step by step idea is a good one. We should have an area within each car where we can post our own step by step examples- sort of what Jack does, but organized in specific projects. I know I've used you guys a lot more than the manuals!
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Ok, here's how the kid learned it and applied it (thanks 10musketeer!)..
Front End Dissassemby 101 on a wire wheel car
I'll just cover the pain in the butt stuff. You can pretty much figure out everything else otherwise. I'm only going as far as pulling and replacing the rotors, rebuilding the calipers, changing the coil springs, steering rubber boots and tie rod ends.
1. Moss sells a tool for getting the wheel bearing dust cover off for 27 bucks, but there is a cheap tool you can make that wont damage the hub.
What's needed
a. 5/16 fine thread bolt (24TPI) at least 4 inches long.
b. Nylock nut, 5/16, 24TPI
c. Vise grips
d. Hammer.
how to use:
thread the nylon threaded side of the nylock onto the bolt, leaving a couple of thread exposed. Thread the remainder of the nylock onto the wheel bearing dust cover. Grab some vise grips and clamp the grips onto the bolt. Now, grab a hammer and smack the vise grips. Cover comes right off.
2. Moving on to the next pain in the arse- loosening those bolts that hold the rotor onto the hub. The point here is to unbolt the hub off the rotor before you remove the two off the car. Once you pull both off the spindle, a tap with a hammer will break them loose.
In this case this required the following.
a. I had to grind down the edges around a fully enclosed 9/16ths wrench, so that I could get onto the bolt. You'll round the corners otherwise.
b. A little bit of leverage on the end of the wrench.
c. Put the wheel on backwards over the hub and use it as fulcrum when you go to loosen the hub bolts. I didn't even need to use a hammer. Make the tools do the work for you!..
..isn't that what they say? Anywho..
Other option is to leave the caliper on and have the lovely Heather Peters get in the car and press on the brakes so that you can remove the bolts. However since I don't have any brakes, this was not an option.
If you plan on pulling the hubs, figure two new cotter pins into the cost. I ended up having to break one off with a small chisel and the other I was lucky enough to get one off with some real long needle noses, an old flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Regardless, you are either going to bend them up badly or destroy them when trying to get to them as they are recessed deeply into the hub.
3. Next. Front springs. This requires 2 pieces of thread stock, 5/16ths, course (or you will spend all day long unthreading a fine bolt, like I did) and at least 4 and a half inches long. Also you will need 6 5/16ths inch nuts.
a. Pull two of the four bolts that hold the spring perch to the lower control arm (opposite from each other).
b. Jack the lower control arm up far enough to get the shock lever off the bump stop. The reason for this is that the spring needs to be straight so that it will come out through the space in the lower control arm.
c. Put the studs in the 2 holes and double nut the studs on top. Thread a single nut onto the stud from the bottom side.Leave enough thread so that you can get a deep well socket onto the bottom side (and that means with the socket barely over the ratchet) .
d. Remove the remaining two bolts that fasten the spring perch to the lower control arm.
e. Equally loosen the nuts on the bottom side of the studs and the spring will start coming out through the lower control arm. Keep in mind that if you cannot freely move that spring, then there is tension on the spring.
and what do you get?
You get a car sitting in pieces waiting on parts.
Again.
Front End Dissassemby 101 on a wire wheel car
I'll just cover the pain in the butt stuff. You can pretty much figure out everything else otherwise. I'm only going as far as pulling and replacing the rotors, rebuilding the calipers, changing the coil springs, steering rubber boots and tie rod ends.
1. Moss sells a tool for getting the wheel bearing dust cover off for 27 bucks, but there is a cheap tool you can make that wont damage the hub.
What's needed
a. 5/16 fine thread bolt (24TPI) at least 4 inches long.
b. Nylock nut, 5/16, 24TPI
c. Vise grips
d. Hammer.
how to use:
thread the nylon threaded side of the nylock onto the bolt, leaving a couple of thread exposed. Thread the remainder of the nylock onto the wheel bearing dust cover. Grab some vise grips and clamp the grips onto the bolt. Now, grab a hammer and smack the vise grips. Cover comes right off.
2. Moving on to the next pain in the arse- loosening those bolts that hold the rotor onto the hub. The point here is to unbolt the hub off the rotor before you remove the two off the car. Once you pull both off the spindle, a tap with a hammer will break them loose.
In this case this required the following.
a. I had to grind down the edges around a fully enclosed 9/16ths wrench, so that I could get onto the bolt. You'll round the corners otherwise.
b. A little bit of leverage on the end of the wrench.
c. Put the wheel on backwards over the hub and use it as fulcrum when you go to loosen the hub bolts. I didn't even need to use a hammer. Make the tools do the work for you!..
..isn't that what they say? Anywho..
Other option is to leave the caliper on and have the lovely Heather Peters get in the car and press on the brakes so that you can remove the bolts. However since I don't have any brakes, this was not an option.
If you plan on pulling the hubs, figure two new cotter pins into the cost. I ended up having to break one off with a small chisel and the other I was lucky enough to get one off with some real long needle noses, an old flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Regardless, you are either going to bend them up badly or destroy them when trying to get to them as they are recessed deeply into the hub.
3. Next. Front springs. This requires 2 pieces of thread stock, 5/16ths, course (or you will spend all day long unthreading a fine bolt, like I did) and at least 4 and a half inches long. Also you will need 6 5/16ths inch nuts.
a. Pull two of the four bolts that hold the spring perch to the lower control arm (opposite from each other).
b. Jack the lower control arm up far enough to get the shock lever off the bump stop. The reason for this is that the spring needs to be straight so that it will come out through the space in the lower control arm.
c. Put the studs in the 2 holes and double nut the studs on top. Thread a single nut onto the stud from the bottom side.Leave enough thread so that you can get a deep well socket onto the bottom side (and that means with the socket barely over the ratchet) .
d. Remove the remaining two bolts that fasten the spring perch to the lower control arm.
e. Equally loosen the nuts on the bottom side of the studs and the spring will start coming out through the lower control arm. Keep in mind that if you cannot freely move that spring, then there is tension on the spring.
and what do you get?
You get a car sitting in pieces waiting on parts.
Again.
10musketeer
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Very nice! Nice idea on the springs. That's going in my mental file for use next time!
On removing the rotor bolts since I was replacing the rotors I took the hubs off with the rotors attached and then stood on them while I loosened the bolts. I think I even assembled the rotor to the hub before I put them back on the axle if I remember right.
On removing the rotor bolts since I was replacing the rotors I took the hubs off with the rotors attached and then stood on them while I loosened the bolts. I think I even assembled the rotor to the hub before I put them back on the axle if I remember right.
Trevor Jessie
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I'm guessing you don't own air tools?
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Trevor,
There is no way you can get a socket onto those hub bolts, air tools or not.
But yeah, I get the joke.
There is no way you can get a socket onto those hub bolts, air tools or not.
But yeah, I get the joke.
Trevor Jessie
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air ratchet also makes the long bolt method of spring removal easier.
If you can't get a socket on them, then how can you torque them? By feel?
If you can't get a socket on them, then how can you torque them? By feel?
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In the case of bolting the hub to the rotor, that appears to be the only option.
10musketeer
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Trevor Jessie said:
No, but I do enough huffing and puffing to compensate fully!
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