How do you get brake rotors off?

[firstRWD]

I've taken off the wheel and caliper, so I'm pretty sure it's just age/rust holding the rotor on. How do you guys get them off? I'm doing this in a driveway with no air tools, so nothing but basic hand tools and a short pipe for leverage available.

[blue///m3]

hammer

[Vinci]

Rotor retaining screw? Do E30's even have those?

[540i nashville]

remove rotor retaining screw. spray PB Blaster. go inside and drink a beer. go back out and hit the rotor with a hammer. make sure your feet are out of the way.

[Brutality]

Hammer!

[OriginalSterm]

PB blaster around the center of the rotor where it meets the hub. Hit it from behind with a mallet or hammer. Rotate 90°, then repeat.

[mike87]

e30 has retaining nuts

use a deadblow/rubber hammer at 12 oclock, 6 oclock, 9 oclock, and 3 oclock, or a regular hammer with an old sweater/shoe wrapped around it

don't use too much pb blaster, you might hit the emergency brake and grease it up real good if you're doing the rears

[firstRWD]

It's on my girlfriends Pontiac Vibe. In any case, PB Blaster in the stud holes, let it sit a minute, and then gave it some hits from both sides with the end a 2X4. Eventually got it. Thanks.

I think maybe the PB is what did it. I seriously have never understood why someone would use WD40 as a penetrating fluid when PB exists.

[mpower5266]

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4639/usdetonatorc46ee.jpg

[rammstein]

Yes, E30s have a retaining screw. They use an Allen bit. They should be barely torqued, as they are simply there to keep the rotor from falling off while changing the wheels. Each rotor has one of these. IF you haven't taken that off, remove it. If you have, then the advice given above should be followed. I had a frozen retaining screw. It took 2 hours, a ton of PB Blaster, 4 beers, a butane torch, and some serious cursing to get it off.

Protip- buy a jar of anti-sieze, and once you get it all apart, brush liberally on the retaining nut and the mating faces on the rotor. You will thank yourself when next time rolls around.

EDIT- I didn't see until now that you weren't working on an E30.

My suggestion is to replace Vibe with E30.

[Kuane]

Screwdriver and hammer...

[triggrhaapi]

OP:

Deadblow hammers are just about the greatest thing ever made. Ever.

[GBimmer]

My suggestion is to replace Vibe with E30.

Most excellent advice.

[assoutE12]

I don't apparently.

Went to swap rotors and pads last night but I stripped out the rotor retaining screw.
seriously though, there should be a small allen screw that holds the rotor on, it might be covered with dust/rust, make sure you get all the muck out of it before you gorilla fist that bitch or you might strip it out like a dumbass

[540i nashville]

I don't apparently.

Went to swap rotors and pads last night but I stripped out the rotor retaining screw.
seriously though, there should be a small allen screw that holds the rotor on, it might be covered with dust/rust, make sure you get all the muck out of it before you gorilla fist that bitch or you might strip it out like a dumbass


everybody strips out retaining screws.. they're pretty damn useless anyway. just get a reverse threaded drill bit set and drill them out... in my experience, when you get really close to actually drilling the stem off of the head, the reverse thread bit will "bite" and unscrew the now useless retaining bolt...

[firstRWD]

My suggestion is to replace Vibe with E30.

Haha, I would if I could. For Who Knows what reason, she likes her car better than mine. I give her a little credit for being able to drive mine alright, though. Seems like most girls can't drive manual anymore, much less fairly smoothly.

Thanks for the tip on anti-seize. Do I basically just put it on every part where the rotor touches another surface?

[parabellum]

everybody strips out retaining screws.. they're pretty damn useless anyway. just get a reverse threaded drill bit set and drill them out... in my experience, when you get really close to actually drilling the stem off of the head, the reverse thread bit will "bite" and unscrew the now useless retaining bolt...

I stripped the FUCK out of mine, why bmw thought that was a good design is fucking beyond me.

Once you get that dumbass screw out, never put it back in, its a stupid feature.

I really like the subaru design: It has M8 threads on the rotor, so that once you get the caliper mounting bracket off, you can just thread in a few M8 bolts and they will walk the rotor off of the hub.

:buttrock

[Cyrix2k]

It's on my girlfriends Pontiac Vibe. In any case, PB Blaster in the stud holes, let it sit a minute, and then gave it some hits from both sides with the end a 2X4. Eventually got it. Thanks.

I think maybe the PB is what did it. I seriously have never understood why someone would use WD40 as a penetrating fluid when PB exists.
I've had great luck with both :help

[FullRaze]

Do a little Auto-X first:

http://www.maniacworld.com/rx7-wheels-fall.jpg

[Vinci]

Thanks for the tip on anti-seize. Do I basically just put it on every part where the rotor touches another surface?
More or less. Don't go overboard with it, though. You don't want it to migrate or get wiped onto the braking surface.

I use anti-seize on just about anything like that. Not having to fight rusted crap is priceless.

[parabellum]

More or less. Don't go overboard with it, though. You don't want it to migrate or get wiped onto the braking surface.

I use anti-seize on just about anything like that. Not having to fight rusted crap is priceless.

Here in the rust belt, that shit is mandatory, or everything rusts solid and you end up beating the fuck out of everything you have to take apart.

God I hate the midwest.

:mad

[FullRaze]

Get this lady to look at them, they'll jump right off

http://cdn.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/my-alter-ego-cha-cha-lol.-Red-lipstick-and-Mary-Kay-shadow-in-Rust-and-Teal-plus-crazy-LASHES-450x600.jpg

[custom32]

hammer

Regular or small sledge hammer until you beat them into submission

[firstRWD]

Here in the rust belt, that shit is mandatory, or everything rusts solid and you end up beating the fuck out of everything you have to take apart.

God I hate the midwest.

:mad

Exactly! I fucking Hate this shit. I can't wait to move south again.

This second one is proving to be harder than the first. I've let it soak with PB, reapplied, and let it soak more and it still won't come off. :mad

And of course it's gonna be dark by 4:30 now...

[mpower5266]

I stripped the FUCK out of mine, why bmw thought that was a good design is fucking beyond me.

Once you get that dumbass screw out, never put it back in, its a stupid feature.

I really like the subaru design: It has M8 threads on the rotor, so that once you get the caliper mounting bracket off, you can just thread in a few M8 bolts and they will walk the rotor off of the hub.

:buttrock

The screws are kinda nice when the car doesnt have lug studs, so you aren't chasing the rotor when you are putting the wheel on.

[OMGWTFBODY]

People forget sometimes that some models have a parking brake drum inside the rears. If the E-Brake is on, that rotor ain't leaving.

[Iwantoneofthose]

everybody strips out retaining screws.. they're pretty damn useless anyway.

I hardly ever do. but then again, i have one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-screwdriver-set-with-case-37530.html

[Roth21]

God I love OT.

[TunedReference]

I remember having an exceptionally tough time getting the rotors off my e36, the solution is to get a bigger hammer, like this:

http://matt.schlaq.com/e36/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/maul.JPG

One hit. :D

[Walt WhiteCoupe]

Doing the job in the driveway on jack stands makes it hard to get a good shot at the rotor with a hammer if you are trying to knock it off while hitting from the inside out. The way you would think was the way to hit it to knock it off. What has worked on two BMW's, one a 10 year old car, was to hit it really hard from the outside toward the car on the rim of rotor with a large rubber mallet. That way you can get a real long swing and a solid hit. Hit it at top (or wherever that rotor guard has the opening) , rotate the rotor 90 degrees and wack it again and keep rotating 90 degrees and keep wacking it, it will pop off. Also, keep one wheel bolt loosely installed so the rotor doesn't "jump" off.